It looks like Royal Jordanian has just revealed its next destination in the United States, or something…
In this post:
Royal Jordanian hints at Amman to Washington route
On its official Instagram account, oneworld member Royal Jordanian has teased how it’s likely adding a new route to the United States, as flagged by @FlyingHighRyan. In the short video:
- There’s first a red hat with the text “He is back!” written on it
- Then there’s a message saying “And we’re taking you right to the middle of the action!”
- Next, there’s a message saying “Fly Non-Stop to Washington D.C.”
- The final page says “Stay tuned!”
Okay, I appreciate when airlines add teaser videos about adding new routes, like what United has frequently done in the past. However, this is almost less of a teaser and more of an announcement, since the airline is literally saying you’ll be able to fly nonstop to Washington, so there’s not much to guess here.
Royal Jordanian’s current destinations in North America include Chicago (ORD), Detroit (DTW), Montreal (YUL), New York (JFK), and Toronto (YYZ). All of those are cities with large Middle Eastern populations, with Chicago and New York having the benefit of also being oneworld hubs, thanks to partner American Airlines.
The Washington to Amman route was served by United for some time, though the route has been suspended. It remains to be seen if there’s enough room in the market for both carriers. In terms of connections, obviously United has the advantage in Washington, while Royal Jordanian has the advantage in Amman.
This isn’t the first time that Royal Jordanian has gotten controversial with its marketing, and has involved politics.
In November 2016 (when Trump was running against Clinton), the airline had a fare sale to the United States, marketing the opportunity to “travel to the US while you’re still allowed to.”
Then in February 2017, when Trump instituted a travel ban for those from seven Muslim-majority countries, the airline had a “Bon Voyage” fare sale, with the “Bon” being written over the word “Ban.”
Suffice it to say that the airline’s tone is a bit different this time around.
Royal Jordanian is poised for major growth
In 2023, Royal Jordanian announced its impressive fleet renewal and expansion plans. Not only is the airline replacing many of its existing aircraft, but the fleet size will also grow considerably. This order consists of Airbus A320neos, Boeing 787-9s, and Embraer E190-Es.
Currently Royal Jordanian’s long haul fleet is comprised of just seven Boeing 787-8s. While the airline plans to continue flying those, it also has six Boeing 787-9s on order. That will basically double the carrier’s wide body capacity, given that the 787-9s are larger than the 787-8s.
The first 787-9s are expected to join Royal Jordanian’s fleet in 2025, so I imagine that will enable the carrier to add more long haul destinations, which haven’t been possible until now. Presumably the larger 787-9 will be placed onto one of the existing services, while the smaller 787-8 will fly to Washington.
Perhaps this is also why the Washington route isn’t being officially announced just yet, since it’s reliant on being able to take delivery of new jets. And I don’t know if anyone heard, but actually taking delivery of new Boeing jets isn’t exactly the easiest thing in the world. 😉
Bottom line
Royal Jordanian appears to be planning on adding nonstop flights between Amman and Washington. The airline hasn’t announced an exact schedule yet, but the teaser seems pretty clear.
What do you make of Royal Jordanian launching Washington flights?
RJ is just getting in on the GSA contract action enabled by their AA codeshare
Seems a little distasteful to make light of what many (particularly in the DC area) perceive as a serious situation. A lot of us are sensitive after what happened during the last presidential transition.
Glad to see they are adding more flights. It's not the worst way to get to that region from the USA if you don't mind mediocre service and 2-2-2 config in business. Ironically I think they may benefit from a Trump Presidency as he surely will improve stability in the Middle East. Trump is anti-war and holds a lot of sway with Israel.
Anti-war? Sure lol.
@DaninMCI
Isolationism/non-interventionism ≠ anti-war.
Also, you can drone people into oblivion without declaring it an official war.
How is award seat availability on Royal Jordanian in general?
It used to be very good with AA miles but in the past year or so it seems VERY hard to find business seats on any routes with RJ. Most of their planes are also a 2-2-2 in business. You can find economy seats pretty easy right now in my experience.
Thank you for your reply!
Okay the 2016 ads are lowkey hilarious, I actually think it shows a lot of personality and humor in response to an absurd situation like the muslim ban. It doesn't even feel designed to go viral which is what so many marketing people focus on today.
Taken in context with the 2016 ads I actually find this teaser even funnier, they're essentially taking a jab at Trump in a coy way
Great news for travelers! Royal Jordanian offering flights to Washington opens up more convenient options for those of us looking to explore the Middle East or connect to other destinations. The details about the flight service and its benefits were very insightful, especially regarding the comfort and convenience.
At The Bulk Cart, we value efficient travel for our international customers, and finding smooth connections is always a priority. It’s great to see airlines expanding routes...
Great news for travelers! Royal Jordanian offering flights to Washington opens up more convenient options for those of us looking to explore the Middle East or connect to other destinations. The details about the flight service and its benefits were very insightful, especially regarding the comfort and convenience.
At The Bulk Cart, we value efficient travel for our international customers, and finding smooth connections is always a priority. It’s great to see airlines expanding routes to better serve travelers. Thanks for sharing this update!
International travel on OW at IAD as of now includes British Airways, Iberia, Qatar, and Royal Air Maroc. While another option is always good, I'm not sure how much extra connectivity one would get via RJ that you don't already get on Qatar or BA. It would be much better for OW travelers if Cathay or JAL would fly to IAD. At least Skyteam has Korean to take people to Asia.
Given government employees are required to use U.S. airlines when possible, and the DMV population by a wide majority despising MAGA, I see this as a risky play given lack of OW connectivity at IAD. It won't go over well - inside or outside the beltway. And probably not for them either. Perhaps Dallas would have been a better pick with a hat that says, "Yahoo, Coal Pusher To Amman" Clearly, the first rule of...
Given government employees are required to use U.S. airlines when possible, and the DMV population by a wide majority despising MAGA, I see this as a risky play given lack of OW connectivity at IAD. It won't go over well - inside or outside the beltway. And probably not for them either. Perhaps Dallas would have been a better pick with a hat that says, "Yahoo, Coal Pusher To Amman" Clearly, the first rule of knowing your market was not in their plans.
Let's hope UA forces their hand and defends IAD with restoration of Amman flights. Meanwhile, I imagine great redemption value though as when this ad spreads around the DMV it's not going to resonate well.
Everyone who knew that DMV meant the areas of District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia raise your hands.
Australian here. I did.
Not American and I did as well.
I did. But it's a new-ish term; when I was a kid growing up in the area in the 60s, 70s and 80s they hadn't come up with "the DMV" as a description yet. Didn't start hearing it until the late 90s or so and it initially sounded like where you get your drivers license. It certainly is shorter than "the greater Washington area" which is what ads used back in the day.
@Steve,
Hands raised as I live in the area. Admittedly, when I first moved here I thought it stood for the more obvious Department of Motor Vehicles.
"Given government employees are required to use U.S. airlines when possible,"
Which includes foreign carriers sold under a US airline code share. For example UA has the government contract fare between Washington and Addis Ababa. Obviously they don't fly there but you can use the ET flight if booked on a UA codeshare. JetBlue has the contract to several Africa cities. They put you on Qatar.
American Airlines has the GSA contract for IAD-AMM for 2025….RJ is AAs codeshare partner and this flight is obviously will fulfill that awarded contract…..So the Beltway crowd will be utilizing this service whether they like it or not if on government business…..that is the reality!
Skewering and being even to both sides? The mainstream news media, Hollywood, elementary schools, universities, big tech, signal virtuing corporations, my sister, major league sports organizations, points and miles blogs, the sidewalks, and everyone else could really learn from this lesson.
Just brilliant, Royal Jordanian. Thank you.
Okay, Snowflake.
While I disagree with the rhetoric, it’s certainly effective in drawing attention. UA built up the market but then left due to security concerns in the region — RJ are smart to fill the void.
Regardless of your politics, that's pretty comical. I really like(d) the Bon/Ban Voyage ad. I'd never fly RJ for various reasons, but credit where it's due for a good marketing team.
Surprised you didn't reference your previous terrible experience with RJ!
Wonder if UA will halt their IAD-AMM flight now.
They don’t fly there
They exited that route permanently a few months ago
OK but when are they going to update their business class seats?
Great news for OW flyers in the DC area.