American Airlines has just added a bunch of seasonal winter routes to warm weather destinations, and my goodness there are some interesting new options…
In this post:
A new era of airline route planning
It’s a new world we live in, plain and simple. Airlines have radically changed their approaches to route planning, given the lack of business travel, along with the ever-changing international travel restrictions.
As airlines start to build their winter schedules, we’re seeing a consistent theme — airlines are adding point-to-point routes to warm weather destinations. Essentially every airline is looking a little bit like Allegiant when it comes to route planning.
What kind of routes are we talking about? Just to give a few examples of routes that have recently been announced:
- Alaska Airlines is adding Los Angeles to Fort Myers flights
- JetBlue Airways is adding Pittsburgh to Fort Lauderdale flights
- United Airlines is adding Milwaukee to Tampa flights
Well, American Airlines is the latest to add leisure routes to warm destinations, as the airline has loaded new flights into the schedule to Arizona, Florida, and Mexico.
American Airlines’ new seasonal winter routes
This winter, American Airlines is adding new routes to warm destinations, including:
- Nine new routes to Mexico, including five new routes to Cancun
- Five new routes to Miami
- Nine new routes to Phoenix
Let’s take a look at the details of these routes:
New American Airlines Mexico routes
American Airlines is adding new routes to Mexico between December 2020 and April 2021. The airline will add service to Cancun from the following cities:
- Columbus (CMH) — A319, Saturday only
- Indianapolis (IND) — 737, Saturday only
- Kansas City (MCI) — 737, Saturday only
- Raleigh (RDU) — 737, Saturday only
- St. Louis (STL) — 737, Saturday only
The airline will add service to Cabo San Lucas from the following cities:
- Austin (AUS) — 737, Saturday only
- New York (JFK) — 737, up to daily
- Sacramento (SMF) — A319, Saturday only
The airline will add service to Puerto Vallarta from the following city:
- Charlotte (CLT) — A319, Saturday only
I have a couple of thoughts here:
- It’s interesting to see American add New York to Cabo San Lucas just shortly after Eastern Airlines adds the route
- I feel like the immigration facility in Cancun is going to be a complete nightmare on Saturdays with the number of flights; check out my last experience with the Cancun immigration facility
New American Airlines Miami routes
American Airlines is adding new routes to Miami between November 2020 and April 2021. The airline will add service to Miami from the following cities:
- Dayton (DAY) — ERJ-145, Saturday only
- Lexington (LEX) — ERJ-145, Saturday only
- Milwaukee (MKE) — EMB-175, Saturday only
- Portland, Maine (PWM) — EMB-175, Saturday only
- Rochester (ROC) — EMB-175, Saturday only
New American Airlines Phoenix routes
American Airlines is adding new routes to Phoenix between November 2020 and April 2021. The airline will add service to Phoenix from the following cities:
- Billings (BIL) — CRJ-700, daily
- Bismarck (BIS) — CRJ-700, daily
- Calgary (YYC) — CRJ-900, daily
- Cincinnati (CVG) — A319, 4x weekly
- Cleveland (CLE) — 737, Saturday only
- Nashville (BNA) — A319, 4x daily
- Pittsburgh (PIT) — A319, daily
- Raleigh (RDU) — A320, daily
- Tulsa (TUL) — CRJ-900, daily
Bottom line
With the coronavirus pandemic far from over and business travel nowhere near a recovery, airlines have limited options for where they can fly their planes.
American Airlines just added about two dozen winter routes, which follow the industry trend. The airline will operate point-to-point routes for people looking for a bit of sun. The routes are all either domestic or to Mexico, where travel restrictions are relatively limited, at least as of now.
What do you make of American’s route additions?
Saturday only flights are for the benefit of people who primarily work monday through friday and want to take a weeks vacation. They can leave on a saturday and return on a saturday. It frequently coincides with cruises and time share weeks. So it is geared to leisure travelers. Most of these routes would be unsustainable on a daily basis even in good times.
PHX-PIT is not new at all. (It went away for Covid obviously but 1x daily is a reduction in service not an addition) AA has been flying that 2x a day for ever (US pre merger, and US and both HP flew it pre their merger) as an Arizonan who is a native Pittsburgher I fly that route all the time and have been anxiously awaiting its return since it was suspended for Covid, so...
PHX-PIT is not new at all. (It went away for Covid obviously but 1x daily is a reduction in service not an addition) AA has been flying that 2x a day for ever (US pre merger, and US and both HP flew it pre their merger) as an Arizonan who is a native Pittsburgher I fly that route all the time and have been anxiously awaiting its return since it was suspended for Covid, so I guess I'm happy but I'll be happy when it's back to 2x daily. They were even using an A320 for one of the flights pre covid, not A319s.
Thank you for the clarification, @Sam.
@preppyguyla
Alaska already does operate SMF-SJD (I think you meant sjd not cun) and Southwest used to do smf-sjd as well but cut it. So I think AA saw the opportunity to take over Southwest’s Cabo slot. Smart.. lots of NorCal spends lots of time in Cabo or hawaii.
I’d like to see more direct routes from DEN.
@robert ouch I can fly LGW or LHR-CAN in J for less than that return
Not that our Gov is allowing us to right now but my flights there in Nov were less than that and it's a hell of a lot more miles from Blighty
There are quite a few adds, however they don’t seem all that significant since the majority are Saturday only. I never quite understood it except buying land packages, are for seven days? I’d think even twice weekly would be better?
SMF-CUN seems an odd seasonal route for AA @ SMF. Am I missing something? I can see new OW partner , Alaska flying this seasonally, but not AA. I believe AS has enough aircraft...
There are quite a few adds, however they don’t seem all that significant since the majority are Saturday only. I never quite understood it except buying land packages, are for seven days? I’d think even twice weekly would be better?
SMF-CUN seems an odd seasonal route for AA @ SMF. Am I missing something? I can see new OW partner , Alaska flying this seasonally, but not AA. I believe AS has enough aircraft parked to operate this flight & on a lower cost basis than AA.
Winter break. Whatever you wanna call it.
College students will go to Cancun for spring break.
I can't see Calgary happen. Unless this thing subsides significantly and quickly in the United States, I don't imagine the Canadian government will open the border or lift the 14 day quarantine on arrival (that's actually enforced and that people actually follow).
Can’t see these flights on BA website to try to book with Avios. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Calgary is not "confusing". No, people are not traveling to Calgary. They are flying from Calgary to Phoenix to get out of the cold. Nothing confusing about that!!
4x daily sure seems like a very high frequency for BNA-PHX
This winter Hawaii may still be out. Ditto for Australia and Rio. Seems as though Mexico, Phoenix/Arizona and Florida will be hotspots. At least for now.
MCI-CUN
Dec 19 outbound Dec 26 return. $1,304 economy on AA non stop. $560 AA one stop. $2,191 r/t in Business. I can buy a whole lot of Christmas cheer at home.
PHX-BNA should be 4x weekly not daily
@James S,
“I dont get Saturday-only flights”
If you’ve got kids in online school, you can spend any week you want in FL/AZ/Mex, but you can only fly on Sat/Sun or they’re going to miss (online) class.
Phoenix to Raleigh and Pittsburgh are not new routes. Odd.
Also adding Miami-Des Moines, which was supposed to start in June but never did.
It seems airlines are having to limit flights to sun destinations to Mexico and domestic Florida/Arizona because much of the rest of the world doesn't want Americans visiting and won't let US passport holders in.
The daily Calgary route confuses me because most people flying to Calgary will have to self-isolate for 2 weeks after arriving, and Americans can't visit Canada for non-essential reasons. It seems snowbirds in Calgary will occupy the flights south,...
It seems airlines are having to limit flights to sun destinations to Mexico and domestic Florida/Arizona because much of the rest of the world doesn't want Americans visiting and won't let US passport holders in.
The daily Calgary route confuses me because most people flying to Calgary will have to self-isolate for 2 weeks after arriving, and Americans can't visit Canada for non-essential reasons. It seems snowbirds in Calgary will occupy the flights south, but I imagine the northbound flights will be pretty empty until the spring.
I dont get Saturday-only flights.
In the past, it made sense because there was the least amount of business travel, so the planes werent doing anything. But thats not the case anymore. The planes are all just sitting there.
Dont most people prefer going like Thursday night-Monday to make a 4 day weekend? Flying Saturday just wastes Saturday!
Wish there was a BIL to MCO direct route.. it'd be so much fun to ski and spent the winter in snow.
So glad to see this winter's Covidiot Travel Trends: Skiing/Beaches...like every other winter though this is NOT every other winter. Maybe I'll look for some nice hotel in Fargo, ND with an indoor pool.
Very excited about the JFK to SJD flights. Who is starting flights first American or eastern?
Any idea on launch and end dates?