American Airways is rising quick in Chicago.
Subsequent winter, the Fort Price, Texas-based service will add seven new routes and improve flights on one other 10 from Chicago’s O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD).
The transfer is seemingly the most recent escalation in a renewed battle with United Airways for the higher hand within the Windy Metropolis.
American’s new routes from O’Hare are:
- Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) in Ohio — twice each day beginning Oct. 6
- Curaçao Worldwide Airport (CUR) — Saturdays, starting Dec. 6
- Guatemala Metropolis’s La Aurora Worldwide Airport (GUA) — three weekly flights beginning Nov. 6
- Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA) in Virginia — each day, beginning Aug. 6
- Juan Santamaría Worldwide Airport (SJO) in San Jose, Costa Rica — each day, beginning Nov. 2 (final flown in 2022)
- St. Croix’s Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) — Saturdays, starting Dec. 6
- St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana Worldwide Airport (SMX) — Saturdays, beginning Nov. 8
Tickets for the brand new routes go on sale on Could 5.
These new locations for American out of Chicago — together with extra frequencies on 10 extra routes — come as American and United face off in a renewed battle for Chicago.
American was gradual to rebuild its O’Hare hub following the coronavirus pandemic, as an alternative specializing in its bases within the Solar Belt, together with Charlotte-Douglas Worldwide Airport (CLT) and Dallas-Fort Price Worldwide Airport (DFW).
In 2024, American operated practically 26% fewer flights and 21% fewer seats from O’Hare than it did in 2019, schedule information from aviation analytics agency Cirium reveals. The airline as a complete operated 8% fewer flights however 4% extra seats.
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United, which is predicated in Chicago, doubled down on its O’Hare hub. The airline operated 19% fewer flights however seats had been roughly flat in 2024 in comparison with 2019, in response to Cirium — that means, it flew its routes, by and enormous, with bigger plane.
Extra just lately, United has gone so far as to promote across the metropolis that it’s “Chicago’s #1 Airline,” and provide MileagePlus standing matches to different carriers’ frequent flyers.
Including to the less-than-friendly competitors: Below a brand new gate allocation system at O’Hare, the place numbers are re-allocated yearly primarily based on the final 12 months’s departures, American is predicted to lose as many as six gates on the space-constrained airport.
American’s resolution so as to add flights at O’Hare this winter, which comply with a bevy of recent flight choices for this summer time, could possibly be a push to regain gates subsequent 12 months beneath the airport’s re-allocation mechanism.
“We proceed to strengthen our community and reaffirm our dedication to the Chicago communities we serve — our loyal clients, the native economic system and our workforce members who’re the driving drive behind our operation,” Ben Humphrey, vice chairman of O’Hare operations at American, mentioned in an announcement.
American’s seats at O’Hare will improve 21% this June, July and August in comparison with final 12 months, per Cirium This features a new nonstop to Naples Worldwide Airport (NAP) in Italy that begins Could 6.
Of the seven new routes coming this winter, American will compete with United on 5: Akron, Guatemala Metropolis, Roanoke, San Jose and St. Maarten, Cirium schedules present.
American would be the solely airline providing nonstops between Chicago and each Curacao and St. Croix.
The ten present routes the place American will add extra flights embody O’Hare to Aruba’s Queen Beatrix Worldwide Airport (AUA), Cancun Worldwide Airport (CUN), Los Cabos Worldwide Airport (SJD) and Puerto Vallarta Worldwide Airport (PVR). It competes with United on all 10 routes.
American claims it is going to be the biggest airline from Chicago to the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico with this newest enlargement.
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