Athens, Edinburgh, Madrid, Milan, and Rome are among the five new European destinations that American Airlines announced in September. American also added four Asian cities to its network Plane to Paris and London.
Delta followed that up later in September with new routes to Barcelona; Brussels; Sicilia, Catania; Rome, Naples, Dublin, and Milan. Salt Lake City was also added by Delta to Seoul. Additionally, there will be 66 international locations in Atlanta.
The wager is that Americans still enjoy traveling to other countries and favor the same old, dependable European destinations. American stated that it is Greece and Spain’s most popular airline: Delta claimed to be the best airline for Italy.
Plane to Paris and London Then we have United.
United stated on Thursday that it is planning its largest-ever international expansion, with a focus on unusual destinations. Eight brand-new cities are included in its summer 2025 schedule: Mongolia’s Ulaanbaatar; Taiwan’s Kaohsiung; Plane to Paris and London Greenland; Nuuk Italy’s Palermo; Madrid, Spain; Portugal’s island of Madeira; Portugal’s Faro and Senegal’s Dakar
At a briefing on Wednesday, United senior vice president for global network planning and alliances Patrick Quayle stated to reporters, “The savvy traveler has been to Paris and Madrid so many times that they are looking for more unique content.”
Quayle stated, “These are one-of-a-kind destinations that are hidden gems.” United is regarded as the authority on where to fly.
When asked if the destinations were experimental, Quayle mentioned United’s global reach and prominent international hubs like Tokyo Narita. He stated, “We have amazing assets.” We are being bold due to our strengths and assets. I believe it is not experimental; It builds on previous successes.
Additionally, he stated that United has examined credit card trends and other potential new destination indicators. “You skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been,” he said, referring to a saying. Plane to Paris and London
Regarding Ulaanbaatar, arguably the most exotic of the new destinations, Quayle stated that prior to the pandemic, international travelers had been able to access Mongolia via Beijing; however, “that traffic is not connecting in Beijing so we thought we have an opportunity to connect this traffic in Japan.”
Starting on May 1, Tokyo-Ulaanbaatar will only be served by United Airlines, which is based in the United States.
United stated in a press release that “Ulaanbaatar is the gateway to some of the most untouched lands of Mongolia” and that the city “offers reindeer sleigh rides, camel racing, and dramatic landscapes, perfect for adventurous travelers.” Almost a portion of 1,000,000 individuals visited Mongolia such a long ways in 2024, up 25% contrasted with 2023, as voyagers search out the colorful, the transporter said.
Quayle stated, “We are thinking about Tokyo in a different way than it has been thought of in the past.” Guam is home to a few of our 737s. We can use crews from Guam to fly those out of Tokyo. A partnership with Japan’s ANA Airlines, which has a hub in Narita, is another asset of Tokyo and Plane to Paris and London
When United purchased Pan Am’s Asia assets in 1985, it also acquired its Tokyo hub. Northwest and Pan Am established Tokyo hubs following World War II. Tokyo will provide meals to Ulaanbaatar, Palau, Kaohsiung, and Koror.
With the launch of Dulles-Senegal on May 23, United will now offer five African destinations, including South Africa’s Cape Town and Johannesburg; seasonal service to Marrakesh, Morocco, as well as Lagos, Nigeria, and Accra, Ghana. The new Dakar flight, according to United, “will help further Africa’s growth.” “The large Senegalese diaspora in the Washington area” was mentioned by Quayle.
With over 760 weekly flights to over 40 destinations, United claimed that it would offer the most transatlantic flights of any US airline. United will add flights to Spain, Italy, France, Greece, and Croatia in addition to its exclusive destinations.
With 400 daily departures to 147 destinations, including 40 nonstop routes that no other domestic airline serves, United also flies to more international destinations than any other U.S. carrier.
United will begin operating flights from Newark to Nuuk, Palermo, Bilbao, the Madeira Islands, and Faro in May. Dakar will be available to Dulles all year, along with seasonal flights to Nice and Venice.