Though the snow is just starting to fall, American Airlines is already looking ahead to next summer.
The Fort Worth-based carrier announced on Friday its summer 2023 schedule, which includes expanded service in many existing markets, as well as a slew of resumptions.
Here’s the latest.
4 routes get a big boost
Beginning in April, American will add additional flights on four long-haul routes, including:
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) — Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
DFW — Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO).
Miami International Airport (MIA) — London Heathrow Airport (LHR).
MIA — Sao Paulo (GRU).
American didn’t share how many additional flights it’ll add in each market, but it’s interesting to see the airline boosting many of its “bread-and-butter” international flights.
Dallas-Fort Worth is the airline’s largest hub, and with expanded service to Paris and Rome, the carrier seemingly thinks that there’ll be lots of demand to some of Europe’s most popular cities.
Meanwhile, from Miami, American will add flights to London, home to its transatlantic joint venture partner British Airways, which can offer a range of connections to cities in Europe and across the globe.
Additionally, adding more Sao Paulo service comes as American is facing increasing competition in its Miami hub, which has historically been the airline’s gateway to Latin America.
Delta’s new joint venture partnership with LATAM is bringing more domestic and international service to Miami, and American is likely trying to bolster its position as the leader in South Florida.
7 long-haul resumptions
American will also re-add service in seven long-haul markets, some of which haven’t been served since early in the pandemic due to weak demand and aircraft delivery delays.
You’ll find the full list of resumptions in the table below.
From
To
Last Operated
Charlotte
Paris
Summer 2019
Charlotte
Frankfurt
Summer 2021
Dallas-Fort Worth
Santiago
Summer 2021
Dallas-Fort Worth
Tokyo Haneda
Summer 2020
Los Angeles
Tokyo Haneda
Summer 2020
Los Angeles
Sydney
Summer 2021
Seattle
London
Summer 2021
Of these seven routes, only two of them will actually resume next summer — Charlotte to Paris and Dallas-Fort Worth to Tokyo. The other four have already resumed as of this winter season, according to Cirium schedules.
That said, flyers based in Charlotte and Los Angeles are probably quite enthused about these resumptions.
In Charlotte, American pulled the plug on many of its long-haul routes during the pandemic, and it’s only now rebuilding the network. This additional long-haul connectivity will benefit both locals and those based near Charlotte who’ll have additional one-stop options for getting to popular summer European destinations.
Meanwhile, American’s long-haul presence in Los Angeles has been on the decline in recent years. It comes as the carrier has been busy building somewhat of a Oneworld Alliance mini-hub in Seattle, where American is partnering with Alaska Airlines to add more domestic and international routes.
American shifted its Los Angeles to Shanghai service to Seattle and cut a bunch of other long-haul routes from LAX during the pandemic. (American had planned to launch a splashy new service from Seattle to Bangalore, but those plans have been scrapped indefinitely due to the pandemic and Russian airspace closures.)
American still operates a hub in Los Angeles, and the city will once again be connected with two high-profile international routes.
Separately, American will upgauge its existing flight between Dallas-Fort Worth and Anchorage to a Boeing 787 Dreamliner this summer. This move is designed to capitalize on increased demand to outdoor-focused destinations.
Bottom line
While American is preparing for summer 2023 with additional long-haul flights and resumptions, it’s interesting to note that there aren’t any new routes being added in the latest announcement.
This comes in stark contrast to Delta and United, each of which have announced major expansions in advance of what’s predicted to be a very busy summer travel season.
It’s still possible that American will move forward with new routes for next summer, but the window of opportunity is closing — airlines like to firm up their schedules quite early in order to stimulate demand for their new flights.
