For these trying to get a bounce on end-of-the-year travels—be it a ski retreat or a sun-filled escape—American Airways could have simply the ticket.
American lately introduced an expanded schedule for the winter season, with flights to 2 new locations—Santa Maria, California, and Solar Valley, Idaho—in addition to expanded service to Fort Myers, Florida; Missoula, Montana; and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Investing in smaller (however rising) leisure hubs equivalent to Solar Valley, Santa Maria, and Fort Myers is a part of the airline’s concentrate on reaching larger home connectivity and positioning the provider because the go-to airline for seasonal leisure journey.
American has “opted to dig extra into smaller regional airports that present indicators of demand to and from the realm throughout particular home windows,” says Katy Nastro, a journey knowledgeable at Going, a journey app and offers publication. “Solar Valley and Fort Myers are two completely different however comparable examples of simply that. This showcases their wager on fashionable snowboarding and solar places. For instance, Fort Myers has proven the largest progress in scheduled seats yr over yr, in accordance with Cirium analytics. American is making an attempt to experience that wave of progress and curiosity.”
American’s new routes
- Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport (PHX) to Southwest Florida Worldwide Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers: Day by day on a Boeing 737 from November 20 by December 3 and from December 18, 2025, by January 6, 2026.
- Chicago O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD) to Missoula Montana Airport (MSO): Day by day on an Embraer E175 beginning December 18. (American at present flies this route seasonally through the summer time.)
- Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) to Santa Fe New Mexico Regional Airport (SAF): Day by day on a Bombardier CRJ700 beginning October 6.
- ORD to SAF: Day by day on a CRJ700 from December 18, 2025, by January 6, 2026.
- PHX to California’s Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX): Twice every day on a Bombardier CRJ900 beginning October 16.
- ORD to Solar Valley, Idaho’s Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN): Day by day on a CRJ700 from December 18, 2025, by April 6, 2026.
- PHX to SUN: Day by day on a CRJ700 from December 18, 2025, by April 6, 2026.
Tickets are already obtainable for all the brand new and expanded routes on American Airways’ web site and cell app.
Smaller airports with huge potential
Based on Nastro, airways aren’t essentially trending towards flying to extra regional airports (in truth, many airways have been pulling out of smaller airports in recent times); slightly, they’re selecting and selecting regional airports to fulfill a progress in curiosity from vacationers.
“Persons are being extra purposeful of their journey in comparison with the pandemic years, so heading to a brand new ski vacation spot on a direct route caters to that profile. And, in the event you might be one of many solely carriers that fly straight right into a vacation spot, even higher,” Nastro says.
Solar Valley, a historic resort city with world-class snowboarding and a thriving arts scene, is already served by Alaska Airways, Delta Air Traces, and United Airways. As to why American is eager about becoming a member of the fray, Mike Arnot, an aviation knowledgeable and spokesperson for aviation analytics agency Cirium, says that airways “will search a income benefit the place they will, particularly on routes the place there isn’t loads of competitors. In terms of ski locations, American and United every have already got loads of flying to a wide range of mountain airports. Assume Montrose, Grand Junction, Eagle, and Aspen, for instance—every of which is conveniently situated for journey to a wide range of resorts. For the brand new routes, American has noticed what it thinks is sweet potential with smaller jets into ski locations from smaller cities.”
However, Santa Maria, a metropolis on California’s Central Coast close to the burgeoning wine area Paso Robles, recognized for its vineyards and close by entry to the Pacific, is extra distinctive. The regional airport is at present served solely by Allegiant Air.