December 27, 2024

An American Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner takes off from Barcelona Airport on February 24, 2023.

Jane Valls | Noor Photos | Getty Images

As social media feeds shift from the Parthenon to pumpkin patches, airlines are busy preparing for the 2025 European travel season, betting that strong demand for international travel will continue next summer.

American Airlines New routes to Europe next spring and summer were announced Thursday. The airline launches nonstop service from Chicago to Madrid starting March 30; from Philadelphia to Milan on May 23; from Philadelphia to Edinburgh, Scotland, from May 23, returning for the first time since 2019; Starting on June 5, Charlotte, North Carolina will fly to Athens, Greece; starting on July 5, it will fly from Miami to Rome.

opponent United Airlines and Delta Air Lines The 2025 travel plan is expected to be released in the coming weeks.

American Airlines said transatlantic capacity next summer will increase by low to mid-single digits compared with this year, and executives believe consumers will continue to prioritize travel.

“In ’23, when people saw the demand for Italy and Greece, some people speculated that it was a one-year thing. But this year, the strong momentum has continued and our flights are full and our yields are strong,” Brian explain. “More capacity is needed to meet demand.”

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Znotins said American Airlines data shows travelers, including those on other airlines, often connect in Europe to get to Athens. American Airlines said it will have four direct flights to Athens next year from the U.S. “from more U.S. airports than any other” and that more travelers will be able to connect through hubs such as American’s Charlotte.

The airline has also resumed other European flights from its Philadelphia hub to Naples, Italy; Nice, France; and Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as extending winter seasonal service between Miami and Paris into the summer.

Delivery delays of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner over the past few years have prompted American Airlines and other airlines to rethink some of their flights and cut some international flights served by these long-haul planes. American Airlines is also reconfiguring some older Boeing 777s to create larger business class cabins.

Znotins said he and his team took both of those things into consideration when developing next year’s map.

“There’s obviously a degree of uncertainty in the aircraft delivery space and there’s a degree of uncertainty in our reconfiguration,” Znotins said. “We are confident that we will be able to fly these routes according to our published routes, but in an uncertain world, like other hub cities serving Athens, if passengers need to reroute.

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