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Exciting New Airline Routes for February 2018 and Beyond

Kaeli Conforti
Kaeli Conforti
Contributor
After spending seven years in New York City working as a full-time writer and editor, Kaeli sold everything, left her cushy NYC apartment, and embarked on a solo travel adventure through Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand before doing the Working Holiday Visa thing in Australia and New Zealand. Kaeli then spent several months freelance writing and editing full-time as she continued to travel around Australia and New Zealand, before returning to the U.S. in March 2020. Her writing has been featured by The Points Guy, Forbes, and Budget Travel, as well as CNN Travel, Fox News Travel, NBC News Travel, Yahoo Travel and, Huffington Post Travel. Her greatest adventure: a two-month solo road trip through the Northern Territory and Western Australia while updating the Outback chapter of Fodor’s Essential Australia guidebook. Follow along with all her travel adventures on Twitter and Instagram: @KaeliTravels and her new website, KaeliTravels.com.
Feb. 28, 2018
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10 min read
Harbor, Virgin Islands
Exciting New Airline Routes for February 2018 and Beyond
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Airlines around the world launch and announce dozens of new flight routes and service changes every month. Today, we'll share just a few of the latest flights that will take to the skies this month or in the near future. Keep in mind that exact flight details (like schedules and aircraft, among other things) may change.

NEW ROUTES LAUNCHED IN FEBRUARY 2018

Fly from Oakland to Rome on Norwegian Air (launched February 6)

(Photo via Twenty20)
The always impressive Roman Colosseum. Photo via Twenty20.

Details — Earlier this month, low-cost carrier Norwegian Air began operating a new nonstop route to Rome (FCO), making it the sixth European city the airline flies to from Oakland (OAK) — on April 10, it'll be launching nonstop flights to Paris as well. Operated by the carrier's Dreamliner 787, the route runs twice each week on Tuesday and Friday, giving you an excuse to start planning the perfect Roman holiday.

Schedule (2x per week):

Tuesday:

  • NO7078 Oakland (OAK) 7:20pm Departure → Rome (FCO) 3:00pm (+1) Arrival
  • NO7077 Rome (FCO) 12:45pm Departure → Oakland (OAK) 5:20pm Arrival

Friday:

  • NO7078 Oakland (OAK) 4:30pm Departure → Rome (FCO) 1:10 pm (+1) Arrival
  • NO7077 Rome (FCO) 10:55am Departure → Oakland (OAK) 3:30pm Arrival

American Airlines Adds Three New Domestic Routes (launched February 15)

Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas
A relaxing scene along the San Antonio River Walk. Photo via Getty Images.

Details — On February 15, American Airlines launched three new daily flights from three of its domestic hubs, including new hops between Charlotte (CLT) and Tucson (TUS), Philadelphia (PHL) and San Antonio (SAT) and Washington, DC (DCA) and Tallahassee (TLH). The CLT-TUS route is being operated by the carrier's A320, while the PHL-SAT and DCA-TLH routes use a 128-seat A319 and CRJ-900 aircraft, respectively.

Schedule (daily):

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  • AA1952 Charlotte (CLT) 7:30am Departure → Tucson (TUS) 10:04am Arrival
  • AA1953 Tucson (TUS) 10:30am Departure → Charlotte (CLT) 6:18am (+1) Arrival
  • AA867 Philadelphia (PHL) 6:04pm Departure → San Antonio (SAT) 9:29pm Arrival
  • AA1845 San Antonio (SAT) 7:20am Departure → Philadelphia (PHL) 11:48am Arrival
  • AA5615 Washington, DC (DCA) 7:40pm Departure → Tallahassee (TLH) 9:57pm Arrival
  • AA5616 Tallahassee (TLH) 7:10am Departure → Washington, DC (DCA) 9:18am Arrival

Spirit Starts Service From Columbus, Ohio, to Five US Cities (launched February 15 and 16)

The world famous Vegas Strip. Photo by f11photo/Getty Images.
A view of the world famous Vegas Strip. Photo by f11photo/Getty Images.

Details — As part of a recent expansion, Spirit Airlines launched service to five domestic cities from Columbus, Ohio, this month, making it easier for those in the Midwest to reach Las Vegas (LAS) as well as Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Orlando (MCO), Fort Myers (RSW) and Tampa (TPA). The new flights are operated daily by Spirit's A319s.

Schedule (daily):

  • SP447 Columbus (CMH) 12:15pm Departure → Fort Lauderdale (FLL) 2:56pm Arrival
  • SP494 Fort Lauderdale (FLL) 3:45pm Departure → Columbus (CMH) 6:28pm Arrival
  • SP325 Columbus (CMH) 7:15pm Departure → Las Vegas (LAS) 8:51pm Arrival
  • SP306 Las Vegas (LAS) 10:45pm Departure → Columbus (CMH) 5:42am (+1) Arrival
  • SP1669 Columbus (CMH) 8:00am Departure → Orlando (MCO) 10:23am Arrival
  • SP1668 Orlando (MCO) 11:20am Departure → Columbus (CMH) 1:38pm Arrival
  • SP751 Columbus (CMH) 2:40pm Departure → Fort Myers (RSW) 5:11pm Arrival
  • SP752 Fort Myers (RSW) 5:55pm Departure → Columbus (CMH) 8:29pm Arrival
  • SP1273 Columbus (CMH) 6:00am Departure → Tampa (TPA) 8:23am Arrival
  • SP1270 Tampa (TPA) 9:15am Departure → Columbus (CMH) 11:33am Arrival

Alaska Airlines Adds Daily Flights from Dallas Love Field to San Jose and San Diego (launched February 16)

Coastal view from Encinitas, San Diego. Photo by Peeter Viisimaa / Getty Images.
Coastal view from Encinitas, San Diego. Photo by Peeter Viisimaa / Getty Images.

Details — Great news for anyone in Dallas wanting to visit the West Coast, or anyone in northern and southern California looking to get their Texas Two-Step on. Thanks to two new daily routes on Alaska Airlines that launched this month, you'll be able to fly from Dallas Love Field (DAL) to San Jose (SJC) and San Diego (SAN) aboard one of partner SkyWest's E-175s.

Schedule (daily):

  • AL3329 Dallas (DAL) 2:49pm Departure → San Jose (SJC) 5:09pm Arrival
  • AL3328 San Jose (SJC) 5:40pm Departure → Dallas (DAL) 10:56pm Arrival
  • AL3335 Dallas (DAL) 9:22pm Departure → San Diego (SAN) 10:42pm Arrival
  • AL3460 San Diego (SAN) 6:40am Departure → Dallas (DAL) 11:38am Arrival

New Service on Frontier from Denver to Jacksonville, FL (launched February 14)

A beautiful sunset over Denver. Photo by Creative-Family/Getty Images.
A beautiful sunset over Denver. Photo by Creative-Family/Getty Images.

Details — It's been a busy month for Frontier Airlines, between the launch of its 46th nonstop route — Denver (DEN) to Jacksonville (JAX) — and several announcements that it would be adding a whopping 35 new routes along with nine others to its network later this year. With service between DEN and JAX available four times a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday aboard the A320, the Mile High City's world-renowned breweries and the phenomenal beaches and golf courses of northeastern Florida are now closer than ever.

Schedule (4x per week):

  • FA858 Denver (DEN) 3:34pm Departure → Jacksonville (JAX) 8:50pm Arrival
  • FA473 Jacksonville (JAX) 8:52am Departure → Denver (DEN) 10:49am Arrival

NEW ROUTES ANNOUNCED IN FEBRUARY 2018

New Domestic Routes on Southwest

Get your honky tonk on in Nashville. Photo by Nina Dietzel/Getty Images.
Get your honky tonk on in Nashville. Photo by Nina Dietzel/Getty Images.

Details — While Southwest officially revealed its summer schedule back in November, several flights planned for August were released this month. Among them were new nonstop routes between Cincinnati (CVG) and Denver (DEN), Hartford (BDL) and St. Louis (STL), Kansas City (MCI) and Raleigh-Durham (RDU), Los Angeles (LAX) and Tampa (TPA) and five new daily flights between Atlanta (ATL) and Nashville (BNA). All are set to begin on August 7 and will be operated by the carrier's 737-700s, with the exception of the BDL-STL and MCI-RDU routes which will use a mix of 737-700s and 737-800s.

Schedule (daily, starting August 7, 2018):

  • SW774 Cincinnati (CVG) 8:10pm Departure → Denver (DEN) 9:00pm Arrival
  • SW254 Denver (DEN) 12:40pm Departure → Cincinnati (CVG) 5:25pm Arrival
  • SW2130 Hartford (BDL) 11:10am Departure → St. Louis (STL) 12:45pm Arrival
  • SW427 St. Louis (STL) 4:25pm Departure → Hartford (BDL) 7:50pm Arrival
  • SW1629 Kansas City (MCI) 3:00pm Departure → Raleigh-Durham (RDU) 6:15pm Arrival
  • SW199 Raleigh-Durham (RDU) 3:45pm Departure → Kansas City (MCI) 5:15pm Arrival
  • SW456 Los Angeles (LAX) 11:25am Departure → Tampa (TPA) 7:15pm Arrival
  • SW1270 Tampa (TPA) 10:50am Departure → Los Angeles (LAX) 12:55pm Arrival

Five new daily options for Atlanta to Nashville:

  • SW2182 Atlanta (ATL) 8:05am Departure → Nashville (BNA) 8:00am Arrival
  • SW160 Nashville (BNA) 5:40am Departure → Atlanta (ATL) 7:40am Arrival
  • SW1332 Atlanta (ATL) 10:45am Departure → Nashville (BNA) 10:55pm Arrival
  • SW1331 Nashville (BNA) 7:35am Departure → Atlanta (ATL) 9:40am Arrival
  • SW2464 Atlanta (ATL) 1:25pm Departure → Nashville (BNA) 1:30pm Arrival
  • SW2354 Nashville (BNA) 9:45am Departure → Atlanta (ATL) 11:50am Arrival
  • SW20 Atlanta (ATL) 6:10pm Departure → Nashville (BNA) 6:10pm Arrival
  • SW1644 Nashville (BNA) 1:25pm Departure → Atlanta (ATL) 3:30pm Arrival
  • SW2222 Atlanta (ATL) 10:15pm Departure → Nashville (BNA) 10:15pm Arrival
  • SW1558 Nashville (BNA) 6:45pm Departure → Atlanta (ATL) 8:45pm Arrival

Spirit to Start Flying Between Fort Lauderdale and St. Croix, USVI

Carambola Beach in St.Croix, US Virgin Islands. Photo by cdwheatley/Getty Images.
Carambola Beach in St.Croix, US Virgin Islands. Photo by cdwheatley/Getty Images.

Details — Spirit recently revealed plans to launch nonstop service between its Fort Lauderdale (FLL) hub and St. Croix (STX) in the US Virgin Islands, a move we applaud as parts of the Caribbean continue to recover from the effects of last year's devastating hurricanes. As of May 24, the roughly three-hour flight will run three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday aboard the carrier's A319. And Spirit isn't stopping there: daily service to St. Thomas (STT), as well as San Juan (SJU) and Aguadilla (BQN) in Puerto Rico, is expected to resume regular pre-hurricane levels as of March 10, while flights to Kingston, Jamaica (KIN), and Cap-Haïtien, Haiti (CAP) are slated to begin April 12. Beach vacation, anyone?

Schedule (3x per week starting May 24, 2018):

  • SP438 Fort Lauderdale (FLL) 11:46am Departure → St. Croix (STX) 2:35pm Arrival
  • SP449 St. Croix (STX) 3:25pm Departure → Fort Lauderdale (FLL) 6:30pm Arrival

Primera Will Soon Add Service Between Washington, DC and London

A classic London black cab is the most stylish way to get around town. Photo by Biel Morro.
A classic London black cab is the most stylish way to get around town. Photo by Biel Morro.

Details — Look out WOW and Norwegian: there's a new low-cost carrier in town! Starting August 22, Nordic airline Primera Air will be offering affordable transatlantic flights, this time between Washington, DC (IAD) and London (STN) aboard its shiny new A321neo. Note that you'll be flying into London's Stansted Airport — not Heathrow (LHR) — which is located about an hour's drive northwest of the city center, so plan accordingly.

Schedule (daily starting August 22, 2018):

  • PA48 Washington, DC (IAD) 9:20pm Departure → London (STN) 9:50am (+1) Arrival
  • PA47 London (STN) 3:55pm Departure → Washington, DC (IAD) 7:50pm Arrival

Interjet to Introduce Nonstop Flights from San Francisco to Cancun and Guadalajara

Photo by Somatuscani / Getty Images.
Surround yourself with blue and green water in Cancun, Mexico. Photo by Somatuscani / Getty Images.

Details — If you're in the mood for a Mexican getaway and happen to live in the San Francisco area, you're in luck. Beach lovers and tequila enthusiasts will soon be able to fly nonstop from SFO to either Cancun (CUN) or Guadalajara (GDL) thanks to an upcoming route launch from Interjet, with flights to each city aboard the carrier's A320s taking off three times per week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday starting March 14.

Schedule (3x per week starting March 14, 2018):

  • IJ831 San Francisco (SFO) 11:35pm Departure → Cancún (CUN) 6:55am (+1) Arrival
  • IJ830 Cancún (CUN) 5:45pm Departure → San Francisco (SFO) 10:05pm Arrival
  • IJ821 San Francisco (SFO) 11:45am Departure → Guadalajara (GDL) 4:40pm Arrival
  • IJ820 Guadalajara (GDL) 7:25am Departure → San Francisco (SFO) 10:45am Arrival

Additional reporting by Jeffrey Preis. Featured photo of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, by Don Hebert/Getty Images.

Featured image by Getty Images