American Airlines adds Athens, Tel Aviv routes from New York under new JetBlue pact
American Airlines plans to beef up its long-haul options from New York next year under a new partnership with JetBlue Airways.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier will add service between New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) and both Athens (ATH) and Tel Aviv (TLV) next summer, American said on Thursday. The airline also reaffirmed plans to resume seasonal service between JFK and Rio de Janeiro (GIG) in the winter of 2021.
The routes are part of a new alliance between American and JetBlue that will see them codeshare on nearly 200 routes and provide "seamless" connections at Boston Logan (BOS) and the three big New York CIty-area airports. The tie up will also include as-of-yet unspecified reciprocal "loyalty benefits."
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New York-based JetBlue will also add flights from JFK, Newark Liberty (EWR) and New York LaGuardia (LGA) under the pact, according to the carriers. They did not provide details of what these additions will entail.
American is breaking the mold, so to speak, of traditional U.S. airline tie-ups. Instead of focusing on capturing domestic travel by expanding flying with its own jets while partnering with a plethora of carriers abroad, it has now inked expansive deals just this year with both Alaska Airlines and JetBlue — the country's fifth and sixth largest airlines by passenger numbers, respectively.
The country's other major carriers — Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines — continue to focus on their own recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and future organic growth.
Related: American, JetBlue jolt industry with plans for Northeast alliance
American's tie up with Alaska will see the carriers codeshare on flights from West Coast hubs including Los Angeles (LAX) and Seattle (SEA). In addition, the major carrier plans to add new routes to Bangalore, India (BLR), London Heathrow (LHR) and Shanghai Pudong (PVG) from Seattle next year.
The international additions by American in New York, on top of its plans for Seattle, ratchet up its competition with industry leader Delta. Before the coronavirus pandemic, Atlanta-based Delta flew between JFK and Athens, Tel Aviv and Rio, and has already resumed service to the Israeli city.
American also appears to be taking advantage of Israeli airline El Al's financial struggles. The carrier has suspended operations for the month of July, though its future remains in doubt as the crisis decimates airline revenues.
Related: American drops 19 long-haul routes; cuts in LAX, adds in Seattle
United Airlines has moved quickly to become the largest carrier flying between the U.S. and Israel. The Chicago-based carrier has maintained its flights between Newark and Tel Aviv through the pandemic; resumed service between San Francisco (SFO) and Tel Aviv this month; and will add and resume flights to the Israeli city from Chicago O'Hare (ORD) and Washington Dulles (IAD) this fall.
American had planned to return to Tel Aviv from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) this summer after suspending Philadelphia (PHL) flights in 2016. However, those plans were suspended when the coronavirus hit. Its current plans call for new service to the city from both Dallas/Fort Worth and JFK in 2021.
Two decades ago, American nearly flew between JFK and Tel Aviv after its acquisition of Trans World Airlines (TWA) in 2001. TWA was one of the few U.S. carriers serving Israel at the time, having flown nonstop between JFK and Tel Aviv since the 1970s.
Related: Alaska Airlines plans to join Oneworld, forms alliance with American
Of course, American could still adjust its international expansion plans at JFK. No one knows when international travel restrictions will lift with airlines' monthly schedules adjusting with often little notice as quarantines and border closures change.
American has not said what aircraft will fly its new long-haul routes from JFK. However, with the retirement or storage of its Airbus A330 and Boeing 767 fleets plus on-going deliveries of new Boeing 787s, the likelihood of service with a Dreamliner is high.
Prior to the pandemic, 767s and Boeing 777s were the only wide-body jets American flew from JFK, Cirium shows.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
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- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.