American Airlines Lands in Africa, Returns to Tel Aviv Amid Transatlantic Expansion
American Airlines will begin its first-ever route to Africa and return to Tel Aviv, among five new transatlantic routes planned for 2020.
The Oneworld Alliance carrier will add five routes from its Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Philadelphia (PHL) hubs:
- ORD - Budapest, Hungary (BUD): four-times weekly on a Boeing 787-8 from May 7 to Oct. 24
- ORD - Krakow, Poland (KRK): five-times weekly on a 787-8 from May 7 to Oct. 23
- ORD - Prague, Czech Republic (PRG): five-times weekly on a 787-8 from May 8 to Oct. 24
- DFW - Tel Aviv (TLV): three-times weekly on a 787-9 year-round from Sept. 9
- PHL - Casablanca, Morocco (CMN): three-times weekly on a Boeing 757-200 from June 4 to Sept. 8
Casablanca will be American's first ever destination in Africa. The airline will also be the only US carrier to the city, which is a hub for pending Oneworld alliance member Royal Air Maroc. The Moroccan airline is due to become a full alliance member in 2020.
Related: What Royal Air Maroc Joining Oneworld Means for American Airlines Flyers
American passengers will be able to connect to at least 30 Royal Air Maroc destinations in Africa unserved by other Oneworld member airlines over Casablanca. Cities include Abidjan (ABJ) in Ivory Coast, Bamako (BKO) in Mali, and Cotonou (COO) in Benin, according to Diio by Cirium schedule data.
Royal Air Maroc serves Boston (BOS), Miami (MIA), New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Washington Dulles (IAD) from Casablanca, the Diio data shows.
American's new Tel Aviv flight comes four years after it ended service to the Israeli city from Philadelphia in January 2016. The airline said in a statement that demand to Tel Aviv "continues to grow" as one of its reasons for returning to the airport.
Related: Choosing the Best Credit Card for American Airlines Flyers
The new Budapest and Prague flights complement seasonal service that American launched from Philadelphia this year. Krakow is a new destination for the carrier.
American will compete with LOT Polish Airlines between Chicago and both Budapest and Krakow, according to Diio schedules.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app