American adds 8 new routes to the Caribbean, Latin America
American Airlines is getting even bigger in the Caribbean and Latin America.
On Thursday, the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier announced a slew of new routes to the region, including an all-new destination for the airline. These new routes are part of an expanded short-haul international schedule for the winter season, during which American seemingly expects plenty of winter-weary travelers to seek escapes from the cold.
You'll find the full table of new routes at the bottom of the story, but highlights include new service to La Romana in the Dominican Republic. This outstation hasn't seen American service since 2017, when the airline operated regional jets to La Romana International Airport (LRM) from Miami International Airport (MIA).
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This winter, American will fly daily from MIA to LRM using an Airbus A319.
La Romana joins existing American service to Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Santo Domingo and Santiago in the Dominican Republic, Cirium schedules show. American will become the only U.S. airline serving La Romana. Given American's massive hub in Miami, it will be able to offer plenty of one-stop itineraries to its new destination.
In total, American is adding eight new Caribbean routes (just one is a recent resumption), six of which are from the Northeast.
From American's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) hub in New York, the airline will add nonstop service to Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) in Bridgetown, Barbados; Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) in Vieux Fort, St. Lucia; Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) in Simpson Bay, St. Maarten; and Argyle International Airport (SVD) near Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
American is also adding two new routes from Philadelphia, a hub that has been seemingly neglected in recent years while American focused on expanding in New York and Boston with its now-defunct Northeast Alliance with JetBlue.
From Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), American will add service to BGI and Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) in Liberia, Costa Rica.
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Notably, all of American's new routes will be operated by mainline jets, as the carrier seemingly believes that there should be plenty of demand to the islands this winter.
Many of the new routes will launch on a Saturday-only schedule, intended for leisure travelers who want to spend a week at their destination. American's upcoming winter schedule will be its largest ever, with over 11% more departures and 10% more seats compared to 2023.
In addition to the new routes, American is expanding service on 16 existing routes, and you'll find the full list of routes at the bottom of this story. Many of these routes will be upgraded to daily service.
This winter, American plans to operate more than 2,350 peak weekly flights to over 95 destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean, making it the largest U.S. airline in the region.
Though American's presence in the region will be hard to miss, several of its competitors are also expanding down south. This includes recent expansions from Delta and JetBlue. Notably, Delta also recently announced new service to Bridgetown.
Tickets for all routes will be available for sale on the airline's website and mobile app starting May 20.
American's 8 new routes
| Departure | Arrival | Service notes | Aircraft type |
|---|---|---|---|
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) | SVD | New Saturday-only service starting Dec. 7 | Boeing 737 |
MIA | LRM | New daily service starting Dec. 5 | Airbus A319 |
JFK | BGI | New daily service starting Nov. 5 | Boeing 737 |
JFK | UVF | New Saturday-only service starting Dec. 7 | Boeing 737 |
JFK | SXM | New Saturday-only service starting Dec. 7 | Airbus A319 |
JFK | SVD | New Saturday-only service starting Dec. 7 | Boeing 737 |
PHL | BGI | New Saturday-only service starting Nov. 9 | Airbus A321 |
PHL | LIR | New Saturday-only service starting Dec. 7 | Boeing 737 |
American's 16 expanded routes
| Departure | Arrival | Service notes | Aircraft type |
|---|---|---|---|
CLT | V. C. Bird International Airport in Osbourn, Antigua | Increasing to daily service starting Dec. 5 | Boeing 737 |
O'Hare International Airport (ORD) in Chicago | Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) in Mexico | Increasing to twice-daily service between Dec. 19, 2024, and Jan. 6, 2025 | Boeing 737 |
ORD | Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) in Nassau, Bahamas | Increasing to daily service starting Dec. 5 | Boeing 737 |
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) | Palmerola International Airport (XPL) in Comayagua, Honduras | Increasing to two weekly flights starting Dec. 5 | Boeing 737 |
DFW | Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM) in George Town, Cayman Islands | Increasing to daily service starting Dec. 5 | Boeing 737 |
DFW | Bahias de Huatulco International Airport (HUX) in Mexico | Increasing to daily service starting Dec. 5 | Embraer E175 |
DFW | NAS | Increasing to daily service starting Dec. 5 | Boeing 737 |
DFW | Oaxaca International Airport (OAX) in Mexico | Increasing to twice-daily service starting Nov. 5 | Airbus A320 and A319 |
DFW | Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo International Airport (ZIH) in Mexico | Increasing to daily service starting Dec. 5 | Embraer E175 |
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) | SJD | Increasing to twice-daily service between Dec. 19, 2024, and Jan. 6, 2025 | Airbus A321 |
MIA | Bonaire International Airport (BON) near Kralendijk | Increasing to daily service starting Dec. 5 | Boeing 737 |
MIA | Cancun International Airport (CUN) in Mexico | Increasing to six daily flights between Dec. 19, 2024, and Jan. 6, 2025 | Boeing 737 |
MIA | Ian Fleming International Airport (OCJ) in Ocho Rios, Jamaica | Increasing to daily service starting Dec. 5 | Embraer E175 |
MIA | Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS) on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands | Increasing to five peak-day flights starting Dec. 7 | Embraer E175 |
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) | CUN | Increasing to two daily flights starting Nov. 5 | Airbus A321 and Boeing 737 |
PHX | Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR) in Mexico | Increasing to three daily flights starting Nov. 5 | Boeing 737 |
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