American tacks on 2 more Italy routes for summer 2025, boosts service to Rome
It’s been almost two months since American Airlines revealed its anticipated summer 2025 schedule drop, which saw the carrier unveil five new routes to Europe for next year’s peak flying season.
Now, there’s more to come — and it's good news for travelers with Italy on their mind.
Late next spring, the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier will launch new nonstop flights to Venice and Naples, two highly popular Italian vacation destinations.
American will also bump up the start date for two previously announced seasonal routes to Rome, upping its capacity to Italy to make summer 2025 its largest-ever season flying to the country.
Together, this new service will give travelers additional options for getting to Naples, claimed by some to be the birthplace of pizza, and Venice, with its iconic canals and world-famous hotels.
The thinking behidn boosting service to Italy was quite simple, suggested Brian Znotins, American’s senior vice president of network and schedule planning, when speaking to TPG in an exclusive interview this week.
“Our expectations continue to be exceeded in Southern Europe,” Znotins said.
It's not just American. The "Big Three" U.S. airlines (American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines) will fly a staggering 54% more total seats to Italy in 2024 versus 2019, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
American’s new Italy routes for 2025
American’s two new summer seasonal Italy routes are as follows:
| Route | Start date | Aircraft type |
|---|---|---|
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Naples International Airport (NAP) in Italy | May 6 | Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner |
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) in Italy | June 5 | Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner |
Adding a Chicago connection to Naples will give Italy’s third-largest city its second nonstop American flight — on top of existing service from Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, there’s a bit of “addition by subtraction” in the new Dallas nonstop to Venice. American is shifting its seasonal summer Venice route from its existing Chicago origin to its large Texas hub, Znotins said, meaning Chicago travelers will have easier access to the Amalfi Coast than the banks of the Adriatic.
Earlier Italy service added
Additionally, American made two tweaks to its existing summer Italy flights. Its planned new seasonal nonstop from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) will begin June 5 instead of in July, as previously planned.
It will do the same with its second seasonal daily nonstop flight from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to FCO.
Tickets for all of these flights will enter American’s booking channels Nov. 4.
Related: Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard review: Complimentary Admirals Club membership
A silver lining in supply chain delays
Ironically, it’s airline industry supply chain delays that made these new Italy flights possible for American, Znotins noted.
Last week, the carrier revealed a hang-up in retrofit plans for its four-cabin Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, the largest aircraft in its fleet.
Those 20 jets are slated for interior face-lifts, which include removing the Flagship First pods in favor of a higher total number of premium business-class seats.
But those plans are now delayed, American CEO Robert Isom revealed during the company's third-quarter earnings call last week. He cited backlogs at American's suppliers as the cause of the delay. The first Boeing 777-300ER now likely won't go in for a refit until the tail end of summer, Isom told analysts.
“We had planned to have a number of 777-300s in the hanger next summer,” Znotins added to TPG. “With the delay happening now, those planes won’t be in the hanger like they were supposed to be.”
That means American can keep more of its 304-seat jets in service next summer, freeing up wide-body planes to fly customers across the Atlantic during the peak summer months.
So, in the meantime, the silver lining for customers is more service to Italy — and, of course, a bit longer life for the Flagship First cabin.
Related reading:
- Your ultimate guide to American Airlines AAdvantage
- Best credit cards for American Airlines flyers
- American Airlines elite status: What it is and how to earn it
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- American Airlines basic economy: What you need to know about bags, seats, boarding and more
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| 4X | 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. |
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Why We Chose It
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. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 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.