American Airlines adds 2 new LaGuardia routes for the summer
American Airlines keeps growing its presence at New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA).
This week, the carrier is adding two new routes from LGA just in time for the peak summer season, as first seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson. The new routes will service two cities in South Carolina: Charleston and Myrtle Beach.
American's affiliate Republic Airways will operate both flights using the Embraer E170 family of regional jets, featuring first-class, extra-legroom economy and standard economy cabins.
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Service from LGA to Charleston International Airport (CHS) will commence June 6 on a twice-weekly basis. Flights will operate on Fridays and Saturdays. Meanwhile, once-weekly service to Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) takes off June 7 and will operate on Saturdays through August.
American shared in a statement that “this summer, American Airlines is bringing customers closer to their favorite seafood places, new memories along the shore, or to a golf trip with friends with new weekend service to Charleston (CHS) and Myrtle Beach (MYR) from New York (LGA). American offers customers more convenient schedules and itineraries when traveling across our global network with more flights from MYR and CHS than any other airline.”
Both of these routes are technically resumptions for American. The route from LaGuardia to Charleston last flew in April 2020, while service to Myrtle Beach last flew in 2021.
Either way, these routes boost the airline's appeal in the New York City area for leisure-focused travelers, and they come on the heels of recently added service from LaGuardia to Orlando, New Orleans, Tampa and West Palm Beach, Florida.
American isn't just trying to appeal to leisure customers. Last week, the carrier doubled the number of flights it will offer on one of the nation's most iconic business routes from LaGuardia to Boston.
The backstory behind all of these new flights seems to be that American wants to increase its relevance in New York. That's especially true now that the airline needs to compete in the Big Apple without an assist from its former Northeast Alliance partner JetBlue Airways.
Earlier this decade, American and JetBlue teamed up to create an alliance that boosted their scale in New York and Boston, combining networks, offering reciprocal frequent flyer perks and more. The Northeast Alliance saw the introduction of a slew of new routes and destinations for both carriers. American and JetBlue said they wanted to better compete with Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in New York (Delta and United are the region's two biggest airlines).
The partnership turned out to be short-lived; the Department of Justice successfully blocked the tie-up on anticompetitive grounds, and the two airlines formally severed ties in summer 2023.
Ever since then, American and JetBlue have needed to compete independently in New York (and Boston). JetBlue's strategy has called for a sizable retreat in New York, especially at LaGuardia, where the airline just cut flights to Boston, among others.
American, meanwhile, has picked up some of the slack left by JetBlue, adding flights to more leisure and business destinations.
Related reading:
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- American Airlines basic economy: What you need to know about bags, seats, boarding and more
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- 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.
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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. |
| 4X | 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. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
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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.