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American adds new shortest route to an all-new destination

Sept. 09, 2025
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3 min read
American E175
American adds new shortest route to an all-new destination
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At just 64 miles, American Airlines has a new shortest route — and it's flying to an all-new destination as well.

The airline announced this week that it would commence service to its seventh destination in the Bahamas: South Bimini Airport (BIM). American's regional affiliate Envoy Air will fly three weekly flights to Bimini from Miami on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays starting Feb. 14, 2026.

Flights will be operated on board the Embraer E175 regional jet, featuring 12 first-class recliners, 20 Main Cabin Extra extra-legroom seats and 44 standard economy seats.

Bargain hunting: When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?

But perhaps the most interesting part of the announcement is that this will become American's shortest route. Despite being blocked for an hour, the flight should certainly take far less time than that. In fact, depending on air traffic patterns, you may end up taxiing in Miami for even longer than the flight itself.

American's peak-winter service to the Bahamas. CIRIUM

Before this route, American's previous shortest flight was from Chicago to Milwaukee. The flight from Miami to Bimini is 3 miles shorter than the aforementioned route, according to Cirium schedules.

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The new flight is part of a push by American to expand access to leisure destinations across its network. This winter, the airline will operate more than 30 daily flights to the Bahamas during the peak season, and it'll also be the only U.S. airline flying to Governor’s Harbour and Freeport. (Freeport is also served from the U.S. by the Bahamian flag carrier Bahamasair.)

On the ground: The 8 best all-inclusive resorts in the Bahamas

American has even added more frequencies to two Bahamian destinations — Marsh Harbour and North Eleuthera — for the peak winter holiday season.

Miami is American's key gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, so it makes sense for the carrier to expand service there to the Bahamas. The airline can offer one-stop connections to Bimini from more than 80 destinations across the U.S. and Canada.

Elsewhere, American is growing its domestic network with a far longer route. This time, it's from Charlotte to Palm Springs, California, which will connect the two cities for the first time with nonstop service.

That flight takes off Dec. 20 and will operate seasonally on Saturdays through April 18, 2026.

Related reading:

Featured image by ROBERT ALEXANDER/GETTY IMAGES
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • 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.
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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.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $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.
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