American Airlines grows in the Caribbean with new route-map pin

Update (10/20/2023): American Airlines has postponed the launch of Ocho Rios service. The airline will now commence twice-weekly flights from Miami on Feb. 24, 2024.

American Airlines is furthering its dominance in the Caribbean with a new service to Jamaica.

The Fort Worth-based carrier will connect its Miami (MIA) hub with Ocho Rios, Jamaica (OCJ), beginning on Nov. 5. Service will be operated by American Eagle regional partner Envoy Air aboard an Embraer E175. The 551-mile flight will operate twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

American's new Ochos Rios flight joins its existing service to Kingston (KIN) and Montego Bay (MBJ) from various hubs across its domestic network, as well as a new year-round route between MBJ and Austin (AUS), which commences on June 4.

American will become the only carrier serving the Ian Fleming International Airport in Ocho Rios when its flights launch, assuming that another competitor doesn't jump in and steal American's thunder. (That's unlikely, however, as the OCJ airport hasn't previously been served by a U.S. airline, per Cirium schedules.)

Tickets for the new route are already available for purchase via American's website. Intro fares start at $515 round-trip in coach, and jump to $1,300 for first class.

"As we celebrate our 45th anniversary in Jamaica, we are thrilled to launch our third destination in the island, Ocho Rios, becoming the first U.S. airline that offers access to this Caribbean paradise," said José A. Freig, American's vice president of international and premium guest services, in a statement.

The new route will operate with Flight Number 4007, in a nod to the airport's (and region's) influence from British author Ian Fleming, who's most famous for creating the fictional spy character James Bond (often referred to by his code name, 007).

Adding a new route-map pin in the Caribbean comes as American has historically been one of the strongest of the major network carriers in the region, thanks to the favorable position of its Miami hub.

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American is planning over 7,700 flights to and from the region during December 2022, based on Cirium schedules. Meanwhile, United will operate roughly 3,300, while Delta is scheduled to fly just over 2,900 during the same time period.

That said, American faces stiff competition on some of the islands from its low-cost competitors, including JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, both of which offer extensive point-to-point networks to "sun-and-fun" destinations.

This isn't the first time that American has opened up a new Caribbean market for U.S.-based travelers.

Last December, American added flights to Anguilla (AXA), becoming the first U.S. carrier to connect the island with the mainland.

Those flights have seemingly been quite successful, as the airline is now planning daily service in the market, up from the two weekly flights it first launched with.