American adds 3 regional routes, but cuts a new international flight
American Airlines is making some noteworthy network changes.
The Fort Worth-based carrier filed plans over the weekend to launch three new domestic routes, as first seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson.
The routes include:
- Chicago to Bismarck, North Dakota
- Chicago to Boise, Idaho
- Phoenix to Appleton, Wisconsin
All three of the new routes will be operated by American Eagle affiliate Envoy Air on board an Embraer E175 regional jet. Flights to Bismarck and Boise will operate daily beginning June 5, 2025, while flights from Phoenix to Appleton will commence Feb. 15, 2025, but they'll only be operated on Saturdays.
Value check: Are airline credit cards worth it anymore?
Interestingly, the new flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to Appleton represents one of American's longest routes operated by a regional affiliate. At 1,463 miles, this roughly 3 1/2-hour flight might not be the most comfortable on board the E175 regional jet, especially since these jets are currently equipped with outdated air-to-ground Wi-Fi connectivity and limited entertainment options. (American will be retrofitting its regional jets with faster Wi-Fi in the coming months.)
Still, American's new Phoenix route from Appleton International Airport (ATW) will give some competition to ultra-low-cost carrier Allegiant Air, which currently flies nonstop from ATW to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) — a secondary airport for metro Phoenix.
While new routes are always exciting, American is making a big change in Tulum, Mexico, where the airline will cease flying from Charlotte effective Feb. 13, 2025.
Tulum is one of American's newest destinations. The airline just started flying there in March after Tulum's international airport formally opened following years of construction.
Growth spurt: Allegiant adds 44 new routes, 3 new cities in blockbuster expansion
As soon as the airport's opening drew near, U.S. airlines rushed to start adding flights there. For its part, American added service to Tulum from three domestic destinations: Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami.
American has long been the biggest U.S. airline serving Latin America (largely thanks to its massive Miami hub), so it wasn't necessarily surprising that the airline added three routes to Tulum. (United Airlines is the largest U.S. carrier in Tulum, with four routes from domestic hubs.)
In a statement confirming the cut, an American Airlines spokesperson shared that "as part of a continuous evaluation of our network, American has made the difficult decision to discontinue service between Charlotte (CLT) and Tulum, Mexico (TQO). American will continue to offer service from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Miami (MIA) to TQO."
For American, service from Dallas and Miami should be enough to cover most travelers looking for one-stop itineraries heading to Tulum. Though Charlotte is the airline's second-biggest hub, American flyers can still connect via Miami from many of the same cities had the airline kept the Charlotte route.
Loyalty basics: When does airline elite status expire?
"I think the whole industry getting in there all at the same time was too much capacity to absorb all at once we need to get people more familiar with Tulum - there are plenty of people familiar with Tulum, but we had way more seats than people familiar with Tulum, so you're seeing us and the whole industry scale back and take a step back a bit," said Brian Znotins, American's network chief, in a recent interview with TPG.
In other network news, American is making three notable changes to its Florida flying next summer. The airline will suspend several routes to the Sunshine State during what's typically the offseason for Florida travel. This includes Fort Lauderdale to Washington, D.C.; Miami to Westchester County north of New York City; and Key West to Chicago.
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
- Everything you need to know about flying basic economy on American Airlines
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.