American Airlines takes on Delta with new Boston routes
American Airlines is making a ride for Boston again, adding three new routes in a change of strategy that increasingly pits it against Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways.
The Oneworld alliance member will add new service between Boston Logan (BOS) and Indianapolis (IND), Raleigh/Durham (RDU), and Wilmington, North Carolina (ILM) in May, American said Tuesday. The carrier will serve Indianapolis twice daily and Raleigh five-times daily starting May 7, and Wilmington on Saturdays beginning May 9.
All of the new flights will be flown with Embraer 175 jets with 76 seats.
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“Boston is an important market, and we are happy to provide new and increased service to places that matter the most to our customers,” said Vasu Raja, senior vice president of network strategy at American, in a statement.
The new routes pit American against Delta, which upgraded Boston to a hub last year. Delta flies to both Indianapolis and Raleigh — the latter one of its focus cities — from Logan, as well as to Austin where American will begin service in April.
"We’ll see who are ultimately the winners and losers in Boston," said Delta president Glen Hauenstein when asked on an earnings call Tuesday about American's expansion. He added that Delta is "well positioned" in the city, second only to JetBlue in passenger numbers.
JetBlue, for its part, is also growing in Boston with additional flights to New York-area airports this spring. Airline executives have repeatedly said JetBlue is "committed" to Boston, and have responded to competitive incursions with new and expanded service.
Related: American Airlines adds Boston, Silicon Valley flights from Austin
The new flights are an about face for American. The airline has retrenched in Boston in recent years, ending service to places ranging from Paris to Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Richmond, Virginia.
From 2014 — the year after American closed its merger with US Airways — through 2019, the carrier cut seats at Logan by more than 13%, according to Cirium schedules. Seats in Boston grew by 73% at Delta and 48% at JetBlue over the same period.
Indianapolis and Wilmington are both new additions for American from Boston, while this will be at least the third attempt by the carrier at the Boston-Raleigh route since 1987. It flew the route from 1987 through 1994 when it had a hub in Raleigh, and then again in the 2000s before ending service in 2010.
Related: Delta Air Lines says Boston is now one of its hub cities
American consolidated its operations in Boston into a single contiguous gate area in Terminal B at Logan last year.
In addition to Delta, American will compete with Frontier Airlines, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines between Boston and Raleigh, Cirium shows. Southwest Airlines also flies the Boston-Indianapolis route.
American's service between Boston and Wilmington will be the only scheduled nonstop service between the cities.
Related: Can Delta and JetBlue make Boston the next dual-hub city?
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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.