Europe via Boston? Logan set to pass Miami and D.C. for transatlantic traffic
Boston Logan International Airport is at the center of a transatlantic growth frenzy with new flights planned by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and others poised to make it one of the largest European gateways on the East Coast.
Data compiled by OAG shows Boston (BOS) overtaking Miami (MIA) and Washington Dulles (IAD) to become the third-largest East Coast gateway to Europe in 2020, Forbes reported on Tuesday.
The jump comes on the news of new flights between Boston and Europe by American, Delta and European low-cost carrier LEVEL in 2020. Looking even further ahead, JetBlue Airways plans to enter the fray in 2021.
Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more airline news!
"In 2020 with the additional Delta/Virgin Atlantic service to London Gatwick and American Airlines having announced a new London Heathrow service as well, it is very likely that Boston will move ahead of Miami," OAG senior analyst John Grant told Forbes.
Cirium data has yet to show the shift, with schedules only available through October 2020. Boston was ahead of both Miami and Washington Dulles in terms of seats to Europe during the first 10 months of both 2019 and 2020, according to the data.
Delta Air Lines' decision to upgrade Boston to a hub in June is propelling Logan's international growth. The SkyTeam Alliance carrier will add new service to London Gatwick (LGW) and Rome (FCO), as well as take over partner Virgin Atlantic Airways flights to Manchester (MAN), from Boston in 2020.
Related: Can Delta and JetBlue make Boston the next dual-hub city?
The carrier added flights between Boston and both Edinburgh (EDI) and Lisbon (LIS) this year.
"Boston is actually very well positioned geographically to be a connecting point for U.S. passengers going transatlantic," Delta managing director of domestic network planning Amy Martin said in June. "As we're getting to kind of our maximum capacity at [New York] JFK, using Boston as a secondary transatlantic gateway makes a lot of sense."
American, after years of downsizing in Boston, will begin service between Boston and London Heathrow (LHR) on March 29. The new flight will complement those offered by its partner British Airways.
LEVEL, which is owned by BA and Iberia parent International Airlines Group, will begin thrice-weekly service between Boston and Paris Orly (ORY) on March 31.
Samantha Decker, a spokeswoman for Boston Logan operator Massport, told TPG that roughly 10% of the airport's traffic is to Europe and it continues to grow, creating new options for travelers.
Traffic between Boston and Europe has grown steadily in recent years. Boston handled 3.94 million passengers on flights to and from Europe in 2018, a compound annual growth rate of more than 6% since 2014, U.S. Department of Transportation data via Cirium shows.
For comparison, Miami handled just over 4.04 million passengers and Dulles just under 4.04 million passengers on European flights in 2018.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app