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Exciting New Airline Routes for March 2018 and Beyond

Kaeli Conforti
Kaeli Conforti
Contributor
After spending seven years in New York City working as a full-time writer and editor, Kaeli sold everything, left her cushy NYC apartment, and embarked on a solo travel adventure through Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand before doing the Working Holiday Visa thing in Australia and New Zealand. Kaeli then spent several months freelance writing and editing full-time as she continued to travel around Australia and New Zealand, before returning to the U.S. in March 2020. Her writing has been featured by The Points Guy, Forbes, and Budget Travel, as well as CNN Travel, Fox News Travel, NBC News Travel, Yahoo Travel and, Huffington Post Travel. Her greatest adventure: a two-month solo road trip through the Northern Territory and Western Australia while updating the Outback chapter of Fodor’s Essential Australia guidebook. Follow along with all her travel adventures on Twitter and Instagram: @KaeliTravels and her new website, KaeliTravels.com.
March 30, 2018
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16 min read
Flamingos on the Beach
Exciting New Airline Routes for March 2018 and Beyond
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Airlines around the world launch and announce dozens of new flight routes and service changes every month. Today, we'll share just a few of the latest flights that will take to the skies this month or in the near future. Keep in mind that exact flight details (like schedules and aircraft, among other things) may change.

NEW ROUTES LAUNCHED IN MARCH 2018

JetBlue Adds Flights from Atlanta to Three US Cities (launched March 8)

Highline, New York City. (Photo by @eric_urquhart via Twenty20)
Isn't it time you visited The High Line in New York City? (Photo by @eric_urquhart via Twenty20)

Details — The busiest airport in the world just became a little busier thanks to three new routes that began earlier this month. You'll now be able to fly from Atlanta (ATL) to New York City (JFK) or Fort Lauderdale (FLL) twice a day, while a third route offers a daily ride to Orlando (MCO), making it easier than ever to plan a fun trip to the big city, beaches of South Florida or theme park paradise. All three routes are being operated by JetBlue's A320 aircraft.

Atlanta to New York City (twice daily):

  • B6720 Atlanta (ATL) 6:19pm Departure → New York City (JFK) 8:40pm Arrival
  • B6519 New York City (JFK) 8:18am Departure → Atlanta (ATL) 11:00am Arrival
  • B6520 Atlanta (ATL) 11:40am Departure → New York City (JFK) 1:59pm Arrival
  • B6719 New York City (JFK) 2:59pm Departure → Atlanta (ATL) 5:37pm Arrival

Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale (twice daily):

  • B6467 Atlanta (ATL) 6:00am Departure → Fort Lauderdale (FLL) 7:52am Arrival
  • B6468 Fort Lauderdale (FLL) 12:00pm Departure → Atlanta (ATL) 1:57pm Arrival
  • B6567 Atlanta (ATL) 2:37pm Departure → Fort Lauderdale (FLL) 4:33pm Arrival
  • B6568 Fort Lauderdale (FLL) 8:50pm Departure → Atlanta (ATL) 10:46pm Arrival

Atlanta to Orlando (daily):

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  • B61153 Atlanta (ATL) 12:40pm Departure → Orlando (MCO) 2:12pm Arrival
  • B61150 Orlando (MCO) 10:20am Departure → Atlanta (ATL) 12:00pm Arrival

More Flights to Mexico and the Caribbean on Southwest (launched March 8 and 10)

Horses on the beach in San Jose del Cabo. (Photo by wwing/Getty Images)
Horses on the beach in San José del Cabo, Mexico. (Photo by wwing/Getty Images)

Details — We've got great news for anyone in the mood for a Caribbean or Mexican beach getaway. On March 8, Southwest added a daily nonstop flight from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Aruba (AUA). Two days later, additional nonstop routes — offered once a week on Saturday — launched between San Diego (SAN) and Puerto Vallarta (PVR), San Jose (SJC) and San José del Cabo (SJD), Sacramento (SMF) and San José del Cabo (SJD) and Indianapolis (IND) and Cancún (CUN).

Fort Lauderdale to Aruba (daily):

  • WN6632 Fort Lauderdale (FLL) 10:55am Departure → Aruba (AUA) 1:45pm Arrival
  • WN6233 Aruba (AUA) 1:45pm Departure → Fort Lauderdale (FLL) 4:55pm Arrival

San Diego to Puerto Vallarta (weekly, on Saturday):

  • WN772 San Diego (SAN) 8:00am Departure → Puerto Vallarta (PVR) 12:40pm Arrival
  • WN773 Puerto Vallarta (PVR) 1:35pm Departure → San Diego (SAN) 2:35pm Arrival

San Jose to San José del Cabo (weekly, on Saturday):

  • WN1811 San Jose (SJC) 11:30am Departure → San José del Cabo (SJD) 3:15pm Arrival
  • WN1812 San José del Cabo (SJD) 12:00pm Departure → San Jose (SJC) 2:00pm Arrival

Sacramento to San José del Cabo (weekly, on Saturday):

  • WN2017 Sacramento (SMF) 7:05am Departure → San José del Cabo (SJD) 11:05am Arrival
  • WN2018 San José del Cabo (SJD) 4:20pm Departure → Sacramento (SMF) 6:35pm Arrival

Indianapolis to Cancun (weekly, on Saturday):

  • WN1796 Indianapolis (IND) 7:15am Departure → Cancún (CUN) 9:35am Arrival
  • WN1977 Cancún (CUN) 11:40am Departure → Indianapolis (IND) 4:05pm Arrival

Qantas Flies Nonstop Between London and Perth (launched March 25)

The Blue House in Perth. (Photo by @amber.ramento via Twenty20)
Pay a visit to the Blue Boat House in Perth. (Photo by @amber.ramento via Twenty20)

Details — With a flight time of just over 17 hours, Qantas recently launched what is currently the world's second-longest route, making history by becoming the first-ever nonstop passenger flight between Australia and Europe. TPG's own Points and Miles Writer JT Genter was on board the inaugural flight, valiantly testing out the 787-9 economy experience — you can live vicariously through his review, here. The PER-LHR flight commemorates the original "Kangaroo Route" launched by Qantas in 1947, which included a whopping seven stops between Sydney and London. Today's flight takes travelers on a 9,010-mile nonstop journey from London to Perth, a delightful city located along Australia's scenic West Coast.

Schedule (daily):

  • QF10 London (LHR) 1:15pm Departure → Perth (PER) 1:00pm (+1) Arrival
  • QF9 Perth (PER) 6:45pm Departure → London (LHR) 5:05am (+1) Arrival

Lufthansa Resumes San Jose to Frankfurt Route; Adds Service from San Diego (launched March 22 and 25)

Frankfurt looking stunning in the evening light. (Photo by Nikada/Getty Images)
Frankfurt looks stunning in the evening light. (Photo by Nikada/Getty Images)

Details — Earlier this month, Lufthansa made a reappearance in San Jose (SJC) with the return of its Frankfurt (FRA) service, which launched March 25 after a brief hiatus due to a wintertime pilot shortage. Service from San Diego (SAN) to FRA began a few days earlier — on March 22; both routes are currently being operated by the carrier's A340-300 aircraft. Note that the San Jose to Frankfurt flight runs five times a week on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, while the San Diego-Frankfurt routes operates five times per week on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

San Jose to Frankfurt (5x per week):

  • LH489 San Jose (SJC) 3:05pm Departure → Frankfurt (FRA) 11:10am (+1) Arrival
  • LH488 Frankfurt (FRA) 10:40am Departure → San Jose (SJC) 1:20pm Arrival

San Diego to Frankfurt (5x per week):

  • LH467 San Diego (SAN) 3:05pm Departure → Frankfurt (FRA) 11:20am (+1) Arrival
  • LH466 Frankfurt (FRA) 10:00am Departure → San Diego (SAN) 1:20pm Arrival

New Flights from SFO on Hong Kong Airlines (launched March 25)

Traditional junk boat sailing across Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong. (Photo by Yongyuan Dai/Getty Images)
A traditional junk boat sails across Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong. (Photo by Yongyuan Dai/Getty Images)

Details — Move over Cathay Pacific — Singapore Airlines and United, too, for that matter — there's a new kid in town. Hong Kong Airlines, which has only been around since 2006, just launched a nonstop route between San Francisco (SFO) and Hong Kong (HKG) with its shiny new A350-900. While the route currently operates four times per week on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, service is expected to go daily by mid-August.

Schedule (4x per week until August 18, then daily):

  • HX61 San Francisco (SFO) 12:30pm Departure → Hong Kong (HKG) 5:35pm (+1) Arrival
  • HX60 Hong Kong (HKG) 1:00pm Departure → San Francisco (SFO) 10:45am Arrival

Norwegian Launches London Routes from Chicago and Austin (launched March 25 and 27)

Have you walked across iconic Abbey Road in London yet? (Photo by Richard Boll / Getty Images)
Have you walked across London's iconic Abbey Road yet? (Photo by Richard Boll / Getty Images)

Details — London calling: Hop a flight from Chicago (ORD) or Austin (AUS) to London's Gatwick Airport (LGW) for less thanks to new service brought to you by low-cost carrier Norwegian. If you've been waiting to walk the iconic streets, see Big Ben and Tower Bridge in person or catch a show in the West End, now's the time to start planning your epic London adventure. Best of all, flights are operated by the carrier's comfortable 787 Dreamliner.

Schedule (daily):

  • DY7152 Chicago (ORD) 9:05pm Departure → London (LGW) 10:50am (+1) Arrival
  • DY7151 London (LGW) 3:50pm Departure → Chicago (ORD) 6:30pm Arrival

Schedule (3x per week):

  • DY7182 Austin (AUS) 4:20pm Departure → London (LGW) 7:25am (+1) Arrival
  • DY7181 London (LGW) 10:00am Departure → Austin (AUS) 2:05pm Arrival

NEW ROUTES ANNOUNCED IN MARCH 2018

New Domestic Routes Coming Soon to Southwest

Houston, Texas, USA downtown city skyline. (Photo by SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images)
Hop a flight from Houston (pictured above) to Columbus or Louisville on Southwest. (Photo by SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images)

Details — A number of new domestic routes were announced this month by Southwest, including flights between Houston-Hobby (HOU), Columbus (CMH) and Louisville (SDF); Denver (DEN) and Memphis (MEM); Oklahoma City (OKC) and Nashville (BNA); and Denver (DEN) and El Paso (ELP). Additional flights from Phoenix to several US cities are also planned for weekdays as of October 3.

Daily Nonstop Service Starting October 3:

  • Houston-Hobby (HOU) — Columbus (CMH)
  • Houston-Hobby (HOU) — Louisville (SDF)
  • Denver (DEN) — Memphis (MEM)

Sunday Service Starting October 7:

  • Oklahoma City (OKC) — Nashville (BNA)
  • Denver (DEN) — El Paso (ELP)

One Additional Flight from Phoenix, Monday Thru Friday:

  • Phoenix (PHX) — Austin (AUS)
  • Phoenix (PHX) — Denver (DEN)
  • Phoenix (PHX) — New Orleans (MSY)
  • Phoenix (PHX) — San Antonio (SAT)
  • Phoenix (PHX) — San Jose (SJC)

Norwegian to Double Dublin Flights from New York's Stewart Airport

Book lovers should check out the Old Library at Trinity College in Dublin. (Photo by clu/Getty Images)
Book lovers should check out the Old Library at Trinity College. (Photo by clu/Getty Images)

Details — If you're coming from upstate New York — or are just sick of dealing with shenanigans at EWR, JFK and everybody's favorite NYC airport, LGA (just kidding) — why not mix things up a little by flying from New York's Stewart International Airport (SWF) instead? Located about 90 minutes north of Manhattan, the lesser-known airport is attracting attention thanks to an expansion of Norwegian's Dublin (DUB) route that'll begin next month, doubling the number of daily flights between the two cities.

Schedule (twice daily, with a slight variation on Sunday):

  • DY1843 Newburgh (SWF) 12:25pm Departure → Dublin (DUB) 11:45pm Arrival
  • DY1762 Newburgh (SWF) 9:00pm Departure → Dublin (DUB) 8:20am (+1) Arrival (Monday to Saturday)
  • DY1762 Newburgh (SWF) 8:55pm Departure → Dublin (DUB) 8:15am (+1) Arrival (Sunday)
  • DY1842 Dublin (DUB) 8:10am Departure → Newburgh (SWF) 10:30am Arrival
  • DY1763 Dublin (DUB) 2:30pm Departure → Newburgh (SWF) 4:50pm Arrival

American Airlines Will Expand Its Latin American Route Network

Stop by the beautiful Basilica de Santa Maria de Guadalupe the next time you're in Mexico City. (Photo by MartinM303/Getty Images)
Stop by the beautiful Basilica de Santa Maria de Guadalupe the next time you're in Mexico City. (Photo by MartinM303/Getty Images)

Details — American Airlines announced earlier this week it would be adding more routes between the US, Mexico and South America. Note that the MIA-GEO, MIA-PEI and PHL-MEX routes will be operated by the carrier's A319, while the DFW-OAX flight will be serviced by an Embraer E175. You'll find a Boeing 767-300 on the MIA-COR route and a 787-9 Dreamliner on flights between LAX and EZE.

  • Philadelphia (PHL) — Mexico City (MEX); starting July 5, 2018
  • Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) — Oaxaca, Mexico (OAX); starting December 19, 2018
  • Miami (MIA) — Georgetown, Guyana (GEO); starting December 20, 2018
  • Miami (MIA) — Pereira, Colombia (PEI); starting December 20, 2018
  • Miami (MIA) — Cordoba, Argentina (COR); starting April 2, 2019
  • Los Angeles (LAX) — Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE); starting December 19, 2018

Sun Country to Introduce Seasonal Routes at Home and Abroad

Doesn't a trip to Cancun sound great right about now? (Photo by Arthur Gonoretzky/Getty Images)
Doesn't a trip to Cancun sound great right about now? (Photo by Arthur Gonoretzky/Getty Images)

Details — Low-cost carrier Sun Country recently announced plans for new international and domestic routes, including flights from the West Coast to San José del Cabo (SJD), Orlando (MCO) and Anchorage (ANC). Here's a look at the new flights that'll be launching later this year.

Austin to Cancun (3x per week on Monday, Friday and Saturday; from June 15 to August 13)

  • SY561 Austin (AUS) 11:40am Departure → Cancún (CUN) 2:00pm Arrival
  • SY562 Cancún (CUN) 2:55pm Departure → Austin (AUS) 5:20pm Arrival

Dallas to Las Vegas (4x per week on Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday; from June 7 to August 20)

  • SY121 Dallas (DFW) 3:45pm Departure → Las Vegas (LAS) 4:30pm Arrival
  • SY122 Las Vegas (LAS) 5:20pm Departure → Dallas (DFW) 10:00pm Arrival

Orlando to Portland, OR (3x per week on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday; from June 14 to August 19)

  • SY356 Orlando (MCO) 7:55pm Departure → Portland (PDX) 10:35pm Arrival
  • SY355 Portland (PDX) 10:30pm Departure → Orlando (MCO) 6:45pm Arrival

San Diego to San José del Cabo (2x per week on Sunday and Friday; from June 29 to August 19)

  • SY543 San Diego (SAN) 10:40am Departure → San José del Cabo (SJD) 1:50pm Arrival
  • SY544 San José del Cabo (SJD) 2:40pm Departure → San Diego (SAN) 3:45pm Arrival

Seattle to Anchorage (5x per week on Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; from June 7 to August 20)

  • SY279 Seattle (SEA) 5:50pm Departure → Anchorage (ANC) 8:15pm Arrival
  • SY280 Anchorage (ANC) 6:50pm Departure → Seattle (SEA) 11:05pm Arrival

Air New Zealand Announces Flights From Chicago to Auckland

A view of the Auckland Sky Tower. Photo by chameleonseye / Getty Images.
A view of the Auckland Sky Tower. Photo by chameleonseye / Getty Images.

Details — Calling all Lord of the Rings fans from the Midwest: Air New Zealand recently released details about an upcoming 15- to 16-hour nonstop flight between Chicago (ORD) and Auckland (AKL). The new route, slated to launch November 30, will be operated by the carrier's 787-9 Dreamliner three times per week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Note the service changes below that will take place in March 2019.

Schedule (3x per week, starting November 30, 2018):

  • NZ26 Auckland (AKL) 8:10pm Departure → Chicago (ORD) 4:15pm Arrival (from November 30, 2018, to March 8, 2019)
  • NZ26 Auckland (AKL) 8:10pm Departure → Chicago (ORD) 5:15pm Arrival (from March 10 to March 29, 2019)
  • NZ27 Chicago (ORD) 7:10pm Departure → Auckland (AKL) 6:30am (+2) Arrival (from November 30, 2018, to March 8, 2019)
  • NZ27 Chicago (ORD) 8:10pm Departure → Auckland (AKL) 6:30am (+2) Arrival (from March 10 to March 29, 2019)

Delta's Planning Several Domestic Routes for 2018

(Photo by Kirstyn Paynter via Unsplash)
Welcome to Sin City. (Photo by Kirstyn Paynter via Unsplash)

Details — Delta is set to launch a number of daily domestic routes later this year, including Boston (BOS) to Las Vegas (LAS), New York City (JFK) to San Jose (SJC), Cleveland (CLE) to Salt Lake City (SLC) and Salt Lake City (SLC) to El Paso (ELP). A fifth route connecting New York (LGA) with Chattanooga (CHA), Tennessee, will operate five times a week on weekdays. The BOS-LAS and JFK-SJC routes will be operated by the carrier's 737-800 aircraft, while the CLE-SLC route will use an Airbus A319. The LGA-CHA and SLC-ELP routes will each be serviced by CRJ-900s from Delta Connection carriers Endeavor Air and SkyWest Airlines, respectively.

Boston (BOS) — Las Vegas (LAS); daily starting October 1:

  • DL2726 Boston (BOS) 8:15am Departure → Las Vegas (LAS) 11:10am Arrival
  • DL2964 Las Vegas (LAS) 11:15am Departure → Boston (BOS) 7:20pm Arrival

New York City (JFK) — San Jose (SJC); daily starting June 8:

  • DL421 New York City (JFK) 8:15am Departure → San Jose (SJC) 11:45am Arrival
  • DL804 San Jose (SJC) 10:35pm Departure → New York City (JFK) 7:15am (+1) Arrival

Cleveland (CLE) — Salt Lake City (SLC); daily starting July 8:

  • DL690 Cleveland (CLE) 8:30am Departure → Salt Lake City (SLC) 10:25am Arrival
  • DL1603 Salt Lake City (SLC) 5:00pm Departure → Cleveland (CLE) 10:50pm Arrival

Salt Lake City (SLC) to El Paso (ELP); daily starting October 1:

  • DL4881 Salt Lake City (SLC) 8:05pm Departure → El Paso (ELP) 10:25pm Arrival
  • DL4997 El Paso (ELP) 8:15am Departure → Salt Lake City (SLC) 10:15am Arrival

New York City (LGA) — Chattanooga (CHA); 5x a week, Monday to Friday, starting July 9):

  • DL5100 New York City (LGA) 8:40pm Departure → Chattanooga (CHA) 11:15pm Arrival
  • DL5222 Chattanooga (CHA) 6:30am Departure → New York City (LGA) 9:00am Arrival

Which of these new routes are you most excited about?

Featured image by Getty Images