Exciting New Airline Routes for May 2018 and Beyond
Quick summary
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 MAY 2018
Fly French Bee from San Francisco to Tahiti (launched May 11)
Details — This is great news for anyone on the West Coast who's interested in a French Polynesian vacation. Newcomer French Bee, known until recently as French Blue, is offering an eight-hour nonstop hop from San Francisco (SFO) to Papeete (PPT) in Tahiti aboard its Airbus A350-900 aircraft. According to a press release, the carrier will operate the route on Saturdays and Mondays during the low season before adding a third flight on Thursdays during the high season. It seems French Bee isn't the only airline with high hopes for Tahiti in 2018. United will be launching its own nonstop SFO-PPT route in October aboard its Dreamliner aircraft, while Air Tahiti Nui will be replacing its long-haul fleet with new 787-9s later this year.
Schedule (2x per week in low season, 3x per week in high season):
- BF710 San Francisco (SFO) 11:20pm Departure → Tahiti (PPT) 4:40am (+1) Arrival
- BF711 Tahiti (PPT) 7:00am Departure → San Francisco (SFO) 5:55pm Arrival
More Flights to Reykjavik on WOW Air and Icelandair (launched throughout May)
Details — WOW Air and Icelandair recently added a series of new routes to Reykjavik a month ahead of American Airlines' seasonal flights to the land of ice and fire, which officially begin on June 7. As of May 24, you can fly low-cost carrier WOW Air from Dallas (DFW) to Reykjavik (KEF) three times per week on the airline's A330. This month, Icelandair launched its own new route from DFW four times per week, as well as flights from Baltimore (BWI) and Cleveland (CLE) four times per week and Kansas City (MCI) three times per week. Note that the DFW-KEF, BWI-KEF and MCI-KEF routes are serviced by Boeing 757-200s, while the CLE-KEF flight is operated by the carrier's new 737 MAX.
WOW Air (3x per week as of May 24):
- WW192 Dallas (DFW) 4:10pm Departure → Reykjavik (KEF) 4:45am (+1) Arrival
- WW191 Reykjavik (KEF) 6:15pm Departure → Dallas (DFW) 9:20pm Arrival
Icelandair
Dallas to Reykjavik (4x per week as of May 30):
- FI872 Dallas (DFW) 4:20pm Departure → Reykjavik (KEF) 5:10am (+1) Arrival
- FI873 Reykjavik (KEF) 5:55pm Departure → Dallas (DFW) 9:20pm Arrival
Baltimore to Reykjavik (4x per week as of May 28):
- FI642 Baltimore (BWI) 8:30pm Departure → Reykjavik (KEF) 6:20am (+1) Arrival
- FI643 Reykjavik (KEF) 5:05pm Departure → Baltimore (BWI) 7:20pm Arrival
Cleveland to Reykjavik (4x per week as of May 16):
- FI836 Cleveland (CLE) 8:20pm Departure → Reykjavik (KEF) 6:25am (+1) Arrival
- FI837 Reykjavik (KEF) 4:50pm Departure → Cleveland (CLE) 7:15pm Arrival
Kansas City to Reykjavik (3x per week as of May 26):
- FI840 Kansas City (MCI) 5:15pm Departure → Reykjavik (KEF) 5:10am (+1) Arrival
- FI841 Reykjavik (KEF) 6:00pm Departure → Kansas City (MCI) 8:45pm Arrival
Norwegian Launches Flights to Paris and Amsterdam from Boston and New York (launched May 2 and 7)
Details — If you've been looking for a good excuse to visit Paris or Amsterdam, this is it. Earlier this month, low-cost carrier Norwegian Air launched nonstop flights between Boston (BOS) and Paris (CDG) — which run four times per week on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — and New York (JFK) and Amsterdam (AMS), which operates four times per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Note that there is a slight deviation in flight times on Mondays for the BOS-CDG route.
Boston to Paris (3x per week): Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays...
- DY7150 Boston (BOS) 10:00pm Departure → Paris (CDG) 10:40am (+1) Arrival
- DY7149 Paris (CDG) 6:20pm Departure → Boston (BOS) 8:00pm Arrival
...with a slight deviation on Mondays:
- DY7150 Boston (BOS) 11:25pm Departure → Paris (CDG) 12:05pm (+1) Arrival
- DY7149 Paris (CDG) 7:45pm Departure → Boston (BOS) 9:25pm Arrival
New York to Amsterdam (4x per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays):
- DY7700 New York City (JFK) 6:30pm Departure → Amsterdam (AMS) 7:30am (+1) Arrival
- DY7701 Amsterdam (AMS) 12:25pm Departure → New York City (JFK) 2:25pm Arrival
Fly United from San Francisco to Munich (launched May 24)
Details — With such a rich history, availability of great beer and giant pretzels and proximity to beautiful Bavarian castles, Munich (MUC) is a great place to visit all year round, not just during Oktoberfest (which, by the way, actually starts at the end of September). Thanks to a new daily flight on United that launched May 24 from San Francisco (SFO), it's even easier for those on the West Coast to get in on the action. Plus, you'll get to arrive in style on United's 787 Dreamliner.
Schedule (daily):
- UA194 San Francisco (SFO) 1:55pm Departure → Munich (MUC) 10:05am (+1) Arrival
- UA195 Munich (MUC) 12:10pm Departure → San Francisco (SFO) 2:55pm Arrival
American Airlines Begins Seasonal Service to Europe (launched May 4)
Details — Not to be left behind in the race to Europe, American Airlines launched its seasonal service across the pond on May 4, including flights from Philadelphia (PHL) to Prague (PRG), PHL to Budapest (BUD) and Chicago (ORD) to Venice (VCE). The PHL-PRG and PHL-BUD routes are operated by AA's 767-300 aircraft, while the ORD-VCE route is serviced by its 787-8 Dreamliner. All three routes run daily now through October 27, 2018.
Philadelphia to Prague (daily):
- AA52 Philadelphia (PHL) 6:25pm Departure → Prague (PRG) 9:20am (+1) Arrival
- AA53 Prague (PRG) 11:30am Departure → Philadelphia (PHL) 3:20pm Arrival
Philadelphia to Budapest (daily):
- AA96 Philadelphia (PHL) 6:15pm Departure → Budapest (BUD) 9:45am (+1) Arrival
- AA97 Budapest (BUD) 11:30am Departure → Philadelphia (PHL) 4:00pm Arrival
Chicago to Venice (daily):
- AA42 Chicago (ORD) 6:55pm Departure → Venice (VCE) 11:00am (+1) Arrival
- AA43 Venice (VCE) 2:50pm Departure → Chicago (ORD) 6:35pm Arrival
Aer Lingus Adds Flights Between Seattle and Dublin (launched May 18)
Details — It's now easier than ever to fly between the Emerald City and the Emerald Isle thanks to a new route launched this month by Aer Lingus. Make the trip from Seattle (SEA) to Dublin (DUB) aboard its A330 four times a week on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Get ready to drink your way around the Irish capital — musical pub crawls can be a fun way to explore the city, too — or if you're coming the other way, see Seattle like a local.
Schedule (4x per week):
- EI142 Seattle (SEA) 7:20pm Departure → Dublin (DUB) 12:30pm (+1) Arrival
- EI143 Dublin (DUB) 3:50pm Departure → Seattle (SEA) 5:35pm Arrival
NEW ROUTES ANNOUNCED IN MAY 2018
American Airlines Announces New Service to Hawaii and the Caribbean
Details — American Airlines recently announced its plans for new seasonal service from Chicago (ORD) to Honolulu (HNL) starting December 19, on the carrier's 787-8. Additionally, the airline will launch several seasonal and year-round routes beginning December 22 — check below for more details. Note that the DFW-AUA, ORD-AUA, ORD-GCM, ORD-NAS and ORD-PLS routes will be serviced by the carrier's Boeing 737-800 aircraft, while MIA-SVD will use an Airbus A319, CLT-MHH will use an Embraer E175, CLT-ELH will use a Bombardier CRJ-700 and ORD-HNL will use a Boeing 787-8.
- Chicago (ORD) — Honolulu (HNL), daily starting December 19, 2018
- Charlotte (CLT) — North Eleuthera, Bahamas (ELH), year-round on Saturdays
- Charlotte (CLT) — Marsh Harbour, Bahamas (MHH), year-round on Saturdays
- Dallas (DFW) — Aruba (AUA), year-round on Saturdays
- Miami (MIA) — St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVD) year-round on Saturdays
- Chicago (ORD) — Aruba (AUA), seasonal service in winter on Saturdays
- Chicago (ORD) — Grand Cayman (GCM), seasonal service in winter on Saturdays
- Chicago (ORD) — Nassau, Bahamas (NAS), seasonal service in winter on Saturdays
- Chicago (ORD) — Turks and Caicos (PLS), seasonal service in winter on Saturdays
More Domestic Options Coming to Frontier Later This Year
Details — In terms of domestic flights, Frontier's upcoming lineup looks promising, with nine new nonstop flights from San Antonio (SAT), six new routes from Jacksonville (JAX) and a number of others from Austin (AUS), Sacramento (SMF), Denver (DEN), Raleigh-Durham (RDU) and Orlando (MCO).
- Austin (AUS) — Salt Lake City (SLC), 2-3x per week as of July 7
- Sacramento (SMF) — Denver (DEN), 3x per week as of August 1
- Sacramento (SMF) — Las Vegas (LAS), 3x per week as of August 12
- Denver (DEN) — Santa Barbara (SBA), seasonal, 3x per week as of August 21
- Denver (DEN) — Norfolk (ORF), 2x per week as of August 12
- Denver (DEN) — Wichita (ICT), 3x per week as of August 30
- Raleigh-Durham (RDU) — Detroit (DTW), seasonal, 3x per week as of July 8
- Raleigh-Durham (RDU) — Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), seasonal, 4x weekly as of July 9
- Jacksonville (JAX) — Buffalo (BUF), seasonal, 2x per week as of August 13
- Jacksonville (JAX) — Kansas City (MCI), seasonal, 2x per week as of August 13
- Jacksonville (JAX) — Las Vegas (LAS), daily service as of August 12
- Jacksonville (JAX) — Milwaukee (MKE), seasonal, 2x per week as of August 15
- Jacksonville (JAX) — Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP), seasonal, 2x weekly as of August 15
- Jacksonville (JAX) — St. Louis (STL), seasonal, 3x per week as of August 12
- Orlando (MCO) — Norfolk (ORF), 2x per week as of August 12
- San Antonio (SAT) — Albuquerque (ABQ), seasonal, 2x per week as of August 15
- San Antonio (SAT) — Charlotte (CLT), seasonal, 3x per week as of August 12
- San Antonio (SAT) — Cleveland (CLE), seasonal, 2x per week as of August 13
- San Antonio (SAT) — Columbus (CMH), seasonal, 2x per week as of August 15
- San Antonio (SAT) — Jacksonville (JAX), seasonal, 3x per week as of August 12
- San Antonio (SAT) — Memphis (MEM), seasonal, 2x per week as of August 13
- San Antonio (SAT) — Oklahoma City (OKC), seasonal, 4x per week as of August 13
- San Antonio (SAT) — Omaha (OMA), seasonal, 3x per week as of August 12
- San Antonio (SAT) — Tulsa (TUL), seasonal, 3x per week as of August 12
Virgin Atlantic to Fly From Las Vegas to London Heathrow
Details — As of March 31, 2019, Virgin Atlantic will move its Las Vegas service from London's Gatwick Airport (LGW) to Heathrow (LHR), and will operate the new flight with its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The carrier will also be launching a second daily flight between Boston (BOS) and LHR aboard its A330-300, as well as seasonal nonstop flights twice a week between LHR and Barbados (BGI) starting December 11, 2018.
Schedule (daily):
- VS156 Las Vegas (LAS) 7:05pm Departure → London (LHR) 12:55pm (+1) Arrival
- VS155 London (LHR) 12:40pm Departure → Las Vegas (LAS) 3:25pm Arrival
WOW Air Plans One-Stop Service from the US to New Delhi via Reykjavik
Details — Consider it two dream trips in one. Low-cost flights to India from the US (via Iceland) will officially be a thing when WOW Air launches its new route between Reykjavik (KEF) and New Delhi (DEL) on December 6. The new flight will start out operating three times weekly before increasing to five times per week on January 7, 2019, and will be serviced by the carrier's A330-900neo aircraft.
Schedule (3x per week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays)
- WW322 Reykjavik (KEF) 11:45am Departure → New Delhi (DEL) 3:15am (+1) Arrival
- WW323 New Delhi (DEL) 7:00am Departure → Reykjavik (KEF) 1:20pm Arrival
Avianca's Adding Service From Chicago to Bogotá
Details — Whether you've always wanted to visit Colombia's capital city or you've fallen in love with its buildings and atmosphere after binge watching Narcos on Netflix, we've got your excuse to start planning a visit right here. Starting November 17, Avianca will be offering nonstop flights to Bogotá (BOG) from Chicago (ORD) four times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays on its A319. While you're there, consider using Bogotá as your base to explore other popular Colombian cities like Medellín or Cartagena.
Schedule (4x per week):
- AV83 Chicago (ORD) 10:01pm Departure → Bogotá (BOG) 5:15am (+1) Arrival
- AV82 Bogotá (BOG) 2:58pm Departure → Chicago (ORD) 8:38pm Arrival
United Plans More Nonstop Flights from Houston to Cuba
Details — ¡Viva Cuba! There's nothing like strolling the colorful, historic streets of Havana's Old Town, and if you're hoping to do it this summer, United's got you covered. Starting July 20, the carrier will operate daily flights from Houston (IAH) to Havana (HAV) using a mix of 737-800s and E175s from Mesa Airlines/United Express. Get your paperwork together — the trip is definitely worth battling all the bureaucratic red tape — and plan on having one of the most memorable trips of your life.
Schedule (daily, as of July 20):
- UA6306 Houston (IAH) 12:00pm Departure → Havana (HAV) 4:05pm Arrival
- UA6307 Havana (HAV) 5:05pm Departure → Houston (IAH) 7:25pm Arrival
Which of these new routes are you most excited about?