Exciting New Airline Routes for July 2018 and Beyond

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 JULY 2018

Fly Southwest from Oakland to Four US Cities (launched July 8, 14, 15)

Details — It's been a big month for Oakland (OAK), which welcomed daily nonstop service to four new US cities — San Antonio (SAT) as of July 8, Orlando (MCO) as of July 14 and Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) and Indianapolis (IND) as of July 15 — making it easier than ever to jet from the West Coast to the South, Southeast and Midwest. Each route will be operated by Southwest's signature 737.

Oakland to San Antonio (daily):

• WN4864 Oakland (OAK) 4:40pm Departure → San Antonio (SAT) 10:05pm Arrival
• WN5514 San Antonio (SAT) 2:00pm Departure → Oakland (OAK) 3:40pm Arrival

Oakland to Orlando (daily):

• WN4354 Oakland (OAK) 9:00am Departure → Orlando (MCO) 5:20pm Arrival
• WN1565 Orlando (MCO) 3:25pm Departure → Oakland (OAK) 6:00pm Arrival

Oakland to Indianapolis (daily):

• WN3657 Oakland (OAK) 10:45am Departure → Indianapolis (IND) 5:55pm Arrival
• WN4590 Indianapolis (IND) 10:55am Departure → Oakland (OAK) 12:35pm Arrival

Oakland to Minneapolis-St. Paul (daily):

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• These flights vary considerably over the next few months in terms of departure/arrival times and flight numbers. Be sure to confirm the times and flight numbers on Southwest's site before booking.

Hawaiian Airlines Begins Daily Service Between Oakland and Kauai (launched July 17)

Details — Not to be outdone by Southwest, Hawaiian Airlines also launched nonstop flights from Oakland (OAK) this month to Lihue (LIH) on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. The inaugural was originally supposed to happen back in April of this year, but as we say, better late than never! This nifty new route gets you from the West Coast to Kauai in about five and a half hours and best of all, you'll get to arrive in style aboard one of the carrier's new Airbus A321neo aircraft.

Schedule (daily):

• HA67 Oakland (OAK) 9:40am Departure → Lihue (LIH) 12:10pm Arrival
• HA68 Lihue (LIH) 12:15pm Departure → 8:30pm Oakland (OAK) Arrival

New Norwegian Flights to Madrid from Los Angeles and New York (launched July 16 and 18)

Details — This month, everyone's favorite low-cost carrier, Norwegian, launched nonstop routes to Madrid from Los Angeles (LAX) and New York (JFK) aboard its 787-9. The LAX-MAD flight is operated four times per week on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while the JFK-MAD flight runs thrice-weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Pack your Flamenco shoes and get ready for delicious tapas and long summer nights strolling the colorful streets and plazas of this vibrant capital city.

Los Angeles to Madrid (4x per week):

Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays...

• DY7742 Los Angeles (LAX) 6:40pm Departure → Madrid (MAD) 2:15pm (+1) Arrival
• DY7743 Madrid (MAD) 1:40pm Departure → Los Angeles (LAX) 4:40pm Arrival

...with a slight deviation on Mondays:

• DY7742 Los Angeles (LAX) 9:50pm Departure → Madrid (MAD) 5:30pm (+1) Arrival
• DY7743 Madrid (MAD) 4:50pm Departure → Los Angeles (LAX) 7:50pm Arrival

New York to Madrid (3x per week):

• DY7702 New York (JFK) 10:30pm Departure → Madrid (MAD) 11:40am (+1) Arrival
• DY7703 Madrid (MAD) 10:55am Departure → New York (JFK) 12:55pm Arrival

Delta Debuts Daily Nonstop Service Between Atlanta and Shanghai (launched July 19)

Details — Great news for anyone planning a trip to China: As of July 19, you can embark on the roughly 16-hour journey between Atlanta (ATL) and Shanghai (PVG), making a trip to this exciting city that much closer for those in the Southeastern US. The route will be operated by one of Delta's 777-200LRs, all of which are currently going under the knife to receive new interiors, complete with Delta One Suites in business class.

Schedule (daily):

• DL185 Atlanta (ATL) 3:19pm Departure → Shanghai (PVG) 7:10pm (+1) Arrival
• DL186 Shanghai (PVG) 12:20pm Departure → Atlanta (ATL) 3:40pm Arrival

Alaska Airlines Adds Daily Flights From San Jose to New York (launched July 6)

Details — On July 6, no doubt to provide some friendly competition with Delta's route that launched last month, Alaska Airlines added its own San Jose (SJC) to New York (JFK) flight to the mix. This one will be operated daily by an A320 that once belonged to Virgin America and still features the old livery.

Schedule (daily):

• AS1064 San Jose (SJC) 7:05am Departure → New York (JFK) 3:44pm Arrival
• AS1065 New York (JFK) 4:47pm Departure → San Jose (SJC) 8:22pm Arrival

Fly LATAM Between Boston and São Paulo (launched July 2)

Details — Heads up if you're thinking of planning a trip to Brazil anytime soon. On July 2, LATAM launched a nonstop route from Boston (BOS) to São Paulo (GRU), operating four times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays aboard the carrier's Boeing 767 aircraft. Translation: In about 10.5 hours, you can be in South America's largest, and one of the most underrated cities, so start packing.

Schedule (4x per week):

• JJ8165 Boston (BOS) 6:05pm Departure → São Paulo (GRU) 5:25am (+1) Arrival
• JJ8164 São Paulo (GRU) 11:55pm Departure → Boston (BOS) 9:10am (+1) Arrival

NEW ROUTES ANNOUNCED IN JULY 2018

Philippine Airlines to Launch Nonstop Flights from New York to Manila

Details — Make way for yet another contender for the world's longest flight — technically this one's currently in eighth place, but it's still pretty impressive. Philippine Airlines' 8,520-mile, 16-hour long-haul from New York (JFK) to Manila (MNL) is expected to launch on October 30 and will be operated by the carrier's 777-300ER five times per week. Departures from JFK happen on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with departures from MNL on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Schedule (5x per week):

• PR127 New York (JFK) 1:45am Departure → Manila (MNL) 6:15am (+1) Arrival
• PR126 Manila (MNL) 9:00pm Departure → New York (JFK) 11:15pm Arrival

United Changes Up Singapore Service, Adds More Domestic and International Flights

Details — Speaking of insanely long flights, United's about to switch its Singapore (SIN) service from Los Angeles (LAX) to San Francisco (SFO), adding a second daily flight from SFO to SIN aboard its 787 starting October 27. The airline will also be adding a daily nonstop route between Chicago (ORD) and San José, Costa Rica (SJO), early next year. On the domestic front, United is going to be increasing year-round and seasonal service between Cleveland (CLE) and several major US cities including Orlando, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco starting in September.

San Francisco to Singapore (daily as of October 27, 2018):

• UA29 San Francisco (SFO) 11:55am Departure → Singapore (SIN) 8:15pm (+1) Arrival
• UA28 Singapore (SIN) 10:20pm Departure → San Francisco (SFO) 8:55pm Arrival

Chicago to San José, Costa Rica (daily as of January 7, 2019):

• UA1187 Chicago (ORD) 7:48am Departure → San José (SJO) 1:00pm Arrival
• UA1651 San José (SJO) 1:55pm Departure → 7:32pm Chicago (ORD) Arrival

Southwest to Launch New Domestic Routes from Dallas (DAL)

Details — Calling all snowbirds: Southwest recently announced its winter schedule, which includes several new flights from Dallas Love Field (DAL) to popular cities in the Midwest and Southeast like Charleston (CHS), Fort Myers (RSW), Jacksonville (JAX), Louisville (SDF), Milwaukee (MKE), Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) and Florida's Panama City Beach (ECP). Additionally, the carrier is adding service between Newark (EWR) and Nashville (BNA) in place of its original EWR to Indianapolis (IND) route.

Daily service starting January 7, 2019:

• Dallas (DAL) – Charleston (CHS)
• Dallas (DAL) – Fort Myers/Naples (RSW)
• Dallas (DAL) – Jacksonville (JAX)
• Dallas (DAL) – Louisville (SDF)
• Dallas (DAL) – Milwaukee (MKE)
• Dallas (DAL) – Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP)
• Dallas (DAL) – Panama City Beach (ECP)
• Newark (EWR) – Nashville (BNA)

Cathay Pacific to Start Service between Seattle and Hong Kong

Details — As of March 31, 2019, you'll be able to fly nonstop between the Emerald City and the Pearl of the Orient aboard Cathay Pacific's A350-900 aircraft. The new route will depart from Seattle (SEA) four times per week on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and return from Hong Kong (HKG) four times per week on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Schedule (4x per week):

• CX857 Seattle (SEA) 1:05am Departure → Hong Kong (HKG) 5:35am (+1) Arrival
• CX858 Hong Kong (HKG) 11:55pm Departure → Seattle (SEA) 9:00pm Arrival

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Returns to Boston

Details — SkyTeam alliance member KLM announced this month that it'd be returning to Boston (BOS) next spring. The Dutch carrier previously flew to the New England city, but suspended the route in 1994. Service is set to resume on March 31, 2019, and will initially operate on a thrice-weekly basis until July 1, 2019, when it will increase to four times weekly service, all on the carrier's Airbus A330-300 aircraft. KLM's resumption of service complements Delta's existing twice-daily service between the two cities.

Schedule (3x per week):

• KL617 Amsterdam (AMS) 5:00pm Departure → Boston (BOS) 6:00pm Arrival
• KL618 Boston (BOS) 10:00pm Departure → Amsterdam (AMS) 10:35am (+1) Arrival

JetBlue to Add More Flights to Mexico City and Havana

Details — Starting October 25, JetBlue will offer daily flights from New York (JFK) and Boston (BOS) to Mexico City (MEX) aboard its A320s. The carrier also plans to launch one flight a week — also on the A320 — from BOS to Havana, Cuba, on Saturdays starting November 10, so if you've been looking for an excuse to visit the vibrant Caribbean island, this might be it.

New York to Mexico City (daily as of October 25):

• B6921 New York (JFK) 9:58am Departure → Mexico City (MEX) 2:25pm Arrival
• B6922 Mexico City (MEX) 3:55pm Departure → New York (JFK) 10:02pm Arrival

Boston to Mexico City (daily as of October 25):

• B6483 Boston (BOS) 8:31am Departure → Mexico City (MEX) 1:15pm Arrival
• B6484 Mexico City (MEX) 1:20pm Departure → Boston (BOS) 8:42pm Arrival

Boston to Havana (Saturdays as of November 10):

• B6867 Boston (BOS) 12:13pm Departure → Havana (HAV) 4:30pm Arrival
• B6868 Havana (HAV) 5:30pm Departure → Boston (BOS) 9:14pm Arrival

Spirit Airlines to Add More Flights to the Caribbean

Details — Spirit Airlines is ramping up its winter schedule as well, with daily year-round flights between Newark (EWR) and Santo Domingo (SDQ) in the Dominican Republic expected to begin November 8 and thrice-weekly seasonal service (on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays) between Detroit (DTW) and Jamaica's Montego Bay (MBJ) as of December 20. The EWR-SDQ route will be serviced by Spirit's A319 aircraft, while the DTW-MBJ route will use an Airbus A320.

Newark to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (daily year-round service starting November 8)

• NK1035 Newark (EWR) 12:35am Departure → Santo Domingo (SDQ) 5:30am Arrival
• NK1036 Santo Domingo (SDQ) 1:30am Departure → Newark (EWR) 4:35am Arrival

Detroit to Montego Bay, Jamaica (3x per week, seasonal service starting December 20)

• NK441 Detroit (DTW) 7:15am Departure → Montego Bay (MBJ) 11:15am Arrival
• NK442 Montego Bay (MBJ) 12:15pm Departure → Detroit (DTW) 4:20pm Arrival

Sun Country to Add 11 New Domestic Routes This Winter

Details — Speaking of upcoming winter schedules, ultra low-cost carrier Sun Country Airlines recently released its plans for 11 new routes set to debut this fall, including hops between Dallas (DFW) and Tampa (TPA), Portland (PDX) and Honolulu (HNL) and St. Louis (STL) and Fort Myers (RSW), among others. More details about starting dates and flight frequencies are listed below.

• Dallas (DFW) – Fort Myers (RSW) 2x per week on Wednesday and Saturday as of October 3
• Dallas (DFW) – Tampa (TPA) 2x per week on Monday and Friday as of October 5
• Madison (MSN) – Fort Myers (RSW) 2x per week on Monday and Friday as of September 28
• Madison (MSN) – Tampa (TPA) 2x per week on Wednesday and Saturday as of September 29
• Portland (PDX) – Honolulu (HNL) 4x per week on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday as of November 14
• Portland (PDX) – Las Vegas (LAS) 4x per week on Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday as of November 1
• Portland (PDX) – Palm Springs (PSP) 2x per week on Sunday and Thursday as of November 1
• Portland (PDX) – Phoenix (PHX) 4x per week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday as of November 14
• Portland (PDX) – Reno-Tahoe (RNO) 2x per week on Monday and Friday as of November 16
• St. Louis (STL) – Fort Myers (RSW) 2x per week on Wednesday and Saturday as of October 3
• St. Louis (STL) – Tampa (TPA) 2x per week on Sunday and Thursday as of November 1

Which of these new routes are you most excited about?