Exciting New Airline Routes for May 2019 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 MAY 2019
New Flights to Hawaii on Southwest and Sun Country (launched May 5, 12, 18 and 26)
Details — Southwest launched several nonstop routes this month, including daily flights from San Jose (SJC) to Honolulu (HNL) on May 5, daily service from SJC to Kahului (OGG) on May 26, one-stop flights from Oakland (OAK) and SJC to Kona (KOA) on May 12 — note that you'll have to connect in HNL and the OAK-KOA route runs thrice daily while the SJC–KOA route runs twice daily — and inter-island flights between HNL and KOA, offered four times a day as of May 12. The carrier also announced plans to add Hilo (ITO) to its lineup later this year so we'll keep you posted once more details are released. At the same time, ultra-low-cost carrier Sun Country launched its own nonstop service from San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL) on May 18, offering flights four times a week on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday aboard its Boeing 737s.
Southwest: San Jose to Honolulu (daily):
- WN395 San Jose (SJC) 11:15am Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 1:45pm Arrival
- WN225 Honolulu (HNL) 1:00pm Departure → San Jose (SJC) 9:15pm Arrival
Southwest: San Jose to Kahului, Maui (daily):
- WN321 San Jose (SJC) 9:40am Departure → Kahului, Maui (OGG) 12:00pm Arrival
- WN227 Kahului, Maui (OGG) 2:40pm Departure → San Jose (SJC) 10:35pm Arrival
Southwest: Honolulu to Kona (4x per day):
- WN216 Honolulu (HNL) 8:10am Departure → Kona (KOA) 9:05am Arrival
- WN122 Kona (KOA) 6:55am Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 7:45am Arrival
- WN5332 Honolulu (HNL) 12:55pm Departure → Kona (KOA) 1:50pm Arrival
- WN224 Kona (KOA) 10:00am Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 10:55am Arrival
- WN240 Honolulu (HNL) 4:20pm Departure → Kona (KOA) 5:15pm Arrival
- WN231 Kona (KOA) 2:35pm Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 3:30pm Arrival
- WN840 Honolulu (HNL) 8:30pm Departure → Kona (KOA) 9:25pm Arrival
- WN248 Kona (KOA) 6:05pm Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 6:55pm Arrival
Southwest: One-Stop San Jose to Kona via Honolulu (2x daily):
- WN395 San Jose (SJC) 11:15am Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 1:45pm Arrival
- WN240 Honolulu (HNL) 4:20pm Departure → Kona (KOA) 5:15pm Arrival
- WN224 Kona (KOA) 10:00am Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 10:55am Arrival
- WN225 Honolulu (HNL) 1:00pm Departure → San Jose (SJC) 9:15pm Arrival
- WN395 San Jose (SJC) 11:15am Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 1:45pm Arrival
- WN840 Honolulu (HNL) 8:30pm Departure → Kona (KOA) 9:25pm Arrival
- WN122 Kona (KOA) 6:55am Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 7:45am Arrival
- WN225 Honolulu (HNL) 1:00pm Departure → San Jose (SJC) 9:15pm Arrival
Southwest: One-Stop Oakland to Kona via Honolulu (3x daily):
- WN808 Oakland (OAK) 8:30am Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 11:00am Arrival
- WN5332 Honolulu (HNL) 12:55pm Departure → Kona (KOA) 1:50pm Arrival
- WN122 Kona (KOA) 6:55am Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 7:45am Arrival
- WN6565 Honolulu (HNL) 9:30am Departure → Oakland (OAK) 5:40pm Arrival
- WN808 Oakland (OAK) 8:30am Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 11:00am Arrival
- WN240 Honolulu (HNL) 4:20pm Departure → Kona (KOA) 5:15pm Arrival
- WN122 Kona (KOA) 6:55am Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 7:45am Arrival
- WN132 Honolulu (HNL) 3:30pm Departure → Oakland (OAK) 11:45pm Arrival
- WN808 Oakland (OAK) 8:30am Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 11:00am Arrival
- WN840 Honolulu (HNL) 8:30pm Departure → Kona (KOA) 9:25pm Arrival
- WN224 Kona (KOA) 10:00am Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 10:55am Arrival
- WN132 Honolulu (HNL) 3:30pm Departure → Oakland (OAK) 11:45pm Arrival
Sun Country: San Francisco to Honolulu (4x per week):
- SY797 San Francisco (SFO) 10:50am Departure → Honolulu (HNL) 1:20pm Arrival
- SY798 Honolulu (HNL) 2:50pm Departure → San Francisco (SFO) 10:59pm Arrival
Fly From Boston to Madrid on Norwegian Air (launched May 3)
Details — On May 3, Norwegian Air began offering nonstop service from Boston (BOS) to Madrid (MAD), giving travelers the chance to hop across the pond three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday aboard the carrier's 787 Dreamliner. Summer is a great time to visit Spain's vibrant capital city — just try not to make any of these silly tourist mistakes while you're there.
Schedule (3x per week):
- DY7754 Boston (BOS) 11:00pm Departure → Madrid (MAD) 11:30am (+1) Arrival
- DY7753 Madrid (MAD) 7:25pm Departure → Boston (BOS) 9:00pm Arrival
El Al Adds Nonstop Service From San Francisco to Tel Aviv (launched May 13)
Details — On May 13, El Al launched a new nonstop flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Tel Aviv (TLV), operating twice a week on Monday and Wednesday courtesy of the carrier's 787-9. The airline also announced this month that it would soon be launching a new mileage partnership with Alaska Airlines, allowing flyers to earn Alaska miles on El Al flights starting July 1, 2019. New routes to TLV from Las Vegas (LAS) and Chicago (ORD) are also on deck for June 2019 and 2020, so that's definitely something to keep an eye on as well.
Schedule (2x per week):
- LY20 San Francisco (SFO) 8:00pm Departure → Tel Aviv (TLV) 7:40pm (+1) Arrival
- LY19 Tel Aviv (TLV) 1:05am Departure → San Francisco (SFO) 6:00am Arrival
Alitalia Adds Flights From Washington, DC, to Rome (launched May 2)
Details — It's been an interesting month for Alitalia, which may soon be entering a joint venture with Delta, Air France and KLM to help the long-suffering airline stay alive. Its latest route between Washington, DC (IAD), and Rome (FCO), which launched May 2, operates five times per week on Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, letting travelers from the East Coast visit the Eternal City aboard the carrier's A330-200 aircraft.
Schedule (5x per week):
- AZ619 Washington, DC (IAD) 4:15pm Departure → Rome (FCO) 7:00am (+1) Arrival
- AZ618 Rome (FCO) 9:30am Departure → Washington, DC (IAD) 1:30pm Arrival
Delta Debuts Seasonal Flights to Lisbon and Edinburgh From Boston (launched May 23)
Details — Big news for those based in Boston (BOS): It's now easier than ever to fly to Edinburgh (EDI) and Lisbon (LIS) thanks to a pair of new routes launched by Delta on May 23. Both flights are operated by the carrier's 757 on a daily basis. Note that there do seem to be a few deviations in the schedule for the BOS–LIS option.
Boston to Edinburgh (daily):
- DL122 Boston (BOS) 9:56pm Departure → Edinburgh (EDI) 9:25am (+1) Arrival
- DL123 Edinburgh (EDI) 10:40am Departure → Boston (BOS) 12:52pm Arrival
Boston to Lisbon (daily, with slight deviations in flight times):
Saturday, Sunday and Monday:
- DL124 Boston (BOS) 8:07pm Departure → Lisbon (LIS) 7:45am (+1) Arrival
- DL125 Lisbon (LIS) 9:25am Departure → Boston (BOS) 12:16pm Arrival
Wednesday and Friday:
- DL124 Boston (BOS) 8:12pm Departure → Lisbon (LIS) 7:50am (+1) Arrival
- DL125 Lisbon (LIS) 9:35am Departure → Boston (BOS) 12:27pm Arrival
Tuesday:
- DL124 Boston (BOS) 7:08pm Departure → Lisbon (LIS) 6:55am (+1) Arrival
- DL125 Lisbon (LIS) 9:25am Departure → Boston (BOS) 12:16pm Arrival
Thursday:
- DL124 Boston (BOS) 7:00pm Departure → Lisbon (LIS) 6:40am (+1) Arrival
- DL125 Lisbon (LIS) 9:25am Departure → Boston (BOS) 12:16pm Arrival
New Flights to Frankfurt and Zurich on United, Lufthansa and Edelweiss Air (launched May 2, 3 and 22)
Details — Star Alliance fans take note: United, Lufthansa and Edelweiss Air all launched new routes between the US and Europe this month just in time for summer. United's new flight from Denver (DEN) to Frankfurt (FRA), launched May 2, runs daily year-round aboard the airline's 787. Lufthansa's new nonstop route from Austin (AUS) to FRA, launched May 3, operates all year long five times per week on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and is serviced by the carrier's A330-300. Affiliate Edelweiss Air's new seasonal link between DEN and Zurich (ZRH), launched May 22, runs twice per week on Monday and Friday, and uses the carrier's A340-300.
Lufthansa, Austin to Frankfurt (5x per week):
- LH469 Austin (AUS) 4:05pm Departure → Frankfurt (FRA) 9:10am (+1) Arrival
- LH468 Frankfurt (FRA) 10:05am Departure → Austin (AUS) 2:20pm Arrival
United, Denver to Frankfurt (daily):
- UA182 Denver (DEN) 3:45pm Departure → Frankfurt (FRA) 9:20am (+1) Arrival
- UA181 Frankfurt (FRA) 11:05am Departure → Denver (DEN) 1:20pm Arrival
Edelweiss, Denver to Zurich (2x per week):
- Denver (DEN) 10:00pm Departure → Zurich (ZRH) 3:50pm (+1) Arrival
- Zurich (ZRH) 5:15pm Departure → Denver (DEN) 8:30pm Arrival
More Flights to Europe and the Caribbean Available on American Airlines (launched May 3 and 4)
Details — American Airlines made news this month when it began several year-round and seasonal routes around the US, as well as two international flights from the US to Athens, Greece (ATH), and Santiago, Cuba (SCU). Other notable additions include new hops between Dallas (DFW) and Myrtle Beach (MYR), Washington, DC (DCA), to Melbourne, Florida (MLB), and a slew of new flights from New York (LGA) to Daytona Beach (DAB); Asheville, North Carolina (AVL); and Columbia, South Carolina (CAE), among others. While most of the new options are being operated on a daily, year-round basis, the few that feature seasonal or weekend-only service have been noted below.
Launched May 3, 2019 (daily year-round service, seasonal when noted):
- Chicago (ORD) – Athens (ATH); seasonal service
- Sonoma County (STS) – Los Angeles (LAX)
- Miami (MIA) – Santiago, Cuba (SCU)
- Dallas (DFW) – Myrtle Beach (MYR); seasonal service
- New York (LGA) – Columbia, SC (CAE)
- Raleigh-Durham (RDU) – Phoenix (PHX)
Launched May 4, 2019 (weekend service only):
- Washington, DC (DCA) – Melbourne, FL (MLB)
- New York (LGA) – Asheville, NC (AVL)
- New York (LGA) – Daytona Beach, FL (DAB)
United's New Seasonal Routes to Europe and the Caribbean (launched May 22)
Details — Travelers on the East Coast hoping to visit Europe and Israel this summer are in luck thanks to several new seasonal routes launched by United Airlines this month. Daily service from Newark (EWR) to Athens (ATH) and Naples (NAP) commenced May 22, as did new daily nonstop flights from Washington, DC (IAD), to Edinburgh (EDI) and Barcelona (BCN). Also new this month: twice-weekly service from IAD to Tel Aviv (TLV), which runs Sunday and Friday, and a daily nonstop seasonal flight to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands (STT) from Houston (IAH).
Newark to Athens (daily):
- UA124 Newark (EWR) 5:40pm Departure → Athens (ATH) 10:30am (+1) Arrival
- UA125 Athens (ATH) 12:15pm Departure → Newark (EWR) 4:20pm Arrival
Newark to Naples (daily):
- UA964 Newark (EWR) 5:30pm Departure → Naples (NAP) 8:10am (+1) Arrival
- UA965 Naples (NAP) 9:55am Departure → Newark (EWR) 2:05pm Arrival
Washington, DC, to Edinburgh (daily):
- UA146 Washington, DC (IAD) 10:25pm Departure → Edinburgh (EDI) 10:40am (+1) Arrival
- UA147 Edinburgh (EDI) 12:30pm Departure → Washington, DC (IAD) 3:30pm Arrival
Washington, DC to Barcelona (daily):
- UA140 Washington, DC (IAD) 5:45pm Departure → Barcelona (BCN) 7:45am (+1) Arrival
- UA141 Barcelona (BCN) 12:00pm Departure → Washington, DC (IAD) 3:05pm Arrival
Washington, DC to Tel Aviv (2x per week):
- UA72 Washington, DC (IAD) 10:30pm Departure → Tel Aviv (TLV) 4:30pm (+1) Arrival
- UA73 Tel Aviv (TLV) 12:20am Departure → Washington, DC (IAD) 5:50am Arrival
Houston to St. Thomas, USVI (daily):
- UA1123 Houston (IAH) 9:55am Departure → St. Thomas, USVI (STT) 3:40pm Arrival
- UA1124 St. Thomas, USVI (STT) 1:12pm Departure → Houston (IAH) 5:07pm Arrival
Spirit Airlines Debuts More Domestic Flights From Raleigh-Durham (launched May 2)
Details — Folks in the Raleigh-Durham (RDU) area, get ready to travel! Spirit Airlines launched seven daily routes from RDU on May 2, connecting the booming North Carolina metropolis to Baltimore (BWI) — you can expect twice-daily service on that one — Boston (BOS), Detroit (DTW), Orlando (MCO), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), New Orleans (MSY) and Chicago (ORD) all year long. New to Spirit Airlines? You might want to read this handy little primer before you fly.
Launched May 2, 2019 (daily, except where noted):
- Raleigh-Durham (RDU) – Baltimore (BWI); 2x daily service
- Raleigh-Durham (RDU) – Boston (BOS)
- Raleigh-Durham (RDU) – Detroit (DTW)
- Raleigh-Durham (RDU) – Orlando (MCO)
- Raleigh-Durham (RDU) – Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
- Raleigh-Durham (RDU) – New Orleans (MSY)
- Raleigh-Durham (RDU) – Chicago (ORD)
NEW ROUTES ANNOUNCED IN MAY 2019
Norwegian's New Link Between San Francisco and London
Details — Low-cost carrier Norwegian Air announced this month its plans for a new connection between San Francisco (SFO) and London's Gatwick Airport (LGW), which would operate four times a week on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday starting October 27. Note that Google Flights shows there are slight variations in the schedule on Sunday and Friday vs. Tuesday and Thursday, so plan accordingly.
Sunday and Friday:
- DY7174 San Francisco (SFO) 7:10pm Departure → London (LGW) 1:25pm (+1) Arrival
- DY7173 London (LGW) 2:20pm Departure → San Francisco (SFO) 5:20pm Arrival
Tuesday and Thursday:
- DY7174 San Francisco (SFO) 5:45pm Departure → London (LGW) 12:00pm (+1) Arrival
- DY7173 London (LGW) 12:55pm Departure → San Francisco (SFO) 3:55pm Arrival
Level to Launch Las Vegas to Paris Route This Fall
Details — As Audrey Hepburn once said, "Paris is always a good idea." So if you're on the West Coast, it's time to start planning your dream trip to the City of Light. Low-cost transatlantic carrier Level is slated to start twice-weekly service between Las Vegas (LAS) and Paris' Orly Airport (ORY) on October 30. The new flights will be operated by the carrier's A330-200 on Sundays and Wednesdays, so get packing!
Schedule (2x per week):
- LV8012 Las Vegas (LAS) 7:00pm Departure → Paris (ORY) 1:45pm (+1) Arrival
- LV8011 Paris (ORY) 2:15pm Departure → Las Vegas (LAS) 5:00pm Arrival
More Domestic and International Flights Coming Soon to American Airlines
Details — It's been a busy month for American Airlines, which announced a ton of new routes slated for September, November and December this year. Among the most notable are a second flight on Wednesdays from New York (JFK) to St. Kitts (SKB), twice-weekly seasonal service from Dallas (DFW) to Acapulco (ACA) and Huatulco (HUX) in Mexico and Saturday seasonal service from Chicago (ORD) to St. Lucia (UVF). The planned flights, listed below, are to be run year-round except where seasonal service has been noted, and will be operated by a mix of the airline's CRJ-200, E-140, 757, 737-800, CRJ-700, A319, E-145 and E-175 aircraft.
Launching September 4, 2019:
- Chicago (ORD) – Charleston, WV (CRW); daily; CRJ-200
- Phoenix (PHX) – Rapid City (RAP); daily; CRJ-200
Launching September 26, 2019:
- Dallas (DFW) – St. George, Utah (SGU); daily; CRJ-200
Launching November 21, 2019:
- New York (JFK) – Richmond, VA (RIC); 3x daily; E-140
Launching December 18, 2019:
- New York (JFK) – St. Kitts (SKB); Wednesday service; a 757 until February, then a 737-800
- Phoenix (PHX) – Chihuahua, Mexico (CUU); daily; CRJ-700
- Miami (MIA) – Columbia, South Carolina (CAE); daily; E-145
- Miami (MIA) – Oklahoma City (OKC); daily; E-175
Launching December 21, 2019:
- Dallas (DFW) – Acapulco, Mexico (ACA); 2x per week seasonal service on Tuesday and Saturday; E-175
- Dallas (DFW) – Huatulco, Mexico (HUX); 2x per week seasonal service on Tuesday and Saturday; E-175
- Charlotte (CLT) – Grenada (GND); Saturday service; A319
- Dallas (DFW) – St. Thomas, USVI (STT); Saturday service; 757
- New York (LGA) – Bermuda (BDA) Saturday service; 737
- Chicago (ORD) – St. Lucia (UVF); Saturday seasonal service; 737
- Chicago (ORD) – St. Thomas, USVI (STT); Saturday seasonal service; A319
- Philadelphia (PHL) – Vail/Eagle, Colorado (EGE); Saturday seasonal service; 757
Coming This Winter: New Flights From Boston to Miami on Delta
Details — Winter is coming, as they say, so what better way to sneak away from the soon-to-be frozen tundra of the north than with a trip to Miami (MIA)? Starting December 21, travelers in the Boston (BOS) area will be able to do just that thanks to an upcoming Delta route slated to run twice a day aboard the carrier's A320. Delta's also planning to increase service from the Northeast to warmer spots around Florida and the Caribbean just in case Miami isn't exactly your scene.
Schedule (2x daily service):
- DL1047 Boston (BOS) 7:00am Departure → Miami (MIA) 10:45am Arrival
- DL1047 Miami (MIA) 11:15am Departure → Boston (BOS) 2:45pm Arrival
- DL1002 Boston (BOS) 3:00pm Departure → Miami (MIA) 6:45pm Arrival
- DL1002 Miami (MIA) 7:30pm Departure → Boston (BOS) 11:00pm Arrival
China Southern Announces New Service Between New York City and Wuhan, China
Details — China Southern announced earlier this month that it would soon be offering nonstop service between New York (JFK) and Wuhan (WUH) in Central China, with flights expected to operate three times per week on Monday, Thursday and Saturday aboard the airline's 787-9. Note that while it's set to launch July 10, 2019, flights actually begin to appear on June 27, 2019 when you search for the new route on Google Flights.
Schedule (3x per week):
- CZ8420 New York (JFK) 3:20am Departure → Wuhan, China (WUH) 6:20am (+1) Arrival
- CZ8419 Wuhan, China (WUH) 8:00pm Departure → New York (JFK) 10:30pm Arrival
Which of these new routes are you most excited about?