This week, American and United unveiled their summer 2027 schedules — both are doubling down on the competitive transatlantic market and the Airbus A321XLR.
American will be operating one of the longest routes with the aircraft from Philadelphia to Austria. The carrier will also fly to Reykjavik and Porto from its Philadelphia hub next summer. American is adding an Amsterdam route and expanding flying to London from New York’s JFK. And Charlotte will be getting flights to Barcelona.
For United, quirkier, off-the-beaten path destinations have become a central part of its strategy to attract premium customers. United is planning to fly to Ibiza, Spain; Valencia, Spain; Terceira, Portugal; Marseille, France; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Olbia, Sardinia; and Catania, Sicily out of its Newark hub. United is also flying to Okinawa, Japan from San Francisco and Toulouse, France from Washington Dulles.
A decent chunk of these routes will be operated on the A321XLR, which executives at both carriers have said will open up even more of the transatlantic market. The transatlantic market has become increasingly competitive as demand for international travel soars, forcing airlines to think of routes beyond London, Paris, and Rome.
Skift Aviation Forum
The A321XLR is rewriting which transatlantic routes pencil out, and the executives making those bets are the ones setting next year's map.
On November 12 at the TWA Hotel, JFK, the CEOs of IAG, Breeze Airways, and Embraer Commercial Aviation join the leaders of LA World Airports and the AFA-CWA to work through profitability, capacity, and where premium demand goes next.
A direct booking does not always create a direct relationship. See how verified identity can help airlines build more lasting loyalty.
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SKIFT PODCAST NETWORK
Ahead of the Skift Global Forum, the Airline Weekly Lounge podcast discusses what to expect to hear from Qatar Airways’ new CEO Hamad Ali Al-Khater. In part two, the conversation focuses on Kuwait-based Jazeera Airways’ impressive second quarter.
