Airline Snapshot: New Routes for 2012
A new year brings new flight routes, and in 2012 the trend is toward expanding hub strongholds and boosting connecting service. For instance, Delta has announced dozens of new flights from New York, and US Airways is strengthening its Washington, D.C., presence.
Airlines in transition—whether that means mergers like United-Continental or bankruptcy protection like American—have generally committed to fewer routes so far for the year. However, since new service is rolled out regularly, expect more announcements throughout 2012. Travelers looking for good value should take note of new routes, since the increase in flight options often leads to stiffer competition—and better prices.
We've divided the new routes by region and covered the domestic and international carriers whose sales we monitor. We've also omitted seasonal service and increased frequencies on routes airlines are already flying.
Domestic
AirTran (all starting on June 3)
Denver-Akron/Canton
Denver-Dayton
Denver-New York/LaGuardia
Baltimore-Los Angeles
Baltimore-New Orleans
Baltimore-Seattle
Baltimore-San Francisco
Orange County-Las Vegas
Orange County-San Francisco
Alaska
San Jose-Palm Springs starting February 17
Seattle-Kansas City starting March 12
Portland, OR-Long Beach starting March 12
Oakland-Honolulu starting April 10
San Jose-Honolulu starting April 10
American
Chicago-Sioux City in spring
Chicago-Ft. Lauderdale starting February 9
Delta
New York/JFK-Austin in June
New York/JFK-Jacksonville in June
New York/JFK-Kansas City in June
New York/JFK-Los Angeles in June
New York/JFK-New Orleans in June
New York/JFK-Milwaukee in June
New York/JFK-San Francisco in June
New York/LaGuardia-Albany, NY, starting March 25
New York/LaGuardia-Buffalo starting March 25
New York/LaGuardia-Burlington, VT, starting March 25
New York/LaGuardia-Dayton starting March 25
New York/LaGuardia-Dallas starting March 25
New York/LaGuardia-Greensboro, NC, starting March 25
New York/LaGuardia-Manchester, NH, starting March 25
New York/LaGuardia-Miami starting March 25
New York/LaGuardia-Norfolk, VA, starting March 25
New York/LaGuardia-Richmond, VA, starting March 25
New York/LaGuardia-Rochester, NY, starting March 25
New York/LaGuardia-Ft. Myers starting March 25
New York/LaGuardia-Louisville starting March 25
New York/LaGuardia-Syracuse starting March 25
New York/LaGuardia-Bangor, ME, starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Columbia, SC, starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Charlottesville, VA, starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Denver starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Greenville, SC, starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Houston starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Indianapolis starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Jacksonville starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Kansas City starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Milwaukee starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Minneapolis starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Myrtle Beach starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Nashville starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Philadelphia starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Pittsburgh starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Portland, ME, starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Raleigh starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Roanoke, VA, starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-St. Louis starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Washington/Dulles starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Wilmington, NC, starting July 11
Frontier
Grand Rapids-Washington/Reagan starting January 4
Madison-Washington/National starting January 5
Hawaiian
New York/JFK-Honolulu starting June 4
JetBlue
Hartford, CT-West Palm Beach, FL, starting January 12
Boston-Dallas starting May 1
Southwest
Denver-Providence starting January 7
Ft. Lauderdale-Manchester, NH, starting January 7
Ft. Lauderdale-Milwaukee starting January 7
Nashville-Ft. Myers starting January 7
Atlanta-Austin starting February 12
Atlanta-Baltimore starting February 12
Atlanta-Denver starting February 12
Atlanta-Houston starting February 12
Atlanta-Chicago/Midway starting February 12
Long Island/Islip-Ft. Myers starting February 12
Atlanta-Las Vegas starting March 10
Atlanta-Phoenix starting March 10
Chicago-Oklahoma City starting June 3
Houston-Kansas City starting June 3
Houston-Raleigh starting June 3
Houston-Seattle starting June 3
Spirit
Dallas-Atlanta starting February 9
Dallas-New York/LaGuardia starting February 9
Phoenix/Mesa-Las Vegas starting February 9
Dallas-Boston starting March 22
Dallas-Orlando starting March 22
Phoenix/Mesa-Dallas starting March 22
Phoenix/Mesa-Ft. Lauderdale starting March 22
US Airways
Charlotte-Salt Lake City starting March 4
Phoenix-New York/LaGuardia starting March 10
Washington/Reagan-Birmingham, AL, starting March 25
Washington/Reagan-Fayetteville, NC, starting March 25
Washington/Reagan-Islip, NY, starting March 25
Washington/Reagan-Little Rock, AR, starting March 25
Washington/Reagan-Jacksonville, NC, starting March 25
Washington/Reagan-Pensacola starting March 25
Washington/Reagan-Tallahassee starting March 25
Washington/Reagan-Ft. Walton Beach starting March 25
Washington/Reagan-Memphis starting March 25
Washington/Reagan-Omaha starting March 25
Canada/Caribbean/Mexico
AirTran
San Antonio-Mexico City starting May 24 (pending government approval)
San Antonio-Cancun starting May 24 (pending government approval)
Orange County-Mexico City starting June 3 (pending government approval)
Orange County-Cancun starting June 3 (pending government approval)
Ft. Lauderdale-San Juan, PR, starting May 24
American
Chicago-Waterloo, Ontario, starting June 14
Delta
New York/JFK-Santo Domingo, DR, in March
New York/JFK-Santiago, DR, in March
New York/JFK-San Juan, PR, in March
New York/LaGuardia-Nassau, Bahamas, starting March 25
New York/LaGuardia-Halifax, NS, starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Ottawa, ON, starting July 11
New York/LaGuardia-Montreal, QC, starting July 11
Frontier
St. Louis-Cancun starting February 1
JetBlue
Hartford, CT-San Juan, PR, starting January 5
Newark-San Juan, PR, starting April 25
Ft. Lauderdale-Kingston, Jamaica, starting April 30
West Palm Beach-San Juan, PR, starting May 15
United/Continental
Los Angeles-Durango, MX, starting in March (pending government approval)
US Airways
Washington Reagan-Ottawa, ON, starting March 25
Europe
Air Berlin
Las Vegas-Dusseldorf, Germany, starting May 10
Los Angeles-Berlin, Germany, in May
Air France
Los Angeles-Paris A380 service starting May 28
United/Continental
Washington/Dulles-Manchester, England, in May
Washington/Dulles-Dublin, Ireland, in June (pending government approval)
Central and South America
Delta
Minneapolis-Liberia, Costa Rica, in January
United
Newark-Buenos Aires starting in April
Asia/Africa/Middle East
ANA
Seattle-Tokyo/Narita in 2012
San Jose-Tokyo/Narita in 2012
Emirates
Dallas-Dubai starting February 2
Seattle-Dubai starting March 1
Hawaiian Airlines
Honolulu-Fukuoka, Japan, starting April 17
Japan Airlines
Boston-Tokyo/Narita starting April 22
United/Continental
Washington Dulles-Doha, Qatar, starting in May (pending government approval)
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