Where will your next vacation take you? Passengers will soon have more options as air carriers have announced new routes from the U.S. to Cuba, Singapore and beyond.
Although 20 percent of air travel is completed on 300 “super routes” (flight paths that carry more than 1 million passengers annually) according to a 2011 study by Amadeus Air Traffic Travel Intelligence, there remains plenty of room for expansion in the friendly skies.
Not only does the introduction of new routes mean new vacation destinations, but it also opens some great opportunities to snatch up cheap seats. Most airlines offer deep discounts on inaugural flights to celebrate new routes. Subscribing to airline newsletters and loyalty programs, and following air carriers on social media, can help travelers learn about new routes and snap up great bargains.
Here are six new routes to keep on your radar.
Cuba
The U.S. Department of Transportation earlier this year approved six domestic airlines – American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, jetBlue Airways, Silver Airways, Southwest Airlines, and Sun Country Airlines – to begin scheduled flights between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Chicago, Philadelphia and Minneapolis/St. Paul and nine Cuban cities: Camagüey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo, Cienfuegos, Holguín, Manzanillo, Matanzas, Santa Clara and Santiago de Cuba. A decision on which airlines will be selected to fly to Havana, Cuba is expected later this year.
While this development brings travelers closer to a Cuba vacay, don’t pack your bags just yet.
“While the new arrangement reflects a major step forward in President Obama’s policy of engagement with Cuba, the Department recognizes that significant limitations and requirements remain in place concerning air transportation between Cuba and the United States. For example, travel for tourist activities remains prohibited by statute,” according to the DOT Cuba Non-Havana Fact Sheet. “This new arrangement will facilitate visits for travelers that fall under one of 12 categories authorized by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).”
Sun Country Airlines is working on its plans for beginning service from Minneapolis – St. Paul International Airport to Santa Clara, Cuba and Matanzas, Cuba.
“We have not yet announced a start date for our Cuba service as we are still working through the logistics regarding the limitations of our trade embargo with Cuba,” said Kelsey Dodson-Smith, Director of Marketing at Sun Country Airlines.
Silver Airways will be operating flights from Fort Lauderdale to all nine Cuban destinations beyond Havana. The first Silver Airways Cuba flights will be the route from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to Santa Clara, Cuba beginning Sept. 1, 2016, according to Misty Pinson, Director of Communications at Silver Airways.
Passengers who meet the criteria for traveling to Cuba can book flights on jetBlue from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to Santa Clara, Cuba beginning August 31, to Camaguey, Cuba beginning Nov. 3 and to Holguin, Cuba beginning Nov. 10, 2016.
Copenhagen, Denmark
It will soon be easier to jet off to the Danish capital to explore its beautiful canals, expansive Tivoli Gardens and sensational New Nordic Cuisine thanks to Norwegian Air. The budget airline has added new routes from Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York (John F. Kennedy International Airport), and Orlando, Fla. to Copenhagen, Denmark.
Glasgow, Scotland
Just weeks after Delta Air Lines started service between New York (John F. Kennedy International Airport) to Edinburgh, Scotland, the air carrier announced it will begin flying daily from New York (John F. Kennedy International Airport) to Glasgow, Scotland during the summer. The new route will commence May 25, 2017, making it the only non-stop flight between JFK and Glasgow. All flights on the 164-seat Boeing 757-200ER will be equipped with Wi-Fi and on-demand in-flight entertainment.
Guadeloupe
Travelers looking to expand their Caribbean options can consider Guadeloupe in the Leeward Islands. The pristine beaches of the French overseas territory in the southern Caribbean Sea are easier to access via Norwegian Air’s new weekly flights from Baltimore Washington International Airport, Boston’s Logan International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Guadeloupe’s Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport.
Singapore
Singapore Airlines has announced a new, daily non-stop flight from San Francisco, Calif. to Singapore beginning on October 23, 2016 on the Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The 8,450-mile route, which is approximately 16 hours (depending on the direction, season and weather), will be the longest flight in Singapore Airlines’ network until 2018, when a new ultra-long variant of the A350-900, the A350-900ULR, will enter service, enabling even longer flights between Singapore and the U.S. — Los Angeles and New York. The non-stop flights between Singapore and New York will serve to re-launch the world’s longest flight.
Taipei, Taiwan
EVA Air is launching non-stop flights from Chicago (Chicago O’Hare International Airport) to Taipei, Taiwan, beginning Nov. 3, 2016, making the Windy City the airline’s eighth gateway in North America. EVA Air already has more flights between North America and Taiwan than any other airline. The new service offers four flights each week on Boeing 777-300ER aircrafts equipped with Wi-Fi.
Which new route are you looking forward to most?
Main image: iStockphoto/kasto80
