Exciting New Airline Routes for December 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 DECEMBER 2018

Air India Introduces Nonstop Flights Between New York and Mumbai (launched December 7)

Details — It took roughly eight years, but it looks like Air India is finally operating a nonstop flight from New York (JFK) to Mumbai (BOM) again. The new route runs three times a week on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday and is serviced by the carrier’s 777-300ER aircraft, making that dream trip to India even closer for those on the East Coast.

Schedule (3x per week):

• AI106 New York (JFK) 11:05am Departure → Mumbai (BOM) 12:10pm (+1) Arrival
• AI105 Mumbai (BOM) 1:00am Departure → New York (JFK) 6:55am Arrival

Spirit Airlines Adds Seasonal Service Between South Florida and Philadelphia (launched December 13 and 14)

Details — If you’ve been thinking of taking a trip to the City of Brotherly Love — or escaping from the cold Northeast winter to sunny South Florida — this one’s for you. Spirit Airlines recently launched seasonal service between Fort Myers (RSW), Tampa (TPA) and Philadelphia (PHL), with flights from RSW to PHL operating three times per week on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, and those from Tampa (TPA) operating four times per week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Fort Myers to Philadelphia (3x per week):

• NK1430 Southwest Florida (RSW) 2:40pm Departure → Philadelphia (PHL) 5:15pm Arrival
• NK1435 Philadelphia (PHL) 10:55am Departure → Southwest Florida (RSW) 1:51pm Arrival

Tampa to Philadelphia (4x per week):

• NK1246 Tampa (TPA) 2:42pm Departure → Philadelphia (PHL) 5:08pm Arrival
• NK1243 Philadelphia (PHL) 10:55am Departure → Tampa (TPA) 1:40pm Arrival

Frontier Airlines Adds Four New Routes From Florida (launched December 6 and 10)

Details — Another budget-friendly carrier, Frontier Airlines, launched four new routes this month aimed at connecting the Northeast with the Southeast, with a new hop between Orlando (MCO) and Portsmouth (PSM), New Hampshire, and links from Sarasota (SRQ) to Atlanta (ATL), Cleveland (CLE) and Philadelphia (PHL). The MCO–PSM route runs three times a week on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, while the SRQ–ATL route is operated three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The SRQ–CLE route is available twice a week on Monday and Friday, with the SRQ–PHL route running twice a week on Monday and Friday. Note that the MCO–PSM, SRQ–ATL and SRQ-PHL routes are serviced by A320s, while the SRQ–CLE route uses an A321.

Orlando to Portsmouth, NH (3x per week):

• F91178 Orlando (MCO) 9:07am Departure → Portsmouth (PSM) 12:11pm Arrival
• F91179 Portsmouth (PSM) 1:01pm Departure → Orlando (MCO) 4:35pm Arrival

Sarasota to Atlanta (3x per week):

• F92001 Sarasota (SRQ) 10:15am Departure → Atlanta (ATL) 11:55am Arrival
• F92000 Atlanta (ATL) 8:00am Departure → 9:30am Sarasota (SRQ) Arrival

Sarasota to Cleveland (2x per week):

• F92015 Sarasota (SRQ) 4:30pm Departure → Cleveland (CLE) 6:59pm Arrival
• F92431 Cleveland (CLE) 12:59pm Departure → Sarasota (SRQ) 3:35pm Arrival

Sarasota to Philadelphia (2x per week): 

• F92370 Sarasota (SRQ) 8:33pm Departure → Philadelphia (PHL) 11:08pm Arrival
• F92371 Philadelphia (PHL) 4:47pm Departure → Sarasota (SRQ) 7:48pm Arrival

NEW ROUTES ANNOUNCED IN DECEMBER 2018

Air Italy Announces Flights to Milan From Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco

Details — Air Italy has been having a busy month as well, announcing plans for three new routes from the US to Milan (MXP) set to start this spring. Flights from Chicago (ORD) will begin May 14, operating three times per week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, while the routes from Los Angeles (LAX), starting April 3, and San Francisco (SFO), starting April 10, will operate 4x per week (on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and 4x per week on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, respectively. All three flights will be aboard the carrier’s A330 aircraft.

Chicago to Milan (3x per week):

• IG914 Chicago (ORD) 6:25pm Departure → Milan (MXP) 10:35am (+1) Arrival
• IG913 Milan (MXP) 1:10pm Departure → Chicago (ORD) 4:25pm Arrival

Los Angeles to Milan (4x per week):

• IG944 Los Angeles (LAX) 6:50pm Departure → Milan (MXP) 3:55pm (+1) Arrival
• IG943 Milan (MXP) 1:00pm Departure → Los Angeles (LAX) 4:50pm Arrival

San Francisco to Milan (4x per week):

• IG938 San Francisco (SFO) 7:10pm Departure → Milan (MXP) 4:05pm (+1) Arrival
• IG937 Milan (MXP) 1:35pm Departure → San Francisco (SFO) 5:10pm Arrival

El Al to Fly Between Las Vegas and Tel Aviv Starting June 2019

Details — El Al has been doing a good job of expanding its network lately, with this month’s announcement of a new Dreamliner route slated for June 2019 that’ll connect Las Vegas (LAS) and Tel Aviv (TLV). While it isn’t currently showing on Google Flights or El Al’s website, The Points Guy did manage to get the inside scoop on the carrier’s plans for the new route, which you can read more about here. Here’s a sneak peek, below.

Schedule (1x per week as of June 14, 2019):

• Friday: Tel Aviv (TLV) 7:00am Departure → Las Vegas (LAS) 11:15am Arrival
• Saturday: Las Vegas (LAS) 11:45pm Departure → Tel Aviv (TLV) 10:15pm (+1) Arrival

United Announces New Domestic and International Routes

Details — It’s been a busy month for United Airlines, which not only announced a significant expansion at its San Francisco (SFO) hub, but also added 11 new regional routes including new flights from Chicago (ORD), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX) and Washington, DC (IAD) that will be operated by a mix of CRJ-200, CRJ-700 and Embraer 175 aircraft. The new SFO–MEL, SFO–DEL, SFO–AMS, SFO–PPT routes will be serviced by 787-9s, while the SFO-YYZ route will use a 737-800 and the SFO–ICN and SFO–AKL flights will be aboard 777-200ERs.

Upcoming Flights From San Francisco (SFO): 

• San Francisco (SFO) — Melbourne (MEL); 3x per week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday as of October 29
• San Francisco (SFO) — Amsterdam (AMS); daily service as of March 30
• San Francisco (SFO) — New Delhi (DEL); daily seasonal service as of December 5
• San Francisco (SFO) — Seoul (ICN); 4x per week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday as of April 1
• San Francisco (SFO) — Toronto (YYZ); twice-daily service as of March 31
• San Francisco (SFO) — Tahiti (PPT); year-round service 3x per week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday as of March 30
• San Francisco (SFO) — Auckland (AKL); 3x per week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday as of March 30

Flights From Chicago (ORD) Starting in June 2019:

• Chicago (ORD) — Destin, Florida (VPS); 2x per week on Saturday and Sunday
• Chicago (ORD) — Durango, Colorado (DRO); Saturday service
• Chicago (ORD) — Panama City Beach (ECP); 2x per week on Saturday and Sunday
• Chicago (ORD) — Grand Junction, Colorado (GJT); Saturday service
• Chicago (ORD) — Eugene (EUG); daily service
• Chicago (ORD) — Halifax, Nova Scotia (YHZ); daily summer service
• Chicago (ORD) — Redmond (RDM); daily summer service

Flights From Houston (IAH) Starting in June 2019:

• Houston (IAH) — Durango (DRO); Saturday service
• Houston (IAH) — Ontario, CA (ONT); daily service

Flights From Los Angeles (LAX) Starting in June 2019:

Los Angeles (LAX) — Stockton (SCK); twice-daily service

Flights From Washington, DC (IAD) Starting in June 2019:

Washington, DC (IAD) — Traverse City (TVC); Saturday service

Sun Country Airlines to Fly Nonstop Between Dallas and Palm Springs

Details — Beginning February 6, 2019, folks in Dallas (DFW) will be able to fly nonstop to Palm Springs (PSP) — home to an incredible amount of golf courses, Joshua Tree National Park and Coachella — thanks to a new route by Sun Country Airlines. Twice-weekly service, available on Wednesday and Saturday, will be aboard the carrier’s 737 aircraft.

Schedule (2x per week on Wednesday and Saturday): 

• SY619 Dallas (DFW) 2:30pm Departure → Palm Springs (PSP) 3:20pm Arrival
• SY620 Palm Springs (PSP) 4:20pm Departure → Dallas (DFW) 9:05pm Arrival

Domestic and International Flights Coming Soon to American Airlines

Details — Not to be outdone by its domestic competitor, American Airlines announced a slew of new domestic and international routes being planned for next year. On the international front, the carrier is adding two more flights from Dallas (DFW) to Paris (CDG) and Madrid (MAD) from June 6 to October 27 of next year, both of which will be serviced by 787-9 aircraft. Domestically, you can expect to see new service — operated by a mix of A319, A320, CRJ-700 and Embraer 175 and 145 aircraft — from Dallas (DFW), Washington DC (DCA), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (LGA), Chicago (ORD), Philadelphia (PHL) and Phoenix (PHX) to a number of new cities listed below.

Second daily service from June 6 to October 27:

Dallas (DFW) — Paris (CDG)

• AA22 Dallas (DFW) 8:30pm Departure → Paris (CDG) 12:45pm (+1) Arrival
• AA23 Paris (CDG) 3:25pm Departure → Dallas (DFW) 6:50pm Arrival

Dallas (DFW) — Madrid (MAD)

• AA156 Dallas (DFW) 8:50pm Departure → Madrid (MAD) 1:05pm (+1) Arrival
• AA157 Madrid (MAD) 4:55pm Departure → Dallas (DFW) 8:20pm Arrival

Additional Domestic Routes Slated for Next Year:

• Dallas (DFW) — San Luis Obispo, California (SBP); daily service as of April 2
• Dallas (DFW) — Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (MYR); summer daily service as of May 3
• Dallas (DFW) — Kalispell, Montana (FCA); summer daily service as of June 6
• Dallas (DFW) — Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (MDT); daily service as of June 6
• Dallas (DFW) — Santa Rosa, California (STS); summer/autumn daily service as of June 6
• Washington, DC (DCA) — Melbourne, Florida (MLB); summer service 2x per week on Saturday and Sunday as of May 4
• Los Angeles (LAX) — Santa Rosa, California (STS); summer daily service as of May 3
• Los Angeles (LAX) — Kalispell, Montana (FCA); summer daily service as of June 6
• New York (LGA) — Columbia, South Carolina (CAE); daily service as of May 3
• New York (LGA) — Asheville, North Carolina (AVL); summer service 2x per week on Saturday and Sunday as of May 4
• New York (LGA) — Daytona Beach, Florida (DAB); summer service 2x per week on Saturday and Sunday as of May 4
• New York (LGA) — Jackson, Wyoming (JAC); summer Saturday service as of June 8
• New York (LGA) — Halifax, Nova Scotia (YHZ); summer Saturday service as of June 15
• Chicago (ORD) — Manchester, New Hampshire (MHT); daily service as of June 6
• Chicago (ORD) — Kalispell, Montana (FCA); summer daily service as of June 6
• Chicago (ORD) — Durango, Colorado (DRO); summer Saturday service as of June 8
• Philadelphia (PHL) — Halifax, Nova Scotia (YHZ); summer daily service as of June 13
• Phoenix (PHX) — Raleigh (RDU); daily service as of May 3

TAP Air Portugal’s Adding Flights From San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, DC, to Lisbon

Details — TAP Air Portugal recently released plans for three new routes between the US and Lisbon (LIS), perhaps one of the most underrated cities in Europe, just in time for summer 2019. Flights from San Francisco (SFO) will begin June 10 and operate five times per week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Service from Washington, DC (IAD) will begin on June 16, operating five times per week on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, while a new route from Chicago (ORD) will begin on June 1, operating five times per week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Best of all, the new flights will be operated by the carrier’s shiny new A330neo aircraft.

San Francisco to Lisbon (5x per week):

• TP236 San Francisco (SFO) 4:10pm Departure → Lisbon (LIS) 11:25am (+1) Arrival
• TP237 Lisbon (LIS) 10:00am Departure → San Francisco (SFO) 2:40pm Arrival

Chicago to Lisbon (5x per week):

• TP228 Chicago (ORD) 6:05pm Departure → Lisbon (LIS) 7:50am (+1) Arrival
• TP229 Lisbon (LIS) 1:05pm Departure → Chicago (ORD) 4:05pm Arrival

Washington, DC, to Lisbon (5x per week):

• TP232 Washington, DC (IAD) 10:40pm Departure → Lisbon (LIS) 10:50am (+1) Arrival
• TP231 Lisbon (LIS) 4:30pm Departure → Washington, DC (IAD) 7:40pm Arrival

Delta to Debut More Routes from Boston in Spring 2019

Details — Travelers in the Boston (BOS) area will soon find it easier to fly nonstop to cities like Amsterdam (AMS), Seoul (ICN), Edinburgh (EDI) and Lisbon (LIS), among others, come spring 2019, when Delta debuts 14 new international and domestic routes. Note that the new flights will be operated by a variety of Delta aircraft, while the BOS–AMS flight will be operated by KLM and the BOS–LHR route will be operated by Virgin Atlantic — Delta-operated flights between the two cities will be serviced by an updated A330 — and the BOS–ICN flight will be operated by Korean Air.

New Flights From Boston (BOS) in 2019:

• Boston (BOS) — Amsterdam (AMS); daily service as of March 31
• Boston (BOS) — London (LHR); additional daily flight as of April 1
• Boston (BOS) — Cleveland (CLE); 3x daily service as of April 1
• Boston (BOS) — Pittsburgh (PIT); additional service as of April 2
• Boston (BOS) — Seoul (ICN); 5x per week as of April 12
• Boston (BOS) — Jacksonville, Florida (JAX); additional service as of April 14
• Boston (BOS) — Nashville (BNA); additional service as of April 15
• Boston (BOS) — Edinburgh (EDI); seasonal daily service as of May 23
• Boston (BOS) — Lisbon (LIS); seasonal daily service as of May 23
• Boston (BOS) — Indianapolis (IND); additional service as of June 8
• Boston (BOS) — Philadelphia (PHL); additional service as of June 8
• Boston (BOS) — Chicago (ORD); 5x daily service as of September 8
• Boston (BOS) — Newark (EWR); 4x daily service as of September 9
• Boston (BOS) — Washington, DC (DCA); 6x daily service as of September 8

New Service Between Minneapolis and Mexico City on Delta Starting in June 2019

Details — If you’ve been looking for an excuse to plan a summertime trip south of the border, this is it. Starting June 8, 2019, folks in Minneapolis (MSP) will be able to fly nonstop to Mexico City (MEX) thanks to a new route brought to you by Delta in partnership with Aeromexico. Daily service will be operated by the carrier’s A319, ensuring you arrive in style and ready for all that rich Mexican art, culture and food you’ve been hearing about.

Schedule (daily): 

• AM3981 Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) 8:50am Departure → Mexico City (MEX) 1:01pm Arrival
• AM3980 Mexico City (MEX) 2:00pm Departure → Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) 6:14pm Arrival

Which of these new routes are you most excited about?

Featured photo of Tel Aviv, Israel, by Danor_a / Getty Images.