The Most Exciting New Airline Routes Coming in 2018
Each new year is a new opportunity — to go somewhere new.
In 2018, the world will continue getting smaller as international airlines continue to add service around the globe. Within a year, it will be possible to fly directly from Nashville to London, from Houston to Sydney, and a whole lot more — for cheap.
Here’s where you could be flying nonstop next year.
New Routes in the U.S.
United Airlines will launch 10 new domestic routes next year. Starting in April, passengers will be able to fly from Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York–Newark and Washington-Dulles to 10 new destinations, including El Paso, Texas; Jacksonville, Florida; and Missoula, Montana.
American Airlines will also launch 10 new routes in the new year, including service from Chicago to Bangor, Charleston, and Myrtle Beach; Dallas-Fort Worth to Asheville and Oakland; Los Angeles to Bozeman and Flagstaff; Phoenix to Amarillo and Oklahoma City; and New York to Traverse City and Portland, Maine. The new routes will also begin service in April.
Delta will begin offering direct flights from San Jose, California to New York-JFK beginning June 8, 2018.
Canada
American Airlines will offer daily service from Chicago O’Hare to Vancouver in May and to Calgary in June.
With Air Canada, passengers can travel direct from Montreal to Baltimore or Pittsburgh; Edmonton to San Francisco; Toronto to Omaha and Providence; and Vancouver to Sacramento — all beginning service in May.
Europe
Nashville, America’s music city, will get its first nonstop connection to Europe next year when British Airways starts offering service to London-Heathrow. The flight will operate five times a week, starting May 4. British Airways will also offer service from London Gatwick to Las Vegas three times a week, beginning March 27.
United will expand its offerings from both coasts to Europe. Passengers from Newark will be able to hop on flights to Porto, Portugal and Reykjavik, Iceland, beginning in May 2018. The airline will also start service from Washington Dulles to Edinburgh that month, and San Francisco to Zurich in June.
Passengers in Dallas will be able to board flights to Reykjavik starting June 7. Daily seasonal service will last until October 26.
American Airlines will begin seasonal service from Chicago to Venice, starting May 4. The airline will also add flights from Philadelphia to Budapest and Prague for the summer season.
Aer Lingus will begin flying from Dublin to Philadelphia on March 25 and to Seattle on May 18. Air France will offer direct flights between Paris and Seattle starting March 25.
Passengers in Los Angeles will have Delta flights to Paris and Amsterdam, beginning June 16. New Yorkers will get flights to the Portuguese island of Azores, beginning May 25. And in Atlanta, Delta will offer daily seasonal service to Lisbon from May 24 through September 4.
Spain’s flagship airline, Iberia, will offer three times weekly service between San Francisco and Madrid, starting April 25. The seasonal service will last through September.
Africa
Delta will offer flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria. The airline will provide service three times a week from March 24.
Long-haul
United will begin operating one of the longest flights in the world in January when it starts daily service from Houston to Sydney. The 8,590-mile flight will last approximately 17 hours and 30 minutes.
Starting March 2018, Hong Kong Airlines will start launching direct flights to San Francisco and New York City.
Qatar Airways announced its intentions to fly from Doha to San Francisco at some point in 2018, although the exact date has not yet been determined. The airline also plans to begin service from Doha to Las Vegas in June.
Budget
Spirit Airlines in beginning an aggressive American expansion with 11 new routes. Beginning April 12, the budget airline will begin daily seasonal service from Seattle to Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, and Minneapolis-St. Paul airports. The airline will also start flights from Detroit to San Diego and Portland, Oregon, on April 23; Baltimore to Denver and Montego Bay, Jamaica on March 22; Tampa to Las Vegas and Los Angeles and Orlando to Las Vegas on April 12.
And transatlantic flights are likely to continue to get cheaper, as well. Budget airline LEVEL will introduce flights between Newark and Paris’s Orly airports, starting September 4. Airfare will start as low as $148 each way. Nordic budget airline Primera Air will also compete on this route, offering service from New York City and Boston to the U.K. (London and Birmingham) and Paris from $99, starting in April.
The low-cost competitor Norwegian Air will continue its transatlantic expansion, offering service from Rome to Oakland, California starting February 6. Fares start from $229 one-way.
Each new year is a new opportunity — to go somewhere new.
In 2018, the world will continue getting smaller as international airlines continue to add service around the globe. Within a year, it will be possible to fly directly from Nashville to London, from Houston to Sydney, and a whole lot more — for cheap.
Here’s where you could be flying nonstop next year.
New Routes in the U.S.
United Airlines will launch 10 new domestic routes next year. Starting in April, passengers will be able to fly from Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York–Newark and Washington-Dulles to 10 new destinations, including El Paso, Texas; Jacksonville, Florida; and Missoula, Montana.
American Airlines will also launch 10 new routes in the new year, including service from Chicago to Bangor, Charleston, and Myrtle Beach; Dallas-Fort Worth to Asheville and Oakland; Los Angeles to Bozeman and Flagstaff; Phoenix to Amarillo and Oklahoma City; and New York to Traverse City and Portland, Maine. The new routes will also begin service in April.
Delta will begin offering direct flights from San Jose, California to New York-JFK beginning June 8, 2018.
Canada
American Airlines will offer daily service from Chicago O’Hare to Vancouver in May and to Calgary in June.
With Air Canada, passengers can travel direct from Montreal to Baltimore or Pittsburgh; Edmonton to San Francisco; Toronto to Omaha and Providence; and Vancouver to Sacramento — all beginning service in May.
Europe
Nashville, America’s music city, will get its first nonstop connection to Europe next year when British Airways starts offering service to London-Heathrow. The flight will operate five times a week, starting May 4. British Airways will also offer service from London Gatwick to Las Vegas three times a week, beginning March 27.
United will expand its offerings from both coasts to Europe. Passengers from Newark will be able to hop on flights to Porto, Portugal and Reykjavik, Iceland, beginning in May 2018. The airline will also start service from Washington Dulles to Edinburgh that month, and San Francisco to Zurich in June.
Passengers in Dallas will be able to board flights to Reykjavik starting June 7. Daily seasonal service will last until October 26.
American Airlines will begin seasonal service from Chicago to Venice, starting May 4. The airline will also add flights from Philadelphia to Budapest and Prague for the summer season.
Aer Lingus will begin flying from Dublin to Philadelphia on March 25 and to Seattle on May 18. Air France will offer direct flights between Paris and Seattle starting March 25.
Passengers in Los Angeles will have Delta flights to Paris and Amsterdam, beginning June 16. New Yorkers will get flights to the Portuguese island of Azores, beginning May 25. And in Atlanta, Delta will offer daily seasonal service to Lisbon from May 24 through September 4.
Spain’s flagship airline, Iberia, will offer three times weekly service between San Francisco and Madrid, starting April 25. The seasonal service will last through September.
Africa
Delta will offer flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria. The airline will provide service three times a week from March 24.
Long-haul
United will begin operating one of the longest flights in the world in January when it starts daily service from Houston to Sydney. The 8,590-mile flight will last approximately 17 hours and 30 minutes.
Starting March 2018, Hong Kong Airlines will start launching direct flights to San Francisco and New York City.
Qatar Airways announced its intentions to fly from Doha to San Francisco at some point in 2018, although the exact date has not yet been determined. The airline also plans to begin service from Doha to Las Vegas in June.
Budget
Spirit Airlines in beginning an aggressive American expansion with 11 new routes. Beginning April 12, the budget airline will begin daily seasonal service from Seattle to Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, and Minneapolis-St. Paul airports. The airline will also start flights from Detroit to San Diego and Portland, Oregon, on April 23; Baltimore to Denver and Montego Bay, Jamaica on March 22; Tampa to Las Vegas and Los Angeles and Orlando to Las Vegas on April 12.
And transatlantic flights are likely to continue to get cheaper, as well. Budget airline LEVEL will introduce flights between Newark and Paris’s Orly airports, starting September 4. Airfare will start as low as $148 each way. Nordic budget airline Primera Air will also compete on this route, offering service from New York City and Boston to the U.K. (London and Birmingham) and Paris from $99, starting in April.
The low-cost competitor Norwegian Air will continue its transatlantic expansion, offering service from Rome to Oakland, California starting February 6. Fares start from $229 one-way.