Already skipping the sultry days of the U.S. summer and moving ahead to the 2025 sun-seeking period, American Airlines (AAL) just announced a new route to Honolulu from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
The flight that the airline ran throughout the 2010s but discontinued during the pandemic will be brought back on the larger Boeing 787-8 (BA) plane from October 26. The Fort Worth-based airline is advertising the new route as a way to “help Chicagoans escape the cold.”
Stay ahead of the markets: Subscribe to TheStreet’s free daily newsletter
The new flight to Honolulu will fly 11 times a week (double on popular days)
The same route is already flown by Chicago-based competitor United Airlines (UAL) 11 times weekly — every day with double service on an afternoon flight from Chicago to Honolulu on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
Delta (DAL) does not fly to Hawaii from the city but has other routes to Honolulu from cities like New York, Atlanta, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City.
The new route edges into United’s territory in particular, as its base in Chicago makes it the primary carrier that flies from the city, but Chicago-Honolulu is generally a popular route that is also served by carriers like Alaska Airlines (ALK) and Southwest (LUV) .
More on travel:
Another National Park just made it more difficult for you to visitAnother airline strands passengers as it files bankruptcyThe Airbnb/hotel debate is getting very tiresome
“O’Hare has always been a vital hub for American, connecting the Midwest to our global network and bringing travelers from across the world to Chicago for business and pleasure,” American’s Vice President of Operations at ORD Ben Humphrey said in a statement. “Strengthening our network is a promise to our customers that we’ll continue to provide exceptional service to the places they want to go.”
Honolulu is a popular holiday destination both for its sunny beaches and blend of Polynesian, American and Asian cultures.
Shutterstock
These are the flashy international routes also announced by American
Taking over nine hours nonstop, the flight to Honolulu from the Midwestern capital is a long one by domestic standards. American has not yet announced frequencies and times of the flight launching in October, but Ishrion Aviation reported that it is likely to run daily.
Once launched, Chicago-Honolulu would also be the longest domestic route offered by American.
In the same announcement, American also revealed that it will start running a spate of other flights from O’Hare: domestic routes to Boise in Idaho and Bismarck in North Dakota as well as flashy international flights to Madrid, Naples and Halifax in Canada.
The Naples flight, in particular, is being positioned as a way to serve the increasing number of Americans interested in going to the Amalfi Coast. The Madrid and Naples flights will also run on the Boeing 787-8, which are 186 feet long and have capacity to seat up to 248 passengers.
The newer planes are also equipped to have a larger number of business and premium economy seats; according to American, the new routes will increase the number of its premium economy capacity by 40% from the summer of 2024.
The Madrid flight will launch on March 30 while the Naples one will start running on May 6; both are seasonal and will be retired for the colder months come October.
United has not commented on American’s moves to expand out into its core market in Chicago.
Related: Veteran fund manager issues dire S&P 500 warning for 2025
