American Airlines routes from Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C., will soon change dramatically. Some will see numerous flights cut, but others will have increased flight options.
Changes will occur on up to 24 separate routes. Passengers planning to fly out of Washington may have to rethink their itineraries.
Route alterations will begin as early as March 3.
Fewer flights will go to the following destinations:
- Boston, Mass.
- Charlotte, N.C.
- Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
- Grand Rapids, Mich.
- Manchester, N.H.
- Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Portland, Maine
- Rochester, N.Y.
- St. Louis, MO.
More flights will go to these destinations:
- Burlington, Vt.
- Charleston, S.C.
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Columbus, Ohio
- Dayton, Ohio
- Fort Myers, Fla.
- Hilton Head Island, S.C.
- Memphis, Tenn.
- Myrtle Beach, S.C.
- Nashville, Tenn.
- Norfolk, Va.
- Orlando, Fla.
- Tampa, Fla.
Flights from routes to the following destinations will decrease before increasing again:
- Atlanta, Ga.
- West Palm Beach, Fla.
After over a year of pandemic-related travel limitations, many people in the U.S. are eager to go on vacation. Numerous countries have strict entry requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within their borders, making domestic travel a more appealing prospect.
Leaving the country for vacation is a risky choice when many nations have repeatedly changed entry requirements without notice throughout the pandemic. Meanwhile, business flights are attracting fewer passengers while much of the population is still working remotely.
That could be why American is pivoting toward increased flights to popular vacation spots and away from commuter routes.
AA is also cutting flights from several international routes. The cuts will affect flights next summer.
A spokesperson from the airline stated that this is because of anticipated delivery delays of Boeing planes. Manufacturing issues are responsible for the delays.
Many of the international flights that have been cut are from routes in Asia and the Pacific.