American Airlines to launch seven new flights to outdoorsy destinations

A popular ski destination is among American’s new flight routes for next year.

Jun 26, 2025 - 16:20

American Airlines to launch seven new flights to outdoorsy destinations

Even if much of the U.S. is currently experiencing the first of what will be more than one summer heat wave, airlines are already looking ahead to a time of snow, skiing and Caribbean escapes.

Delta Air Lines (DAL) will launch seven new flights to Orlando as well as a new connection between Atlanta and Honolulu in December 2025 while American Airlines (AAL) expanded its service to Cancun and Punta Cana with new flights from respective Oklahoma City and Indianapolis.

This week, American also announced new routes to Sun Valley's Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) from Chicago O'Hare (ORD) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) airports. Located 157 miles east of Boise, the high-end ski resort town is a new market for the Dallas-based airline.

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'The most options to pick the perfect vacation destination'

"American is focused on giving our customers the most options to pick the perfect vacation destination, and now there are even more ways to turn travel dreams into reality," American's Managing Director of Global Network Planning Jason Reisinger said in a statement.

The new flight will start running on Dec. 18 while tickets will be available for purchase from June 30. The flights will be on a Bombardier CRJ700 (BDRAF) regional jet airliner as seasonal service ending in April.

American is also launching its first flight to Santa Maria (SMX) in central California with two daily year-round flights from Phoenix starting on Oct. 15. The smaller coastal city has in recent years become increasingly popular as a golf destination as well as those looking to experience off-the-beaten-path beaches and its unique dune ecosystem.

"A visit to this Central Coast city will offer a chance to try Santa Maria-style barbecue or wine tasting," American says of the new route to Santa Maria. "American will be the only global network carrier serving SMX."

Other routes announced by the airline that are also driven by adventure travel demand include a flight to Missoula Airport (MOU) in Montana from O'Hare and Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers, Florida from Phoenix. The latter is launched to offer expanded service during a very specific time during the holidays: from Nov. 20 until Dec. 3 and Dec. 18 to Jan. 6, 2025.

A year-round flight between Santa Fe and Los Angeles will also be launched on Oct. 6 on a CRJ700 jet liner.

American Airlines has also recently announced a new flight between Los Angeles and Santa Fe.
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'Warm sun before or after a winter sports getaway'

"Known for beaches, coastal islands and fresh seafood, a visit to Southwest Florida offers the perfect complement of warm sun before or after a winter sports getaway," the airline said of the Fort Myers route.

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While long a popular destination for residents of nearby southern states, the latter Gulf Coast city has recently also experienced a bigger rush of interest from travelers from all over the country and, subsequently, airlines looking to serve them.

Airlines like JetBlue (JBLU) and Breeze (BREZ) have in the last year launched flights to Fort Myers from smaller cities such as Albany and Providence while fellow low-cost competitor Frontier Airlines (FRON) is now running Fort Myers flights from Detroit, Minneapolis, Buffalo and Syracuse.