Whether you're taking advantage of a great deal on airfare or booking a long-awaited trip, there are always plenty of reasons to get out of town for anyone who loves to travel. But in addition to dealing with long lines at the airport, finding a relatively easy way to get to your destination can also turn the experience into a hassle if there are limited routes or few available departures to get there. The biggest carriers often change their schedules when customer demand shifts—even at some of the busiest airports. And now, United Airlines and American Airlines are cutting flights to five major cities in the coming months.
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In the case of United, travelers looking to get to one South American destination might have fewer options going forward. The carrier will temporarily pause its route between Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Santiago Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) in Chile starting on March 30 of next year, Simple Flying reports.
The hold on the daily service will extend until at least October 2024, according to the aviation and travel news outlet. However, United still serves other South American cities from its Texas hub, including Lima, Peru; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Buenos Aires, Argentina, among others.
Meanwhile, American Airlines has confirmed plans to pare back some of its domestic routes. According to information posted to flight data website Cirium, the carrier will be dropping all service on its route between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for next summer, Simple Flying reports.
The changes will see daily service planned from May through July and 12 scheduled flights in August wiped from its schedule. However, the airline will still operate a route between LAX and Miami International Airport (MIA), per Simple Flying.
And those aren't the only California cuts travelers can expect. Last week, American announced it would drop its service between LAX and San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) as of April 3, cutting the city off from the airline's hub to the south, Simple Flying reports.
But even as carriers scale back operations in some places, there are also some new notable additions to schedules. Starting May 23, 2024, United will launch daily service between San Francisco International Airpot (SFO) and Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN), The Points Guy reports. The carrier plans to run the seasonal route through at least Oct. 25.
And on Dec. 8, United kicked off a brand new route with its first flight from SFO to Christchurch Airport (CHC) in New Zealand, The Points Guy reports. Notably, the new service marks the first departures available from the U.S. to the country's South Island.
