It’s that time of year again. Leaves are changing colors, shoulder season trips are in full swing, and international airlines are sharing what new routes travelers can expect next summer.
24.09.2024 - 19:57 / skift.com / Cathay Pacific / Gordon Smith
A new nonstop flight from Dallas Fort Worth straddles three days. On Wednesday, Cathay Pacific announced it will launch services from Hong Kong to and from the Texan hub.
At 15 hours on the outbound and more than 16 hours on the return, the trip is always going to be a long one. However, a quirk of scheduling – and the small matter of the International Date Line – sees the journey encompass multiple days.
Operating as Flight CX897, the new service departs DFW at 11:55 pm local time, arriving at 5:05 am two days later. In practice, this could mean boarding on Monday night and disembarking on Wednesday morning. The opposite is true when flying in the other direction. Passengers leave Hong Kong just after 4 pm and touch down on the same day in Texas shortly before 6 pm.
Cathay’s new service reinforces Dallas Fort Worth’s emerging position as a global epicenter of the oneworld alliance. The airport is home to the corporate headquarters of American Airlines and the alliance itself. In recent years it has also attracted increased capacity from major players including Qantas, British Airways, Qatar Airways, Finnair, and Iberia.
In an exclusive interview with Skift in July, new oneworld CEO Nat Pieper explained his approach to sustained growth at the 13-member organization.
Only a fraction of passengers on the new route will start and end their journey in Hong Kong and Dallas. Cathay and its oneworld partners use the airport to tap into lucrative connecting traffic, as highlighted by Cathay Group Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau: “Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is one of the world’s busiest airports. With our Cathay Pacific codeshares as well as other flight options, customers can connect to over 190 domestic destinations in the United States, as well as 11 destinations in Central and South America via DFW.”
The new service will operate four times weekly and is due to begin on April 24, 2025, subject to final regulatory approval. Cathay Pacific’s flagship Airbus A350-1000 is rostered on the route with 46 business class seats, 32 premium economy options, and a large economy cabin with 256 seats. Notably, it won’t feature the highly anticipated Aria Suite, which is due to launch on the Boeing 777-300ER later this year.
It’s the first time in the airline’s history that Cathay has served Dallas Fort Worth, however, the airline is no stranger to North America. The carrier launched nonstop flights to Vancouver in 1983 and today serves eight destinations across the continent with 88 weekly departures. By 2025, this figure is due to rise to 108 per week, including thrice-daily flights to New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
The development comes as Cathay fights to regain market
It’s that time of year again. Leaves are changing colors, shoulder season trips are in full swing, and international airlines are sharing what new routes travelers can expect next summer.
A popular low-cost air airline is expanding globally. Southwest Airlines recently announced a partnership to offer international flights by partnering with carriers who operate international fights in Southwest markets. “Southwest is formalizing partnerships with international carriers to expand its network and connect Customers with more global destinations to generate additional demand for travel across the Southwest network,” Southwest shared in a news release. The launch of this new international flight program will take place in 2025, with Icelandair as the first partner airline, and will depart from the Baltimore, MD (BWI) airport. There, travelers can fly on Icelandair to Iceland, where they can connect to a variety of European destinations including Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, Oslo, Prague, Rome, and more. Icelandair is a discount carrier that operates international flights, and similar to Southwest, does not have a first or business class section on their aircraft. “The partnership will unlock many exciting travel options for our customers, and our extensive network in Europe will open for Southwest customers,” Icelandair President and CEO Bogi Nils Bogason said in a statement. “As part of our strategic focus on expanding our global partnership network, we seek out airlines known for exceptional service and connectivity.” As an example, a traveler would start their journey on Southwest from Nashville to Baltimore, and then continue on Icelandair from Baltimore to Iceland.
Alaska Airlines is simplifying its flight subscription pass, offering just two options.
Southwest Airlines is extending its flight schedule into early next summer and introducing new destinations from its Nashville hub. The airline, which usually releases its schedule eight months in advance, has just released its booking calendar through June 4, 2025, announced Wednesday. With the schedule update, the carrier has announced several key updates across its network. For starters, the carrier will expand significantly out of Nashville International Airport (BNA), which has been one of Southwest's fastest-growing hubs and newest crew bases. Starting April 8, 2025, the carrier will begin daily service from Nashville to Albuquerque, Jackson, and Tulsa; as well as up to 6x weekly flights to Providence and up to 5x weekly flights to Albany. In addition, the airline will offer “intra-Tennessee service for the first time” with its brand-new, once-daily service from Nashville to Memphis. “The new flights will boost Southwest’s scheduled presence in Nashville to an all-time high of 174 Sunday departures in April and May 2025,” the airline wrote in a statement. The new route announcement comes as the airline is undergoing notable changes, as Southwest will introduce its first-ever overnight flights to its network next February. With today’s announcement, the airline shared a few more routes that will see redeye service — flights from Honolulu to Las Vegas and Phoenix, Kona to Las Vegas, and Maui to Las Vegas and Phoenix will be offered as red-eyes starting April 8, 2025.
Southwest Airlines is making major changes to its network.
Southwest Airlines is slashing unprofitable routes as it faces intensifying pressure from an activist investor to boost revenue and cut costs.
Dallas-Fort Worth travelers who want to take high tea overlooking Victoria Harbour at the Peninsula Hong Kong or chow down on dim sum have a new way to get to the bustling Asian metropolis next spring.
Amtrak is launching a brand-new route this fall that will run from Chicago all the way down to Miami.
Cathay Pacific will launch a new route from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), the airline said on Tuesday.
The network planners at Delta Air Lines have been quite busy.
As an Australian living in New Orleans, I travel home about four times a year, always seeking ways to make the long journey more enjoyable.
Just as September or «National Passport Month is underway, the U.S. State Department has released additional dates for its ongoing passport fairs, making applying for a first time passport even easier. The agency published an updated schedule for September and October, which will take place in many states including California, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. For example, the Seattle Passport Agency will be open on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9am-2pm, where the office is regularly closed on weekends. Applicants should be advised that appointments are required, and can be booked on the office’s website. Other events include the Boston Passport Agency on Sept. 26, Atlanta Passport Agency on September 28, the University of Texas at Dallas on September 28, the Broward County Clerk in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on Oct. 12, and more.