CHICAGO- American Airlines (AA) announces significant expansion at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) with seven new destinations beginning winter 2024-2025. The Fort Worth-based carrier will also increase frequencies on ten existing routes, strengthening its competitive position against United Airlines (UA).
This expansion marks American’s continued commitment to rebuild its Chicago hub following the pandemic slowdown, adding new Caribbean, Central American, and domestic destinations while competing directly with United Airlines (UA) on five of the seven new routes.
Photo: Foster Epstein MorenoAmerican Airlines Chicago Destinations
American’s seven new routes from Chicago O’Hare will include three domestic and four international destinations. Starting October 6, the airline will launch twice-daily service to Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) in Ohio.
Service to Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA) in Virginia will commence with daily flights beginning August 6.
For international travelers, American will introduce Saturday service to Curaçao International Airport (CUR) and St. Croix’s Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) beginning December 6.
The airline will also add service to Guatemala City’s La Aurora International Airport (GUA) with three weekly flights starting November 6, daily flights to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San Jose, Costa Rica beginning November 2 (resuming a route last operated in 2022), and Saturday service to St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) starting November 8.
Tickets for all new routes will be available for purchase starting May 5, with American set to become the only carrier offering nonstop service between Chicago and both Curaçao and St. Croix.
Photo: United AirlinesResponse to United’s Dominance
This expansion appears strategically timed as both airlines compete for market share at O’Hare.
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, American operated nearly 26% fewer flights and 21% fewer seats from O’Hare in 2024 compared to 2019 levels, while focusing recovery efforts on its Sun Belt hubs in Charlotte (CLT) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), TPG reported.
Meanwhile, United Airlines, headquartered in Chicago, has maintained a stronger presence at O’Hare with just 19% fewer flights and relatively flat seat capacity compared to pre-pandemic levels.
United has actively promoted itself as “Chicago’s #1 Airline” and offered status matches to competitors’ frequent flyers.
The timing of American’s expansion is particularly significant given O’Hare’s gate allocation system, which redistributes gates annually based on the previous year’s departure volumes.
American reportedly faces losing up to six gates under the current mechanism, making this winter expansion potentially crucial for maintaining its infrastructure at the airport.
Photo: By N i c o l a – Flickr: Chicago Airport – ND0_5470, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30362735Focus on Int’l and Leisure Markets
With this expansion, American claims it will become the largest airline serving the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico from Chicago.
The carrier will increase frequencies on popular leisure routes including Cancun International Airport (CUN), Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR), and Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA).
“We continue to strengthen our network and reaffirm our commitment to the Chicago communities we serve — our loyal customers, the local economy, and our team members who are the driving force behind our operation,” said Ben Humphrey, Vice President of O’Hare operations at American.
This winter expansion follows American’s summer network growth, which includes a new nonstop service to Naples International Airport (NAP) in Italy beginning May 6. According to Cirium data, American’s seat capacity at O’Hare will increase by 21% this summer compared to last year.
Photo: American AirlinesWon three Freddie Awards
American Airlines recently secured three prestigious honors at the 2025 Freddie Awards ceremony held at the Chicago Athletic Association. The carrier won Best Airline Redemption Ability, Best Airline Customer Service, and Best Loyalty Credit Card for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®.
“The Freddie Awards recognize the best in travel loyalty, and we’re excited to be recognized by our loyal AAdvantage® members,” said Scott Long, American Airlines Senior Vice President of AAdvantage. “Our team is dedicated to creating a program that rewards our loyal travelers and helps them achieve their travel goals through our AAdvantage® program and cobranded credit cards.”
The Freddie Awards are particularly significant as they are determined entirely by global traveler votes, with millions of ballots cast worldwide in multiple languages.
American’s AAdvantage® program continues to attract new members with enhanced benefits introduced at the start of the 2025 qualification year on March 1.
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American Airlines Top 20 Busiest International Flight Routes in 2025
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