Earlier this year, American Airlines added international flights to Tulum, Mexico, from three US destinations – Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Miami. However, one of these routes (from Charlotte) will soon be removed from its network. While initially intended to be a year-round service, the airline has now changed its plans for this route and will suspend it next year.
American cuts Charlotte-Tulum service
American Airlines will soon stop flying between Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and Tulum International Airport (TQO) in Mexico. Launched in March this year along with Dallas-Tulum and Miami-Tulum flights, the service from Charlotte will be suspended on February 13, 2025, as noted by The Points Guy.
Tulum is increasingly becoming popular as a travel and leisure destination in Mexico. Known for its picturesque beaches and forests, many travelers are choosing it for their holidays.
Not too long ago, Tulum’s airport was made operational after years of construction. This further facilitated the travel boom in the region, and carriers, such as American Airlines, saw an opportunity to capitalize on the demand.
The airline will continue to fly to Tulum from Miami and Dallas, and passengers affected by the suspension of the Charlotte service will be informed by the carrier and accommodated on other flights.
Re-evaluating network
New routes are started with the potential of generating profits for the airline. However, there can be several reasons for their suspension. American Airlines said that the Charlotte-Tulum flight was cut “as part of a continuous evaluation of our network.” In an interview with The Points Guy, Brian Znotins, American’s network chief, said,
“I think the whole industry getting in there all at the same time was too much capacity to absorb all at once we need to get people more familiar with Tulum – there are plenty of people familiar with Tulum, but we had way more seats than people familiar with Tulum, so you’re seeing us and the whole industry scale back and take a step back a bit.”
Photo: Alejandro Gonzalez M | Shutterstock
While Charlotte has lost an international connection with this announcement, it will gain another one next year. As part of its European expansion for the summer of 2025, American Airlines will serve the city with a daily flight to Athens, Greece, starting June 5.
Other routes added
Even as it suspends the Charlotte-Tulum flight, American Airlines has added three other routes to its network for next year. As examined by Simple Flying’s route expert, James Pearson, the carrier has added the following three services to its network:
- Chicago O’Hare-Bismarck: daily Envoy Air E175 begins June 5.
- Chicago O’Hare-Boise: daily Envoy Air E175 begins June 5.
- Phoenix Sky Harbor-Appleton: Saturday only Envoy Air E175 begins February 15.
Photo: Minh K Tran | Shutterstock
Delta and United Airlines, too, have added several new routes, with the former adding Austin-Jacksonville (May 7), New York LaGuardia-Lexington (May 7), and New York LaGuardia-Huntsville (April 14).
United Airlines has added Chicago O’Hare-Edmonton (May 24), Houston Intercontinental-Edmonton (May 22), and Washington Dulles-Manchester (NH) (May 30). Simple Flying’s detailed analysis of these routes can be read in the article below.
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