Airlines are adding new international flights from the US this winter, and most of them point somewhere warm, somewhere snowy or somewhere that hasn't had a nonstop from the US in years. From San Francisco to a Japanese ski town to Miami to a second city in Venezuela, here are the new routes launching between now and February, plus a few seasonal ones worth knowing about if you're planning a trip.
The common thread is leisure. With fewer business travelers in winter, US airlines move planes to beaches, ski slopes and holiday trips home, and this year they've added some genuinely new places to the map. Dates and schedules can change, so check with the airline before you build a trip around one.
Just Launched
A few routes started this fall and are already flying. TAP Air Portugal began Orlando–Lisbon nonstop flights on Oct. 29, which makes a Disney-and-Portugal trip far easier to pull off. American returned to Haiti on Nov. 1 with daily Miami–Cap-Haïtien flights, two years after gunfire grounded US flights there. Emirates also switched its Dubai–Orlando route to its newest plane, the Airbus A350 with premium economy, though that's an upgrade rather than a new route.
Asia
San Francisco to Sapporo, Japan (United), from Dec. 11. This is the headline route of the winter. United will fly three times a week on a Boeing 787-9 through late March, timed for ski season in Hokkaido, home to Niseko and some of the best powder in the world. The plane has 48 business class seats, which tells you United expects plenty of people to splurge on a ski trip, and the timing works for a holiday getaway too.
Latin America and the Caribbean
Houston and Washington Dulles to Cartagena, Colombia (United), from Dec. 17. United is adding four weekly flights from each city to Colombia's walled colonial port, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Until now, getting to Cartagena from either city usually meant a connection.
New York JFK to Liberia, Costa Rica (Delta), from Dec. 19. Delta is bringing back a once-a-week flight to Liberia, the gateway to Costa Rica's Guanacaste beaches, on an Airbus A321neo. It reportedly hasn't flown the route since early 2017.
Houston to Caracas, Venezuela (United), from Jan. 12. United is reportedly selling this route as part of the return of US flights to Venezuela, though the date could slip. American already flies Miami–Caracas twice a day.
Miami to Barcelona, Venezuela (American), from Jan. 15. American adds a third Venezuelan city, flying Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Barcelona sits on Venezuela's northeast coast near the beaches of Puerto La Cruz.
Europe and South America in Winter
Not every new option is a new route. Some of the more useful changes this winter are routes that usually take the winter off and are flying through it this year.
Boston to Rome (Delta), from Jan. 6. Four flights a week through early March, when Delta didn't fly the route at all last winter. If you've wanted Rome without summer crowds, this is your window.
New York JFK to Edinburgh (Delta), January to March. Three flights a week through the winter months, again filling a gap from last year.
Salt Lake City to Lima, Peru (Delta), Dec. 1 to Jan. 31. Daily flights over the holidays, which makes a Machu Picchu trip from the Mountain West easier during the winter break.
Before You Book
New routes are often where the best launch fares show up, since airlines want to fill planes before word spreads. They're also more likely to see schedule changes in their first few months, so book with an airline whose change and cancellation policy you know, and avoid very tight connections on a route's first weeks. If you're flying to Venezuela, read the US government's advice first, and check our piece on flights to Venezuela coming back for what to expect at the airport.
