Delta Air Lines increases flights to Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka. Southwest Airlines expands its network from Miami to Atlanta, Dallas, Denver and Nashville. JetBlue expands flights between Hartford and Miami. Spirit Airlines adds St. Louis and Pensacola, and Hawaiian Airlines starts Long Beach-Maui Service. 

Delta: This airline is offering more choice and connectivity with an expansion of service to Alaska this summer, including the launch of new service and more flights to Anchorage and Fairbanks, as well as the return of seasonal destinations like Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka.

“Delta is looking forward to offering more premier outdoor destinations this summer, including more options to travel to Alaska, as well as providing access to the lower 48 and beyond through seamless and convenient connections over our hubs,” said Joe Esposito, Delta’s senior vice president of network planning.

Vacationers traveling to and from Alaska will enjoy enhanced customer comfort as all flights to Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau will be operated by larger mainline aircraft like the Boeing 737-900 featuring First Class, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin service, more seat-back in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi available on all flights.

Delta’s expanded Anchorage (ANC) service includes new weekend service launching from Detroit (DTW), Los Angeles (LAX) and New York (JFK) on May 28; increasing year-round Seattle (SEA) service to up to seven daily trips starting June 19 with daily connections to 40 destinations, including Hawaii, the lower 48 states and major capitals around the world; adding a third daily flight this summer to Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) starting May 5; adding a year-round nonstop flight to Salt Lake City (SLC) starting May 5, complemented by a second summer seasonal flight beginning June 19; and resuming daily service from Atlanta (ATL) starting May 5, the longest nonstop flight offered from ANC, and providing connections across the southeast U.S., including 16 cities in Florida, operated by the Boeing 767-300ER, featuring Delta One lie-flat seats. Nonstop ATL service will continue into the fall with three trips per week.

Delta will increase service to Fairbanks (FAI) to six nonstop flights from its major gateway hubs by launching a new daily nonstop flight from SLC beginning May 5; adding a third nonstop flight from SEA beginning June 19; and doubling service with a second nonstop flight from MSP beginning June 19. In addition to flying to FAI from SEA in the winter months, Delta is extending MSP and SLC service to year-round to provide customers with access to its extensive global network.

Delta’s Alaska summer seasonal service from SEA that begins Memorial Day weekend will be extended through the end of September and include one daily flight to Juneau (JNU), operated by Boeing 737-800 aircraft; one daily flight to Ketchikan (KTN); and one daily flight to Sitka (SIT)

Service to KTN and SIT will be operated by Delta Connection carrier SkyWest Airlines on Embraer 175 aircraft. All flights to JNU, KTN and SIT will feature First Class, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin service and Wi-Fi available on board. For more information, visit www.delta.com

Southwest: This airline expanded its route network from Miami International Airport by adding daily service to four more destinations: Atlanta; Dallas; Denver; and Nashville. The new routes increase Southwest’s presence at MIA to a total of 16 daily flights.

Southwest’s twice-daily flights to Atlanta, Denver and Nashville provides Miami passengers with another travel option to those cities, while its daily service to Dallas Love Field Airport establishes a new route from MIA. Southwest already serves both Baltimore and Houston Hobby with four daily flights and Chicago Midway with a daily flight. For more information, visit www.southwest.com

JetBlue: This airline is growing again in Connecticut and South Florida with new service between Hartford’s Bradley International Airport (BDL) and Miami International Airport (MIA) starting June 24, 2021. Seats for the new flights are on sale.JetBlue has built a sizable presence in Hartford in recent months. With new service to Miami, the airline will now offer Connecticut travelers nonstop flights to 11 destinations. As previously announced by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, beginning March 19, 2021, the state’s travel advisory will be modified from a requirement to recommended guidance, meaning testing and quarantines may be completed at the discretion of travelers.

In December, JetBlue launched all-new flights between Hartford and Cancún International Airport (CUN), Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport (LAS), and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO). 

The recently added destinations complemented existing flying between Hartford and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Fort Myers’ Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), Orlando International Airport (MCO), Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), Tampa International Airport (TPA), and San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU).

Hartford becomes the fifth destination offered by Jetblue from Miami and will complement flights to New York-JFK, Newark, Boston and Mint flights to Los Angeles.

JetBlue service in Miami builds on the strengths of the airline’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) focus city and service at Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) to reach more customers in South Florida.

JetBlue will operate the new route between Hartford and Miami using its Airbus A320 aircraft offering the airline’s service featuring the most legroom in coach, free Fly-Fi internet, complimentary name-brand snacks and soft drinks, and free, live DIRECTV programming at every seat. For more information, visit www.jetblue.com

Spirit: This airline plans to add St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) to its route map with nonstop daily service to five cities in the Spirit of Lindberg’s historic nonstop flight. The airline plans to start flying on Thursday, May 27, with flights to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Orlando (MCO), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX) and Pensacola (PNS). 

St. Louis is the seventh new city added to Spirit’s network in the past year. The airline continues to seize growth opportunities as demand for air travel increases, having announced new service to Louisville, Milwaukee and Pensacola in the past two weeks. The airline continues to seize that kind of growth opportunity as demand for air travel increases. Last month, the carrier announced an accelerated delivery schedule for new Airbus aircraft joining Spirit’s Fit Fleet.

Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas and Orlando are three of Spirit’s biggest cities, which means nonstop flights from STL come with easy connections to a variety of destinations. Fort Lauderdale is also Spirit’s largest gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America.

Spirit Airlines plans to bring Spirit Signature Service deploying brand new Airbus planes to Pensacola International Airport (PNS) starting June 10. Spirit will offer the only nonstop flights to Columbus (CMH), Indianapolis (IND) and Louisville (SDF), along with nonstop service Austin (AUS), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Kansas City (MCI) and St. Louis (STL). Pensacola is the eighth new city added to Spirit’s network in the past year. For more information, visit www.spirit.com

Hawaiian: This airline began nonstop service between Long Beach (LGB) and Kahului, Maui (OGG), welcoming Southern California travelers with the convenience of a second daily flight to Hawai’i. Hawai’i’s hometown airline became the first carrier to connect Long Beach to the Hawaiian Islands when it started Honolulu service in the summer of 2018.

Flight HA72 departs Long Beach daily at 8:35 a.m. with a 12:35 p.m. scheduled arrival time on Maui. The flight from Maui to Long Beach, HA71, departs at 12:45 p.m. and arrives at 8:05 p.m.

Hawaiian will service the route with Airbus A321neos, a quiet and fuel-efficient aircraft with 16 luxurious leather recliners in first class, 44 extra comfort seats and 129 main cabin seats. Inside, guests will enjoy Hawaiian’s hospitality, including complimentary island-inspired meals by Hawai’i’s top chefs and streaming in-flight entertainment.

Hawaiian has also simplified the experience for guests to meet the state of Hawai’i’s pre-travel testing requirements and be exempt from quarantine upon arrival. In partnership with Long Beach-based Worksite Labs, the carrier offers guests at LGB airport exclusive access to shallow nasal swab PCR tests, with results within 36 hours for $90. Guests who obtain a negative test will receive a pre-clear wristband during boarding that allows them to bypass airport screening in Hawai’i. For more information, visit www.hawaiianair.com.