Travel

American Airlines Expands European Network with Five New Routes for 2025

As autumn approaches, American Airlines is preparing for an exciting summer in 2025 with the launch of five new trans-Atlantic routes, enhancing its European network.

For the first time since 2019, American will resume flights to Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI), and introduce new routes to Athens, Greece (ATH); Madrid, Spain (MAD); Milan, Italy (MXP); and Rome, Italy (FCO). Tickets for these new routes will be available for purchase starting Sept. 9 through the American Airlines website and mobile app.

In 2025, American will expand its presence in Italy with new flights from Miami (MIA) to FCO and from Philadelphia (PHL) to MXP. The airline will serve Rome from six U.S. airports, more than any other American carrier, offering customers extensive one-stop options to experience Italy’s history and cuisine.

Travelers from Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT), will benefit from a new route to Athens, Greece, joining three other daily flights American operates to the country. This makes American the leading U.S. carrier in providing access to Greece from more U.S. cities in summer 2025.

For the first time, American will link its Chicago (ORD) hub with Madrid, enhancing the airline’s extensive service to Spain. This expansion will offer more connections via American’s partners to destinations throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In total, American will operate over 70 daily departures to 20+ trans-Atlantic destinations in summer 2025. Popular routes to Copenhagen, Denmark (CPH); Naples, Italy (NAP); and Nice, France (NCE), which launched in 2024, will return for the summer season.

Travelers heading to Paris will enjoy extended seasonal flights from Miami (MIA) into summer 2025, along with continued service on other top trans-Atlantic routes, providing even more options to explore Europe. Additionally, for those traveling across the Pacific, American will expand capacity to Asia with larger aircraft on all flights from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Los Angeles (LAX) to Japan. Through its codeshare partners, American customers will gain access to over 30 additional destinations across Japan and East Asia with just one stop.

Airlines

Qantas Rolls Out A321XLR Cabin Design as Crew Training Kicks Off for 2025

Qantas has begun training its pilots in anticipation of the arrival of its first Airbus A321XLR aircraft in Australia next year, revealing new details about the enhanced cabin experience that passengers can expect.

This marks a significant milestone in Qantas’ fleet renewal program, which includes an order of 28 A321XLR aircraft set to progressively replace its Boeing 737 fleet over the next decade. The first A321XLR is scheduled to arrive in April 2025.

As the longest-range variant in the Airbus A320 family, the A321XLR will enable Qantas to introduce new non-stop routes that are currently beyond the reach of existing aircraft. The new fleet promises to deliver a more comfortable and quieter flying experience, improved operational reliability, and reduced emissions per seat compared to the aircraft they will replace.

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To support this transition, more than 240 Qantas pilots will undergo extensive training on the A321XLR over the next three years. This training not only prepares them for the new aircraft but also opens up new career pathways and promotional opportunities.

Pilots will spend up to 60 hours in the state-of-the-art simulator as part of their comprehensive training program, with annual recurrency training sessions to follow. Notably, the simulator, located at the new Sydney Flight Training Centre, is equipped with the latest technology, including a dual head-up display, making it one of the few simulators of its kind worldwide.

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In addition to pilot training, approximately 2,000 cabin crew members will also be progressively trained to operate the new aircraft as they are integrated into the fleet. The A321XLR’s cabin has been thoughtfully designed to enhance passenger comfort, featuring:

Wider Economy seats with improved cushioning, offering greater comfort compared to the current 737 seats.
The largest overhead bins of any single-aisle aircraft, providing 60% more storage capacity than the 737.
A spacious cabin design with higher ceilings, larger windows, and a wider layout than the 737, creating an open and airy atmosphere.
Fast, free Wi-Fi for all passengers, allowing for seamless connectivity across multiple devices, along with an improved qantas inflight entertainment movie list 2023 for streaming content directly to personal devices.
A seating capacity of 197 passengers across two classes, including 20 Business Class seats arranged in a 2-2 configuration and 177 Economy Class seats in a 3-3 configuration.

With these upgrades, Qantas is set to elevate the flying experience for its passengers while ensuring that its crew is fully prepared for the next generation of aviation.