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From Caribbean beaches to Mediterranean islands and Asian megacities, U.S. travelers are gaining a wave of new nonstop options as major airlines race to add routes across the globe through 2026.
American Airlines Targets Events, Islands and Sun-Seekers
American Airlines is sharpening its global network with a mix of leisure and event-driven routes that tie U.S. hubs more closely to key international destinations. In February 2026 the carrier will launch the only nonstop service between Miami and Bimini, creating a direct three-times-weekly link between South Florida and the small Bahamian island, a move that also expands American’s footprint in the Bahamas. The service is aimed squarely at travelers seeking a quick, passport-ready escape to white-sand beaches without the hassle of connections.
In the continental United States, American is also pushing deeper into domestic leisure markets. From March 2026, a new weekly seasonal nonstop from Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport to Miami will give Mississippi travelers a direct path to South Florida and onward international connections. Airport officials in Jackson expect the Saturday-only service to boost both outbound tourism and inbound visitors drawn by the region’s culture, food and music.
Looking ahead to the global sports calendar, American is positioning Dallas Fort Worth and Miami as key gateways. For the 2026 international soccer tournament, the airline plans nonstop flights from Buenos Aires and Zurich into Dallas Fort Worth over the summer period, moving fans directly into one of the event’s central host regions. At the same time, added premium capacity from Dallas Fort Worth and Los Angeles to Tokyo Haneda from March 2026 will give Asia-bound travelers more lie-flat seats and upgraded onboard amenities during peak travel months.
American is also tapping into seasonal demand out of Phoenix. A new Phoenix to Anchorage nonstop is slated for summer 2026, operating from late May through early September. The overnight northbound service and red-eye return are tailored to maximize daylight time in Alaska, appealing to cruisers, outdoor enthusiasts and families looking to experience the state’s peak summer season without changing planes.
Delta Bets on Mediterranean Islands and Major Events
Delta Air Lines is pairing crowd-sourced route decisions with big-event scheduling to shape its latest wave of nonstops. For summer 2026 the airline will introduce first-ever nonstop flights from New York John F. Kennedy to Sardinia and Malta, two Mediterranean islands chosen through a public vote by SkyMiles members and Delta employees. The new routes will give U.S. travelers one-stop-free access to beaches, historic towns and coastal resorts that have long required connections through European hubs.
The Mediterranean additions fit into a broader strategy to deepen Delta’s presence in leisure-heavy markets while maintaining premium service standards. Both island routes are expected to run during the core European summer season, connecting into Delta’s transatlantic schedule from airports across the United States via New York. That structure allows travelers from smaller cities to reach Sardinia or Malta with a single connection, positioning Delta as a convenient option for Americans exploring beyond Europe’s best-known capitals.
Delta is also leaning into major global events to drive demand. For January 2026, the airline has announced an expanded operation into Las Vegas for the technology trade show period, including new nonstop long-haul service from Shanghai and increased capacity from key European and Asian hubs such as Amsterdam, Paris, Seoul and London. Nearly 700 Delta flights are planned into and out of Las Vegas over the main show dates, underscoring how big events continue to shape airline scheduling decisions.
Closer to home, Delta is building out its domestic map from Austin, a fast-growing tech and culture hub. A package of new nonstops through 2025 and 2026 will add links from Austin to Palm Springs, Denver, Miami, Columbus and Kansas City, along with international routes to Cancun and Cabo. The new flights are part of a broader airport expansion that aims to position Austin as a stronger jumping-off point to both beach destinations and major business centers.
JetBlue Deepens Beach and Caribbean Connectivity
JetBlue is focusing its latest network moves squarely on beaches, islands and sun, with new nonstops that connect U.S. travelers directly to Florida resort towns and Caribbean gateways. Beginning in December 2025 the airline plans daily year-round flights from Boston and New York to both Daytona Beach and Vero Beach, tapping demand for smaller coastal cities that have historically required connections through larger Florida hubs. Additional links from Tampa to Punta Cana and Islip, and from Fort Myers to Islip, will layer more nonstop options onto the state’s west coast.
South Florida remains central to JetBlue’s strategy. The carrier has announced new service from Fort Lauderdale to Guayaquil and Philadelphia, as well as additional routes to Atlanta, Austin, Norfolk and Tampa, while preparing a dedicated base for its Mint premium product at the airport in early 2026. By the end of this year JetBlue expects to operate more than 100 daily departures from Fort Lauderdale to over 40 nonstop destinations, strengthening the airport’s role as a key gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean.
In the Caribbean, JetBlue is doubling down on Puerto Rico. From March 2026 the airline will open five new nonstop routes from San Juan to Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Norfolk, Richmond and Buffalo. The expansion will bring the total number of nonstop destinations served from San Juan to more than 20 and is designed to capture both tourist traffic and trips by residents visiting friends and relatives on the U.S. mainland. Schedules are being staggered through late March, with Philadelphia receiving daily service and the other cities operating several times per week.
The flurry of additions reflects JetBlue’s broader effort to build what it describes as the leading East Coast leisure network. With new links tying together secondary cities, Florida beaches and Caribbean islands, the airline is positioning itself as a go-to choice for travelers seeking warm-weather escapes without long-haul itineraries.
New Gateways to Asia and Beyond
While sun destinations dominate many of the latest announcements, a number of carriers are also reshaping how U.S. travelers reach Asia and other long-haul markets with new nonstop offerings. In Phoenix, a recently launched Starlux Airlines flight to Taipei has given the city its first direct connection to East Asia, significantly reducing total travel time for both business and leisure passengers bound for Taiwan and onward destinations across the region. Local officials have hailed the route as a milestone that boosts Phoenix’s global profile and supports deeper economic ties with Asia-Pacific partners.
Major U.S. airlines are simultaneously boosting capacity across established transpacific corridors. American is planning a sizable increase in premium seating to Tokyo Haneda from Dallas Fort Worth and Los Angeles for summer 2026, adding lie-flat business-class seats and upgraded onboard amenities to capture high-yield demand. Those moves arrive as airlines across the Pacific continue to rebuild and grow beyond pre-2020 capacity, competing on both schedule convenience and comfort.
Regional players abroad are contributing to the shift as well, adding new long-haul nonstops that intersect with U.S.-bound traffic. In India, low-cost carrier IndiGo has begun operating New Delhi to London Heathrow flights using widebody aircraft under lease, following an earlier launch from Mumbai. While not U.S. routes themselves, these nonstops enable new one-stop itineraries for American travelers connecting through London and underscore how long-haul expansion is no longer limited to traditional full-service airlines.
Together, the latest route announcements suggest that the next two years will bring a denser global web of point-to-point flights. For U.S. travelers, that means fewer connections, shorter journey times and a growing roster of nonstop choices, whether the destination is a quiet Caribbean island, a Mediterranean harbor town or a tech hub on the far side of the Pacific.