According to schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, airlines have announced more than 340 new routes to, from or within the United States for this year.
That means there are hundreds of new ways to get where you need to, like flying from Seattle to Rome without connecting through Atlanta.
That off-the-beaten-path spot you saw on Instagram is waiting. And airlines are eager for travelers to try their new offerings this year.
Here are nine interesting new routes to cross off your list in 2026.
Alaska Airlines to Rome, London and Reykjavik
The carrier known for its extensive service in the Pacific Northwest will make its European debut this summer. Direct flights from Seattle to Rome begin in April, followed by London and Reykjavik, Iceland, in May.
The new routes are part of a major transformation at Alaska. Since buying Hawaiian Airlines in 2024, the carrier has invested in long-haul planes, an aurora borealis-inspired new look and flights to Asia that began last year.
Zach Griff, writer of the travel newsletter From the Tray Table, described this new strategy as Alaska’s “global era.”
“Alaska plans to offer 12 long-haul international routes from Seattle by 2030, and it’ll have 17 Boeing 787s crisscrossing the skies to take you there,” Griff said in a text message.
Cameron Hewitt, content and editorial director for Rick Steves’ Europe, said all that growth has not translated to flight deals — yet. Tickets for Alaska’s new Seattle-Rome flights are pricey, which, he said, suggests the airline is “tapping into a long-overdue market.”
Delta to Malta and Sardinia
In August, Delta Air Lines unveiled a novel way to pick its next European destination: Let travelers choose.
Members of its SkyMiles loyalty program and staff voted in its first-ever “Route Race” for one of three possible new Mediterranean destinations: Ibiza, Malta or Sardinia. The winner, Delta promised, would land new flights.
Nearly 150,000 votes later, Delta has confirmed plans for two new flights: New York to Sardinia, beginning in May, and New York to Malta (June).
Sarah Silbert, managing editor of award travel search engine Points Path, said she is excited for these two routes because they “offer a great alternative for those seeking a beachy European vacation without the huge crowds.”
Delta will offer the only nonstop options to Malta and Sardinia from the U.S. when service begins.
Air France from Paris to Las Vegas
It may appear to many travelers that Las Vegas has flights to just about everywhere. And that is true — at least in the United States. Last year, Sin City sported nonstops to 144 airports across the country, from Asheville, North Carolina, to Spokane, Washington, schedule data from Cirium shows.
The same cannot be said for international flights. Only a handful of intercontinental destinations boast nonstops to Las Vegas, including London and Seoul, but not the city of light, Paris.
That changes this summer when Air France begins regular flights to Las Vegas from Paris on April 15; it has previously flown one-off special flights to Sin City for the tech convention CES.
The route is a big win for city boosters at a time Vegas is struggling with fewer visitors and shorter stays, the latest data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority shows.
“Given everything that Vegas has been through in the past year, this one is a massive deal for the destination,” said Brad DiFiore, a managing director at air service advisers Ailevon Pacific who advises the convention and visitors authority. “Plus, you get the Eiffel Tower to Eiffel Tower connection!”
Starlux from Phoenix to Taiwan
Phoenix has long had the notable distinction of being the largest city west of the Mississippi River without a nonstop flight to Asia. Even smaller Las Vegas (see above) has had a flight to Seoul since 2006.
That changes with Starlux. The Taiwanese airline that launched in 2020 landed in the Valley of the Sun on Jan. 15 with a nonstop to Taipei. Starlux deserves credit for the new route because it was only after it unveiled plans that competitor China Airlines decided it to would fly to Phoenix, launching flights a few weeks ago.
Phoenix has earned the nickname “Silicon Desert” in recent years thanks to an influx of semiconductor manufacturing. The largest semiconductor company in the world? Taiwan’s TSMC, which also happens to be investing billions of dollars in the Phoenix area.
Starlux also offers Phoenicians a one-stop rather than two-flight options to Southwest Asia via Taipei.
Southwest to Alaska and Sint Maarten
The new Southwest Airlines may be less egalitarian and more like every other airline (RIP open seating), but at least there will be more places to fly.
The airline has unveiled five new destinations for 2026, from beach spots like the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten to the majestic wilds of Alaska.
It’s Southwest’s new Anchorage flights that have people excited. Despite being a household name in the Lower 48, the airline has never served Alaska, said Silbert.
Flights to Anchorage from Denver and Las Vegas begin in May, just in time for travelers’ summer trips to Denali National Park or the Kenai Fjords.
Just remember to budget $35 for a checked bag.
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