American Airlines A321XLR.<\/p>\n
Courtesy: American Airlines<\/p>\n
American Airlines<\/a> announced Thursday it will add seven international routes to its 2027 schedule, with many of those on its Airbus A321XLR planes<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here are the additions:<\/p>\n The carrier is also adding a fourth daily flight between JFK and London Heathrow Airport, on a Boeing 787-9, starting March 28. <\/p>\n The Airbus XLR<\/a>, which stands for extra long range, has the ability to go up to 4,700 nautical miles. The single-aisle planes are smaller than others in the airline’s fleet, like a\u00a0Boeing<\/a>\u00a0777 or\u00a0Boeing\u00a0787 Dreamliner, which makes them cheaper<\/a> to operate. <\/p>\n The airline rolled out a new interior and configuration with its inaugural XLR flight last year. It’s allocated more space to premium seats \u2014 which take up a fifth of the plane \u2014 than it has on its other aircraft. <\/p>\n American’s plan is to use the XLRs to focus on routes to smaller European cities from its Philadelphia hub or from New York City.<\/p>\n “It really opens up the menu for all these destinations that are just too small for a widebody,” American’s senior vice president of network and schedule planning, Brian Znotins, told CNBC last year.<\/p>\n The interior of American Airlines’ new Airbus A321XLR aircraft during a showcase event at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, U.S., December 11, 2025. <\/p>\n Rajesh Kumar Singh | Reuters<\/p>\n The airline said its Vienna route will extend through early January 2028 to draw tourists who are aiming to visit European Christmas markets. That follows a growing trend, as airlines have been adding more capacity in the shoulder seasons and even in the off-peak winter period <\/strong>as travelers opt to fly in the fall and other cooler, cheaper times of the year.<\/p>\n American’s announcement comes the same week that United Airlines<\/a> unveiled its 2027 destinations<\/a>. United is adding routes to less traditionally popular tourist destinations for U.S. travelers, spanning Ljubljana, Slovenia, to Okinawa, Japan.<\/p>\n United offers more international service than other U.S. airlines.<\/p>\n American has been trying to close a profit gap<\/a> with rivals United and Delta Air Lines<\/a> and said earlier this year that its flying is split about 80% domestic versus 20% international. <\/p>\n International flights often carry a high premium compared with domestic routes \u2014 and the planes serving them generally have more luxurious seats on board, which can be more profitable for airlines.<\/p>\n\n