For those looking to get a jump on end-of-the-year travels—be it a ski retreat or a sun-filled escape—American Airlines may have just the ticket.
American recently announced an expanded schedule for the winter season, with flights to two new destinations—Santa Maria, California, and Sun Valley, Idaho—as well as expanded service to Fort Myers, Florida; Missoula, Montana; and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Investing in smaller (but growing) leisure hubs such as Sun Valley, Santa Maria, and Fort Myers is part of the airline’s focus on achieving greater domestic connectivity and positioning the carrier as the go-to airline for seasonal leisure travel.
American has “opted to dig more into smaller regional airports that show signs of demand to and from the area during specific windows,” says Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going, a travel app and deals newsletter. “Sun Valley and Fort Myers are two different but similar examples of just that. This showcases their bet on popular skiing and sun locations. For example, Fort Myers has shown the biggest growth in scheduled seats year over year, according to Cirium analytics. American is trying to ride that wave of growth and interest.”
American’s new routes
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers: Daily on a Boeing 737 from November 20 through December 3 and from December 18, 2025, through January 6, 2026.
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Missoula Montana Airport (MSO): Daily on an Embraer E175 starting December 18. (American currently flies this route seasonally during the summer.)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Santa Fe New Mexico Regional Airport (SAF): Daily on a Bombardier CRJ700 starting October 6.
- ORD to SAF: Daily on a CRJ700 from December 18, 2025, through January 6, 2026.
- PHX to California’s Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX): Twice daily on a Bombardier CRJ900 starting October 16.
- ORD to Sun Valley, Idaho’s Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN): Daily on a CRJ700 from December 18, 2025, through April 6, 2026.
- PHX to SUN: Daily on a CRJ700 from December 18, 2025, through April 6, 2026.
Tickets are already available for all the new and expanded routes on American Airlines’ website and mobile app.
Smaller airports with big potential
According to Nastro, airlines aren’t necessarily trending toward flying to more regional airports (in fact, many airlines have been pulling out of smaller airports in recent years); rather, they are picking and choosing regional airports to satisfy a growth in interest from travelers.
“People are being more purposeful in their travel compared to the pandemic years, so heading to a new ski destination on a direct route caters to that profile. And, if you can be one of the only carriers that fly directly into a destination, even better,” Nastro says.
Sun Valley, a historic resort town with world-class skiing and a thriving arts scene, is already served by Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines. As to why American is interested in joining the fray, Mike Arnot, an aviation expert and spokesperson for aviation analytics firm Cirium, says that airlines “will seek a revenue advantage where they can, especially on routes where there isn’t a lot of competition. When it comes to ski destinations, American and United each already have a lot of flying to a variety of mountain airports. Think Montrose, Grand Junction, Eagle, and Aspen, for example—each of which is conveniently located for travel to a variety of resorts. For the new routes, American has spotted what it thinks is good potential with smaller jets into ski destinations from smaller cities.”
On the other hand, Santa Maria, a city on California’s Central Coast near the burgeoning wine region Paso Robles, known for its vineyards and nearby access to the Pacific, is more unique. The regional airport is currently served only by Allegiant Air.
