Competition among U.S. airlines is expanding into a new territory: Naples, Italy.
As first confirmed on Cirium’s schedule, United filed for a notable schedule change to Naples last weekend. Specifically, the Chicago-based airline will introduce a “Hi-J” Boeing 767-300ER on all flights between Newark and Naples this summer.
United’s Naples seasonal service will operate from May 3, 2024 to September 30, 2024, with all flights operated on the most luxurious aircraft in the airline’s fleet. In addition to bringing Hi-J to all frequencies, United will also operate a whopping two daily flights from Newark to Naples for most of the summer (May 23, 2024 to September 24, 2024). is.
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The High-J Boeing 767-300ER features only 167 seats in the most premium and heaviest configuration offered by U.S. airlines. The Polaris Business Class pod has 46 seats (spread across 17 rows), 22 Premium Plus recliners, 43 extra-legroom Economy Plus seats, and 56 Standard Economy seats.
Of course, Naples is one of the most popular summer destinations for American tourists, so it’s not necessarily surprising to see Hi-J flying there. After all, this summer United jetted to Napoli for several weeks in August and September.
Naples may be popular with tourists visiting the Amalfi Coast or Italy’s Capri island, but apparently the story doesn’t end there.
Over the past few weeks, both American Airlines and Delta Air Lines announced long-awaited new transatlantic routes for summer 2024. As airlines add new flights, one of the most notable announcements is the expansion of service to Naples.
American Airlines has announced three new destinations for next summer, including Copenhagen. Nice, France. And, you guessed it, Napoli. The airline will connect all three of his cities with new nonstop flights from Philadelphia.
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Delta’s announcement, on the other hand, is less flashy than the American one, but includes two new routes from New York to Munich and Naples.
Delta’s new Naples service begins May 23, the same day (perhaps unsurprisingly) that United Airlines upgrades its Naples service to twice daily. (American Airlines service does not begin until June 6, after Memorial Day weekend, when the traditionally busy summer travel season begins.)
The three largest U.S. airlines are particularly accustomed to competition in the Northeast, vying for market share in New York and throughout the region.
In this case, each airline serves Naples from one of its major transatlantic hubs. That means travelers from all over the country should have plenty of one-stop options to reach this Italian port city.
Another good news for passengers is that increased competition should bring prices down. In the case of United Airlines, the large number of premium seats on its High J Boeing 767 aircraft may also provide additional perks and upgrades, but a spot check of the schedule shows that this has not yet happened. It is shown.
After all, this summer is shaping up to be one of the busiest in service to Europe. According to Cirium’s schedule, this is the most nonstop flight Naples has ever seen from the U.S., with the now-defunct Air Italy flying between New York and Naples in the mid-2010s.
Meanwhile, overall departures in July 2024 are about 6% higher than the busiest month on record (July 2023), according to Cirium’s schedule. He has more than 18,200 flights scheduled from the US to Europe this July.
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