These Are the Most Exciting New Airline Routes Launching in July

The kids are out of school, bags are packed, and most Americans will hit the road in July. Travel demand is so high that the Transportation Security Administration forecasts it could break records screening more than 3 million passengers nationally on July 7.

In this peak travel period, airlines continue to grow. New routes take off catering to one of the biggest events of the month, expanding some key airline partnerships, and adding new competition in some already competitive markets.

Canada and California get better connected

United is expanding connections with its partner Air Canada in July. The Star Alliance airline begins daily flights between San Francisco and Montreal on July 1, Cirium Diio schedules show. The flight departs San Francisco at 11 p.m. and arrives in Montreal at 7:25 the following morning. The return flight departs Montreal at 8:30 a.m. and arrives in SFO at 11:46 a.m. Air Canada and United together will offer three daily flights on the route with the latest addition. One-way fares on the United flight are typically between $150 and $350 one way this month. 

Four U.S. cities get routes to get to Mexico City

On the topic of partnerships, Aeromexico is building back its U.S. network with partner Delta Air Lines. The airline will add four new routes from Mexico City to Raleigh-Durham, Salt Lake City, Tampa, and Washington Dulles from July 1. Aeromexico had pulled back to the U.S. during the pandemic, its bankruptcy restructuring, and the two years that U.S. authorities limited Mexican airlines’ growth. Fares on the airline’s website range from $520 to $843 one way during the first week of July

Delta expands its West Coast coverage

Delta itself launches two new routes in July. The SkyTeam carrier will connect Seattle and Dallas-Fort Worth — a route it had planned to launch in 2020 — twice daily from July 8. It faces a formidable list of competitors on the route, including Alaska Airlines and American. Delta also starts flights between Detroit and Sacramento on July 8, a route it last flew in 2020. For July, one-way fares on Delta’s website start at $179 between Seattle and DFW, and $409 between Detroit and Sacramento.

Airlines add options for the RNC

The Republican National Convention will convene in Milwaukee from July 15-18. American Airlines and United Airlines, eager to cater to convention goers, have added several new routes around the event. American will offer a nonstop to Milwaukee from New York LaGuardia on July 14 and 19 with 76-seat Embraer E175 jets. Good luck finding a seat though, flights are almost sold out, according to Google Flights.

United will also add new routes for the RNC. Flights between Washington Dulles and Milwaukee will operate July 13-15 and 19, and between Washington Reagan National and the Wisconsin city on July 14 and 19, according to Cirium Diio schedules. The Reagan National flights are already sold out, however, and the cheapest flight from Dulles starts at $906 one-way in economy, the airline’s website shows.

Stiff competition for Taipei

The Seattle-Taipei market heats up this month. China Airlines enters the market with five-times weekly flights from July 14. The carrier joins Delta, who launched the route in June, and Eva Air between Seattle and Taipei. And it’s about to get even hotter: Starlux Airlines joins the trio with nonstop flights in August. One-way fares start at $1,129 in economy, according to Google Flights.

Boston get another European connection

Boston gains a new long-haul destination this month: Vienna. Austrian Airlines launches daily flights between the cities on July 1. Vienna is just the latest in a flurry of new or returning (after a pandemic hiatus) long-haul routes for Boston this year, including Abu Dhabi on Etihad Airways, Dublin and Paris on JetBlue Airways, and Mexico City on Aeromexico. One way fares on the new Boston-Vienna route begin at $1,608 on July 1, Google Flights shows.

A wallet-friendly option from Washington

And new budget carrier Avelo Airlines adds Washington Dulles to its map this month. The discounter begins twice-weekly flights on Mondays and Fridays from New Haven on July 12. One way fares start at $46, according to the airline.