American Airlines will add to its list of European destinations out of Philadelphia International Airport next year with daily flights to Edinburgh, Scotland, and Milan. Service will begin in May, making it 17 European cities that can be reached from PHL.
American Airlines last had flights to Edinburgh in 2019. Its service to Milan is new and adds to current Italian destinations in Rome, Venice and Naples.
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The airline's trans-Atlantic options from Philadelphia next year also include flights to Amsterdam; Athens, Greece; Barcelona, Spain; Copenhagen, Denmark; Dublin; Lisbon, Portugal; London; Madrid; Nice, France; Paris; and Zurich. The flights to Naples and Athens have been extended from the airline's seasonal service.
Travel from the United States to Europe has increased among major airlines since international trips fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Airlines also have found that more U.S. travelers are visiting Europe during spring months that were considered off-peak before the pandemic, and trips to Italy and Spain have been among the most popular travel plans among U.S. passengers in recent years, according to travel blog the Points Guy.
Demand for European travel has resulted in larger crowds and steeper costs for accommodations and activities in destination cities, with a weakened dollar putting this summer's tourists at more of a disadvantage compared with last year. As an offset, airfares have trended lower to many European cities over the last year. The average round-trip fare from the United States to Europe this summer was $892, down 16% from 2023, CNN Travel reported.
In addition to the flights to Europe, American Airlines announced new domestic service this week from Philadelphia to Des Moines, Iowa; Omaha, Nebraska; and Northwest Arkansas.
Travelers can begin purchasing tickets to Edinburgh and Milan from American Airlines on Sept. 9.