American Airlines will no longer provide nonstop service on the route between New York JFK and Orlando (MCO) starting May 3rd. AA currently has two daily nonstops between JFK and MCO.  These flights are operated on a Boeing 737-800.

AA Boeing 737-800
American Airlines is Etihad's largest partner in the US. Photo: American Airlines.

If you would like to travel between New York JFK and Orlando on American Airlines this summer, you will have to stop in Miami (MIA) or Charlotte (CLT).

If you prefer a nonstop flight, however, you will have the option to fly from and to New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) instead of JFK. American Airlines will still offer one daily nonstop flight between LaGuardia and Orlando. This flight is operated on an Airbus A321 and departs LGA around 8:00 am. The flight from MCO to LGA departs MCO around 8:30 pm.

American Airlines also does not offer a nonstop flight from Newark (EWR) to Orlando.

The route between JFK and Orlando

The route between JFK and Orlando is very popular and busy. According to data provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Orlando is the third most popular destination for flights leaving from JFK. Between November of 2017 and October of 2018, as many as 765,000 passengers traveled between the two airports. (Los Angeles (LAX) is number 1 with 1.7 million passengers; San Francisco (SFO) is number 2 with 1.03 million passengers.)

Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a very popular destination. Photo: Orlando International Airport.

At the same time, JFK is the fourth most popular destination for flights departing Orlando (Atlanta is number 1, Newark is number 2, and Philadelphia is number 3). Between November of 2017 and October of 2018, a total of 768,000 passengers departed Orlando for JFK.

The main airlines serving this route are American Airlines, Delta, and JetBlue. Unfortunately, the exact carrier share for the route is not available. Nonetheless, the carrier share by airport for the three airlines between November of 2017 and October of 2018 was the following:

JFK

  • JetBlue - 10,296,000 Passengers - 37.02% Share
  • Delta - 8,388,000 Passengers - 30.15% Share
  • American - 3,996,000 Passengers - 14.37% Share

MCO

  • Delta - 5,936,000 Passengers - 14.98%
  • American - 5,373,000 Passengers - 13.56%
  • JetBlue - 4,889,000 Passengers - 12.33%

So, why is American Airlines ending JFK to Orlando flights if the route is so popular?

Why is American Airlines ending JFK to Orlando flights?

The answer is actually fairly simple: competition. It appears that JetBlue and Delta Air Lines have taken over the route. JetBlue operates as many as 8 daily nonstop flights between JFK and MCO. In addition, Delta offers 4 daily nonstops between the two airports.

JetBlue Aircraft
JetBlue operates the Airbus A320 and the A321 on the route between JFK and MCO. Photo: JetBlue.

The prices for tickets on this route have hit rock bottom. In fact, a round-trip ticket between JFK and MCO is available for as little as $150. Interestingly, which of the three airlines offers the cheapest tickets varies by date. Quite often, the ticket price is actually identical for all three airlines though.

Accordingly, it is very likely that American Airlines has decided to discontinue nonstop service between the two airports due to the cut-throat competition on this route.

How do you feel about American Airlines ending JFK to Orlando flights?