Credit: .According to the aviation analytics company Cirium, the global airline industry offered a total of 5.85 billion seats on scheduled flights in 2024. That’s more than any year in history.
That kind of growth can be especially good news for travel advisors who know the best strategies to maximize the sales potential of the industry’s ever-expanding route networks. Simply put, as carriers add more new routes and new cities to their worldwide route maps, advisors have more to sell — if they know the right way to approach the opportunities.
“Airline route expansion unlocks new opportunities for travel agencies, consumers and the broader industry,” says Dan Schultz, vice president of Global Airline Relations at ALG Vacations. “For agencies, new routes mean fresh destinations to sell and greater revenue potential. For travelers, they bring variety, convenience and affordability, whether it’s a nonstop flight to a dream destination or easier access to hidden gems. Route expansion fuels growth and innovation in travel, making it easier for more people to explore the world.”
Marrakesh, Morocco
Credit: .Indeed, airline route expansion opens doors for agencies to tap into new markets, create new product offerings and serve different types of travelers. Mario Del Duca, managing director, Americas at NUBA, a luxury travel agency, notes that "airline route expansion creates new opportunities for both travel agencies and their clients by improving accessibility, reducing travel time and sometimes making once-remote destinations more financially viable. New routes also make it easier to curate multi-leg journeys that combine different modes of transport, including commercial first-class and private jet charters."
The potential sales from new routes are particularly strong when it comes to some niche markets, according to Del Duca. "Expanded air routes help niche travel markets flourish,” he says. “Luxury travelers increasingly seek off-the-beaten-path destinations and new direct flights to places like Marrakesh or Sicily encourage immersive cultural experiences.
“The more direct flight options that exist, the easier it is to craft seamless, multi-destination itineraries that maximize convenience and exclusivity,” Del Duca adds. “For clients who utilize private aviation, new commercial routes often mean more efficient private jet positioning, improved airport logistics and expanded VIP services at emerging hubs.”
Nice, France
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Peter Vlitas, executive vice president of Partner Relations at Internova Travel Group, also says that new routes can be especially appealing to certain demographic groups — “especially with the older crowd that maybe doesn't want to connect,” he says. “If now there’s a nonstop, it does create demand, it creates interest and it creates new revenue streams and revenue opportunities for retail agencies.”
The positive impact of new routes may extend across other demographic groups, too. "You have a whole new generation of travelers — the Gen Z, the Instagram travelers,” he says. “They see things on social media, and they say, ‘hey, let’s go.’" This social media influence, combined with improved accessibility, creates new sales possibilities for agencies, according to Vlitas.
Boosting Demand for Destinations
New airline routes do more than serve existing demand. They can significantly boost interest in destinations, generating new demand and creating fresh sales opportunities for travel advisors with travelers who may not have previously considered visiting a place that’s now the newest destination on a route map.
ALG Vacations, for example, reports a surge of bookings following the debut of the new airport in Tulum, Mexico. "Since the opening of its new airport in December 2023, daily flights from major airlines have transformed this destination that [had originally] required an hours-long [ground] transfer into a must-visit hotspot,” Schultz says. “ALGV bookings in Tulum have risen by 70 percent this year.”
Indeed, new flights to smaller airports represent a significant opportunity for travel advisors, as they often allow clients to bypass hectic connecting hubs or lengthy ground travel times. "The expansion of service to smaller regional airports is a game-changer for travelers,” Schultz explains. “It eliminates the hassle of long drives to major hubs, offering unparalleled convenience and transforming how people approach their travel plans.”
How Agencies Make the Most From New Routes
To capitalize on route expansions, travel advisors need to stay informed and proactive. Schultz recommends that they should "follow the aviation news in travel trade publications and leverage the resources offered by tour operators that educate advisors around selling airfare and the benefits of packaging air with accommodations."
Vlitas says that advisors who align new airline routes with their own agency’s market position and client base are likely to find more success in selling. “Once you have that [new route information], then the second piece is [saying], ‘okay, what kind of customers do I have in what marketplace? Am I luxury? Am I premium, am I just transient?” he explains. “Knowing what your market is, what you sell and who you sell to, then you have to line up the land and the experience.”
Determining the appropriate hotel and experience options in a new destination can be crucial for enticing clients to book the new flight, according to Vlitas. “You have to know your customers to be able to send them,” he says, adding that advisors should be ready to answer some basic questions: “Why should they go there, what will they do when they go there and where will they stay?”
The bottom line, according to multiple experts, is that — as airlines continue to launch new routes and expand their global reach — travel advisors who stay informed and adapt their strategies accordingly will be well-positioned to grow their businesses and provide enhanced value to their clients.
The key lies in understanding not just the routes themselves, but how to leverage them to create compelling travel options and experiences that match client interests and market demands.
“My advice to travel advisors is to stay curious and view airline route expansion as both an opportunity and a responsibility,” Schultz says. “A new route is not just about selling a flight. It’s about selling the destination. To maximize these opportunities, advisors must educate themselves on both the routes and the destinations they connect to.
“Travelers are not booking Tulum just because United Airlines added a flight there,” Schultz continues. “They are going for the culture, the experiences and the unique appeal of the destination. By understanding and highlighting what makes these destinations special, advisors can deliver greater value to their clients and build lasting relationships.”
United Airlines’ Historic Expansion Is Good News for Travel Advisors
Travel advisors looking for new sales opportunities and fresh travel inspiration for clients need look no further than United Airlines. The Chicago-based carrier recently announced its largest international expansion ever — including service to eight new cities and its largest-ever transAtlantic summer schedule.
With diverse destinations ranging from Dakar to Ulaanbaatar, from Bilbao to Nuuk, United Airlines is providing an array of enticing international travel options as well as lots of support for the travel agency community, according to Matt Stevens, vice president – International Network at United Airlines.
“Travel advisors will benefit from the unique depth and breadth of United Airlines' global network,” he says. “As more travelers seek out unique, bucket-list experiences, United Airlines gives travel advisors more options than any other U.S. airline to serve that demand. And as we’re adding flights to places like Mongolia and Marrakesh, we’re also adding more flights to popular destinations, like our new flight between Washington D.C. and Nice, France – so we’re giving advisors the ability to serve a wide range of clients with different travel needs and interests.”
United Airlines aims to make it easy for advisors to sell more, Stevens adds. “A key objective of United Airlines’ sales team is to help travel advisors not only understand the breadth of United’s offerings but also learn insights about new destinations, so they can be a source of knowledge and expertise for their clients,” he explains. “United Airlines attends many conferences with tour operators and tourism boards to spread awareness of our new and existing destinations.”
And that’s not all. “We also keep travel professionals informed with webinars throughout the year to share updates about our network and product offerings,” Stevens says. “Finally, there are frequent newsletters and travel shows, which aid in communicating to the travel advisor community what destinations United has available for their diverse range of clients.”
A Fine-Tuned Expansion Strategy
United Airlines takes a strategic approach to determining the most effective ways to grow its route network, according to Stevens. “Network planning is indeed a mix of art and science – which is what makes launching new routes both challenging and exciting,” he says. “The science involves analyzing reams of data about market sizes, yields, costs, aircraft capabilities and more — but that only gives you a foundation to build from.”
“The magic happens when we look beyond the hard data and consider things like broader travel trends, what made previous routes successful, and which under-the-radar destinations may have untapped potential,” Stevens continues. “It’s a multiyear process that requires a lot of research and discussion. But the effort is worth it when we can successfully connect our customers to an exciting destination that they’ve never experienced before.”
The carrier certainly has added some interesting, lesser-known destinations to its far-flung global route map this year, and Stevens says that each city was chosen carefully based on a variety of factors. “In short, we aim to find destinations where we know people want to go and we have a unique opportunity to serve,” he explains.
"Ulaanbaatar and Kaohsiung are perfect examples. Both are fast-growing markets, and our fleet based in Guam means we have the right aircraft in the right place to meet the demand.”
“In Greenland, our industry-first nonstop flight between the U.S. and Nuuk capitalizes on the growing eco-tourism and adventure-travel trends, and we’re perfectly positioned to serve it from Newark/New York,” he adds. “And our new nonstop service from Washington to Dakar connects the second-largest Senegalese diaspora in the U.S. with their homeland and leverages United’s broad connectivity at the Washington-Dulles hub. This route also reinforces our commitment to Africa, where we serve more destinations than any other U.S. airline.”
Getting the Bleisure Mix Right
Stevens says that United Airlines is well positioned to serve a variety of traveler types on the new routes. “The mix of leisure and business travelers will vary depending on the route,” he says. “For example, we expect the amazing attractions and natural beauty of destinations like Madeira, Portugal or Palermo, Italy to attract many leisure travelers, while our new route to Kaohsiung – a major industrial center and port city – will attract relatively more business travelers.”
The latest route network expansion further strengthens United Airlines’ unique positioning in the marketplace, according to Stevens. “We’ve invested in all aspects of our business over the last several years, building a strong foundation that enables us to strategically grow our global network,” he explains. “With 800 daily flights across over 145 international destinations, including 40 not served by another U.S. airline, United Airlines’ international network is a huge differentiator to our competitors.”
For more information on the latest offerings from United Airlines, visit united.com.
