Sep. 1--CLEVELAND, Ohio -- American Airlines is adding a weekly flight between Cleveland and Phoenix, starting Nov. 7. The Saturday-only flight is scheduled through April 3.
American has flown the route before, in 2014, shortly after United Airlines closed its Cleveland hub and discontinued its Phoenix flight. American's Cleveland-to-Phoenix service lasted about a year and a half.
American will have some competition on the route. Both Southwest and Frontier airlines are currently operating nonstop flights between Cleveland Hopkins and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
U.S. airlines are grasping for customers, as air travel demand remains depressed due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to recent figures from the Transportation Security Administration, 711,178 travelers passed through security checkpoints on Monday, down nearly 70% from a year before.
Leisure travelers are returning to the air quicker than business fliers -- hence, American's new Phoenix route during snowbird season.
The new flight departs from Cleveland at 10:45 a.m., landing in Phoenix at 1:15 p.m. The return flight leaves Phoenix at 2:15 p.m., arriving in Cleveland at 8:05 p.m. American will fly a 160-passenger Boeing 737-800 on the route.
All three legacy carriers -- American, United and Delta airlines -- announced earlier this week that they would eliminate pricey change fees on most domestic flights, an effort to further entice travelers to return to the air. American's new policy also eliminates change fees on most flights to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
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