American Airlines could introduce flights between Chicago and Dubrovnik in the coming years, with its new routes out of Philadelphia used as a testing ground for future operations out of the carrier’s O’Hare hub. American’s Vice President for Network and Schedule Planning, Vasu Raja, said, “As we go and start things in Philadelphia, and they work, it becomes a means to develop routes for Chicago. Barcelona, Venice, Prague and Budapest all started from Philadelphia, and we realised they could all work from Chicago too, given where the traffic was coming from”. Seasonal flights from Chicago to Budapest and Prague will launch in 2020, after two years of operations from Philadelphia.
The head of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, Romana Vlašić, previously said the Philadelphia – Dubrovnik service would lead to the launch of new routes from the United States. "This pilot project with American Airlines will grow over the coming years to include more American cities as well as new airlines. We have been working intensively on the US market for years”. She added, “The American market is the second most strategically important for us in terms of visitors, just behind the United Kingdom. We expect flights to be extended throughout the season first and then for new routes to be added”.
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| Dubrovnik on the cover of this month's American Airlines magazine |
American Airlines will add an additional weekly frequency between Philadelphia and Dubrovnik starting next week for a total of four weekly until the end of September, with the service to resume on a daily basis in June of next year. “Dubrovnik went really really well for us”, Mr Raja said. He added, “We can connect 95% of the United States over Philadelphia, and [at] none of our competitors’ operations in New York or the northeast can they do anything really remotely close to that”. Prior to the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, JAT Yugoslav Airlines maintained a one weekly seasonal nonstop service from Dubrovnik to New York JFK, as well as a one weekly service to Chicago with its wide-body DC-10 aircraft. Furthermore, Pan Am offered daily connections to New York via its Frankfurt hub, using a Boeing 727 on the inter-European sector.
Wow! Congrats, Dubrovnik!
ReplyDeleteDubrovnik is the best managed airport in ex yu!
DeleteThis is great but what about ZAG? Wouldn’t it make sense to have one route from US to Dubrovnik and one from US to Zagreb?
ReplyDeleteAA did their homework and they saw there is no market in ZAG, at least it's not big enough for them to notice it. DBV obviously has the volume, ZAG doesn't.
DeleteI was hoping UA would introduce Zagreb but they chose Nice and Sicily.
DeleteHTZ director for US market said flights to Zagreb would begin in 2 to 3 years (she said this in June). I tend to believe her.
DeleteAnd while DBV gets its second long-haul destination from the US, our beloved minister will keep on announcing the final stage on NYC-ZAG flights. *facepalm*
ReplyDeleteMinister said ZAG-NY would start in 2020. Don't trust a word he says.
DeletePerhaps the people from Zagreb will need to connect in DBV if they want to fly to NYC. Nothing wrong with that.
DeleteWhy connect in DBV when you can connect in ZRH, FRA, VIE, WAW, BEG...?
DeleteBecause it's a domestic flight, you avoid passport control.
DeleteYou avoid passport control in ZAG and than you have to do it in DBV. What's the difference?
DeleteYour boosting Croatian economy by traveling from Croatia & to Croatia directly,
DeleteYes but do you really? OU gets subsidies for that route so it's not like you are contributing much.
DeleteAn Intercont Heavy is generating lot of revenues, much more than a 321 European feeder.
DeleteThis would make sense and it seems DBV is following the same route development pattern as BUD and PRG.
ReplyDeleteBoth are major tourist destinations for Americans so it makes sense.
DeleteDBV is becoming as well.
DeleteWhere is the Croatian community in the US concentrated? Which part of the country?
ReplyDeleteAll around but these are for tourists, not for diaspora.
DeleteI know but I'm wondering is there a particular city or state where there is a larger Croatian diaspora in the US?
DeleteNew York ,New Jersey area, Pennsylvania, Los Angeles, pretty much across the California ,Chicago, Cleveland Ohio. Dulut, Austin Texas, Orlando, Miami, Portland Oregon
DeleteFor those who didn't know 464K people said they have Croatian roots, Serbian 162K,Slovenian 185K, Albanian 172K ,Yugoslavs 215K ,BOSNIANS 142k
DeleteIntersting how Croats emigrated the most.
DeleteSmart people those Croatians.
DeleteI remember when i was in high school, it took me 12 hours to get from Zagreb to Sibenik.
Now, in those 12 hours i get from Dammam to Zagreb.
Go figure it out
That would be nice.
ReplyDeleteIf OU had any sense they would get A330 to operate summer charters to the US from DBV and winter flights to Seoul from ZAG.
ReplyDeleteBut no, it's better to be idle and send everything via Mutti hubs at a loss.
+100
DeleteWhy would follow this highly loss making suggestion of yours?
DeleteDon't they have enough problems?
Their problems are caused by shrinking presence on the HR market. They need to reinvent themselves and restart their whole mindset.
DeleteJedini njihov problem je nerad. Kao da se može promjeniti situacija ako ne uvodiš nove rute i postojeće ne prilagodiš tržištu. Zadnjih X godina, u zimskom redu letenja su uveli valjda dodatnih 5-6 tjednih rotacija na 2 destinacije, i ni to nisu sposobni održati cijelu zimu. Najlakše je ne letjeti nigdje, primati PSO, kukati kako je sezona jedina profitabilna i zima da samo stvara dugove.
DeleteTransatlantic prestige routes are the surest way to bankrupt yourself.
DeleteNo thanks, I don't want to give even more subsidies to OU.
Why would it be loss making?
DeleteYes why do people here think that any long haul is by default lots making?
Delete*loss
DeleteYou got to hand it to DBV management and tourism office. They know what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteTrue. Very good management.
DeleteCongrats DBV!
ReplyDeleteBut too early for 2021, I wish possibly in 2020.
How is 2021 early and 2020 not? :D
DeleteHe is right, waiting for more than a year from now 2019 till 2021 is too long.
DeleteMe too I wish in 2020.
It won't start in 2020. American already announced their new routes for 2020.
DeleteBravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteSerious airline which plans in advance. Wouldn’t be surprised if we see ORD-DBV soon.
ReplyDeleteWhile I’m happy for Dubrovnik, seeing as it already has one US route it would be nice if Zagreb and Split got one too.
ReplyDeleteIt’s not DBV’s fault that they were more proactive in attracting American.
DeleteIt’s not ZAG’s fault that they were more proactive in attracting Emirates, Air Canada, Transat, Qatar or Korean.
DeleteNo one said Zagreb hasn't attracted other airlines. We are taking about the US.
DeleteWell there were flights 30 years ago to Chicago so why not.
ReplyDeleteBecause the world is a very different place now ;)
DeleteDubrovnik has really opened a door with American and there are a lot of exciting opportunities.
ReplyDeleteI hope it will also lead to attracting some other long haul flights.
DeleteYes please!
ReplyDeleteTook a long time they realized what potential lies on the Adriatic coast. Probl just a matter of time until QR starts with seasonal flights to the pearl of the Adriatic sea
ReplyDeleteAA had really great figures so far even Business class often full or 90% full
Looking fwd to be in DBV in October again
Nadam se da će sljedeće godine promjeniti zrakoplov na liniji DBV-PHL jer je 767 katastrofa.
ReplyDeleteI ja
DeleteHopefully they also upgrade equipment on philly - dubrovnik route
ReplyDeleteB767 are a bit old and not in the best shape. They upgraded Prague to A330.
DeleteEquipment will be kept the same for next year to Dubrovnik.
DeleteThey will eventually use Dreamliners on this route.
DeleteThe B767 interior is very old without seatback IFE screens in economy
Delete^ouch
Delete@9.45 AA PRG service is going from 767 to A330 and A330 will be around for a while. But 787 will not take over all 767 routes.
DeleteWhat is the flight time of the Philadelphia-Dubrovnik flight? I assume around 10 hours. Without PTVs, not fun.
Delete@An.13.09
DeleteNot all people are the same. Some people like to stare at various screens for 24 hours per day, some don't. Me for example. Also, sometimes during the night flight you cannot sleep because your neighbour's screen makes all the light. Not to mention that on "normal seats" which you dislike, sometimes you can lean forward to change tired body position, which you cannot if you have screen in front of you. And finally, God forbid, in case of en emergency landing/ditching, having "brace position" screen can fall out and hurt/cut your head or shoulders
@An.13.24
Correct. Not all AA routes (long-haul) will be operated by Dreamliner or A330 next year, some of them will remain on B767-300, DBV probably as well, as it would be too much to get daily frequency and bigger equipment after only one year of service, but during the next 2-3 years all AA flights will be switched to either A330 or B787 as 767's are getting phased out. So DBV will get bigger and newer plane as well, if not 2020 than 2021 or 2022
PHL-DBV is around 8 hours according to flightradar24.
DeleteTheir DBV route seem to have been really successful. While I didn’t doubt that they would succeed I didn’t expect they would grow the route so quickly.
ReplyDeleteI think this should help in bringing another US carrier with another route to Croatia (hopefully ZAG linking with New York).
DeleteDoes DBV give some support or subisidies to American for this route?
ReplyDeleteYes they get money for advertising.
DeleteHow much?
DeleteDon't know. It's usually confidental.
DeleteUdruzeno oglasavnje budget is not made public as far as I'm aware. Each year airlines and other companies have to apply through a tender.
DeleteIn this case the investment has paid off big time.
DeleteAre there any locals using the Philadelphia route? I’m not attempting to troll, I’m genuinely interested in the composition of passengers on the Philadelphia route and if it is mainly tourists or are there people from Croatia using this route too, for example transferring from Zagreb to catch this flight. If anyone knows :)
ReplyDeleteVery few
DeleteI hope DBV works on attracting long hauls from some other markets. Not just the US.
ReplyDeleteSeoul and Toronto
DeleteWould be good if they eventually got one year round US route
DeleteWhy? I don’t think there is a need for it in winter. These flights are (and used to be in the past) for tourists.
DeleteMaybe one day as DBV countinues developing into a year round destination.
DeleteAir Transat 1/7 330 in 1st season would work
DeleteLepo videti. Samo napred
ReplyDeleteThey are currently evaluating ORD and LAX to DBV.
ReplyDeleteNice!
DeleteLAX-DBV would be fantastic.
DeleteAA has at the moment just one route LAX-Europe: to LHR 2 daily 773.
DeleteSo, DBV could be their 2nd route from LAX? Yay!
DeleteGood idea
ReplyDeleteDubrovnik got the US, Zagreb got Canada.
ReplyDeleteZagreb will get US flights too eventually.
DeleteHopefully sooner rather than later.
DeleteEvo samo sto nisu. Zag US flights obsession. Budite sretni za DBV i to je to.
DeleteAnon 10:52, flights will happen, whether you like it or not.
DeleteJetblue, 2022, A321XLR, JFK, daily summer, 4 weekly winter. Plenty of connections via JFK hub, LCC /moderate prices, for more budget travellers from Croatia and some city break tourists from the US, and diaspora of course, with narrow-body low-operating costs and lower airport taxes, win - win- win
DeleteAnonymous 10:59, please elaborate on why they are "negotiating" those flights years and years by now.
DeleteI can elaborate instead, if you don't mind : It's taking long because there are lot of limiting factors in ZAG : poor OU network which should serve to partly feed those flights, very, and OU generally not interested in anything else except feeding Star hubs, also very very high taxes in ZAG, which has no intention to lower them. Also good connectivity via Star and other European hubs, very often ar very reasonable prices. On the other hand, there is over 150.000 passengers per year flying between ZAG and US which shows that market absolutely exists, unlike what lot of people here write without any argument or number. So in my opinion, flights ZAG to US will happen, in a way which would least harm existing flows of traffic and with "new" passengers, from both "sides", and when I say it I mean Jetblue to JFK in 2 years with their new A321XLR
DeleteRazlozi zašto Zagreb nema linijiu za SAD je zato što nema domaću aviokompaniju sa širokotrupcima. Tek sada američki prijevoznici su se počeli širiti po Europi a Zagreb zasigurno ima potencijala za liniju prema SAD-u.
DeleteNaprimjer Rzeszow (Poljska) ima cjelogodišnju (1pw) liniju za Newark s LOT- om, a zračna luka ima tek 700.000 putnika. Također linije prema SAD imaju i Tashkent (2pw, Uzbekistan Airways), Baku (2pw Azal), Kiev (3pw, UIA), Beograd ( 6pw, Air Serbia).
Thanks Pozdrav iz Rijeke.
DeleteWe read some days ago that OU is blocking competition from entering ZAG. I am sure they are doing the same with US carriers. The airport was probably incredibly expensive on purpose.
DeleteGood luck Dubrovnik :) see you soon
ReplyDeleteThe best thing about American in DBV is that it brings high end tourists who spend a lot. So it's a win for the city too.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteUntil they start flights to Zagreb, very few Croats will use them to the US.
ReplyDeleteRealistically speaking, DBV has all the chances of becoming Yugoslavia's second busiest airport and the busiest in the Western Balkans.
ReplyDeleteInstead of both "Yugoslavia" and "Western Balkans" you should use "EX-YU". First because it's the name of blog. Second, because Yugoslavia (unfortunately) doesn't exist any more. And third, because "Western Balkans" is political term used to distinguish Balkan EU countries from those non EU, and becoming EU member, Croatia cannot be considered "Western Balkans" any more. And btw, there is absolutely no way that any other airport in Ex-yu will overtake BEG, at least during the next ten years
DeleteWell he did say second busiest :)
DeleteNo. He said "The busiest in the Western Balkans". And "Yugoslavia 's second busiest". So please explain me how is it possible? Aside from you taking from "svedski stol" and aside from him having no clue what he talks about
Delete2020 no UA flight to Croatia. Its not on the internal new dest list.
ReplyDeleteYep, their big reveal was last Thursday. No Croatian destinations this year. American has also revealed their new destinations. That only leaves Delta as a possibility.
Delete@14:53 The best American airline...hopeful but know it is not happening
DeleteI think it will be none of the US big 3. I put my bet on Jetblue starting 2022 with A321XLR year round, daily in summer and 3-4 weekly in winter
DeleteCan the A321XLR even make it? I am asking because of the strong winds over the Atlantic. I think it can barely do BUD-JFK.
DeleteCan't wait. Glad their gamble with DBV paid off.
ReplyDeleteNice to see Dubrovnik on the front cover of American Way
ReplyDeleteLike that DBV front page on Pan Am Clipper magazine :)
DeleteI believe this is a fact that Dubrovnik city must be a forever thankful to Hollywood for the game of thrones TV series. OK there were American tourists before but I think after this TV show it was a rapid rise in American tourists and generally from all over the world.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt about it.
DeleteDubrovnik was popular with Americans during Yugo times too.
DeleteGoT should be thankful to Dubrovnik. Their Kings Landing scenes are incredinle
DeleteIf they start Chicago and keep Philadelphia, that would be a major win for an airport like Dubrovnik. Well done.
ReplyDeleteDubrovnik, like Amalfi coast, is not designed to accomodate mass tourism. Naples has Pompeii, Vesuvius, Capri and Amalfi but it's not constantly en vogue with US tourists and airlines. Same with Pisa and it's leaning tower, or Florence with Ponte Vecchio, Cathedral, Ufizzi and Tuscany countryside. Look at US3 airlines presence over time at NAP, PSA even VCE to realize it's more about varying interest than staying power. Once GoT and instagram influencers shift focus, will Dubrovnik be able to keep being fresh and attractive to sustain constant growth from the US?
ReplyDeleteI believe 30-40 years ago, when Pan Am flew daily to DBV plus JAT twice weekly on DC-10, it was also the result of Instagram influences focus LOL!!! My friend you have no idea about the US - Dubrovnik relations ; do you know for example, which was the first country in the World to recognize independency of the US from England /Britain /UK? Dubrovacka Republika is the answer. And much much more.... But in order to know it less time should be spent on Facebook and Instagram, LOL again
DeleteWell, I think you can't compare Italy and Dubrovnik. Americans love Italy, and they will always be there. It's about lot of different factors.
Delete40 years ago Pan Am did not fly to Pisa or Napoli but flew to Dubrovnik. Daily. Enough for me. And I was not comparing nothing with nothing. You did. I just said US and Dubrovnik have ties for several hundreds of years
DeletePozdrav iz Rijeke, I was replying to anonymus 15:28. Italy is a huge brand known all over the world, food, fashion, life style, climate, design and so on. Of course DBV had flights back than (and now), but we are talking here of very different markets.
DeleteDubrovnik is also a good starting point to visit the neighbourhood for example breathtakingly beautiful Trebinje or Boka Kotorska .
ReplyDeleteAs better informed those American tourists are the much more Dubrovnik makes sense as a destination .
congrats!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteSeveral of my East Cost colleagues were visiting Dubrovnik this summer. In addition, they travelled to Mostar and Sarajevo as a part of two-days excursion. They loved Dubrovnik. Especially, they were thrilled with Sarajevo.
Delete