Air Travel in 2026-2027: Newest Airlines, Flight Routes & Deals

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Air travel in 2026 has seen some big changes. Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air launched public flights, Alaska Airlines started its first-ever routes to Europe, and United kept adding destinations most US airlines wouldn’t touch. Airlines are also fitting nicer business class cabins, and Qantas is about to launch the longest flights in the world in 2027.

I’ve been following these developments closely all year, and there’s plenty I’m excited about. I’ll walk you through what’s flying now, what you can book today, and what’s coming in 2027. A few of these developments surprised me, and I think some will surprise you too!

My #1 tip for catching new route deals

Want the newest routes and airline deals sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights), a membership-based service that finds huge discounts, mistake fares, and points and miles deals. They’re often the first to surface fares on new launches like the ones in this guide, whether that’s a new carrier like Riyadh Air or a fresh long-haul route. All you have to do is enter your home airport and where you want to go.

There’s a free and a premium version and the free one has pretty much everything you’ll need. Though if you’re like me and travel a lot, it’s worth upgrading to the paid version for $49 per year. I recommend signing up for the free trial to try it for yourself. And if you like it, use my code JON25 for 25% off your membership!

Riyadh Air Is Now Flying (And You Can Book It!)

Riyadh Air operated its first flight on October 26, 2025, a Riyadh–London Heathrow service that was invite-only for staff and select guests. Public ticket sales finally opened on May 19, 2026. Full public service began July 1, 2026, flying Riyadh to London Heathrow daily on the airline’s own new 787-9 Dreamliners.

The verdict from early flyers is strong. Reviewers have praised the cabins as some of the most distinctive in the sky and the crew as warm and invested, though the airline is still learning the basics after only weeks of operation. The 787-9 carries three classes: business, premium economy, and economy, with no first class for now.

I’d love to fly Riyadh Air’s business class in the near future. It’s laid out 1-2-1 so every seat has aisle access, a privacy door, a lie-flat bed, and a 32-inch 4K screen that dwarfs most rivals. Premium economy runs 2-3-2 with 38 inches of pitch, and economy is a standard 3-3-3 with sharp seatback screens and free Wi-Fi across all cabins. London is still the only public route, but Riyadh Air is targeting 100+ destinations by 2030, with Jeddah, Dubai, and Manchester next.

• Read also: The Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Saudi Arabia

Whatever Happened to Global Airlines?

Global Airlines was the startup that promised to revive the golden age of flying using Airbus A380 superjumbos, and it made headlines when its jet crossed the Atlantic in May 2025. The reality since has been quieter. It has flown just four transatlantic charters – Glasgow and Manchester to New York – and never started scheduled service.

The airline owns a single second-hand A380, and that plane has sat in long-term storage in Tarbes, France since July 2025, waiting on a major maintenance check that still hadn’t begun by mid-2026. Global also still lacks the operating certificate it needs to fly commercially in its own right. Its early flights ran on a leased arrangement rather than the airline’s own licence.

Founder James Asquith isn’t giving up. In June 2026, the airline announced plans for a UK-Maldives route before the end of the year, adding an exotic long-haul destination to its pitch. With the jet still parked and the paperwork unfinished, though, it’s a promise to watch rather than book.

• Read next: My Top International Travel Tips in 2025

Alaska Airlines Now Flies to Europe

Alaska Airlines crossed the Atlantic for the first time in its 93-year history on April 28, 2026, launching a daily nonstop between Seattle and Rome. It flies on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, one of the widebodies Alaska picked up through its merger with Hawaiian Airlines. Seattle–London Heathrow followed on May 21, with seasonal Reykjavik flights added soon after.

This is a shift for an airline long known for West Coast and domestic flying. The 787s carry around 300 seats across three cabins, including 34 lie-flat business “Suites,” premium economy, and a refreshed long-haul economy, with intro Rome fares starting near $599 roundtrip. Early reviews of the new Suites and onboard product have been positive, with the usual rough edges of a brand-new operation.

The bigger goal is to turn Seattle into a international gateway, with a dozen-plus long-haul routes targeted by 2030. That puts Alaska head-to-head with Delta, which launched its own Seattle-Rome flights days later and has spent years building the same hub. For West Coast travelers, it means competition and nonstop options that didn’t exist a year ago.

• For more reading: How to Fly to Alaska for Cheap in 2026 (From the Lower 48)

United’s New Routes to Greenland, Mongolia and Seoul

United keeps building the most adventurous route map of any US airline. In 2025, it became the only US carrier flying to places like Nuuk in Greenland and Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, and both are back for 2026. The Greenland flight in particular still amazes me: a four-hour hop from Newark to the world’s northernmost capital, on a route no US airline had touched since 2007.

Newark–Nuuk returned on June 13, 2026, operated twice weekly on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 through the summer, with fares from around $1,100 roundtrip. Mongolia is a little different, flown seasonally from Tokyo rather than the US, but United is still the only American carrier that serves it. If you’d told me a few years ago I could book Greenland or Mongolia on a mainstream US airline, I wouldn’t have believed you!

What’s new for 2026 is a year-round Newark–Seoul route starting in September, on a 787-9, part of United’s steady Pacific push. I find this strategy smart: while other airlines pile onto Paris and Rome, United is betting that well-traveled flyers want somewhere they haven’t already been ten times. So far, it’s working.

• For further reading: The Most Beautiful Places in Greenland
• Read after: Mongolia Bucket List Locations You Need to See

The Airbus A321XLR Is Opening New Long-Haul Routes

The plane I find most interesting right now is a small one. The Airbus A321XLR is a single-aisle jet that flies up to about 4,700 nautical miles, far enough to cross the Atlantic. That range lets airlines open thin routes between smaller cities that could never fill a widebody, and it’s already changing where you can fly nonstop. Iberia flew the first XLR service back in 2024, and plenty of airlines have followed.

Aer Lingus has done the most with it. The airline has grown from six North American destinations to more than two dozen using the XLR and its shorter-range sibling, adding routes like Dublin to Raleigh-Durham in 2026. In the US, American was first to fly the type and starts JFK to Edinburgh this year. United took its own first XLR in June 2026 and plans to use it on smaller routes to Europe and South America as its old 757s retire.

I’ve flown a few of these long, thin routes, and I think they’re worth it. Yes, the cabin is narrower than a Dreamliner and the galleys are smaller. But airlines are fitting proper lie-flat business and premium economy seats, and for a six or seven hour flight I’ll happily take a nonstop that didn’t used to exist.

How Close Are We to Electric Air Travel?

Electric flights are an air travel development that always seems to be five years away. The nearer-term story is air taxis – small electric aircraft that take off vertically like a helicopter and whisk you from the airport to the city center. In April 2026, a Joby air taxi flew from JFK to Manhattan in seven minutes, a trip that can take over an hour by car.

You can’t book one yet, but it’s getting close. The FAA started a pilot program across 26 states in summer 2026, though the first real passenger services are launching in Dubai, with US cities following in 2027. Early rides are expected to cost somewhere between a premium Uber and a helicopter, so think treat rather than daily commute. Delta has partnered with Joby to eventually offer these airport transfers to its passengers.

Bigger electric planes that carry 30 people are further off. Heart Aerospace, which moved from Sweden to California, finally got clearance to start test-flying its demonstrator in July 2026, but its commercial aircraft won’t fly passengers until around 2029. So for now, electric flight means short hops over a city, not your trip to Spain.

The Biggest Wave of Business Class Upgrades in Years

If you’ve been saving points for a premium seat, the next couple of years are a good time to use them. Airlines are in the middle of the biggest wave of business class upgrades I can remember, with new suites that have sliding doors, lie-flat beds, huge 4K screens, and wireless charging. American’s Flagship Suite is already flying, United is rolling out a redesigned Polaris on its new 787s this year, and JetBlue is refreshing its Mint cabin.

Europe is moving fast too. SWISS launched its boutique-style Senses cabin in late 2025, Lufthansa is expanding its Allegris suites, and Air France is retrofitting its 777s with a stunning new first class. After years of airlines quietly killing off first class, it’s making a comeback, with Qantas, Singapore, and Qatar all building new ultra-private suites for 2026 and 2027.

Here’s the one thing I’d tell anyone chasing a great seat: the aircraft matters more than the airline. The same carrier on the same route can put you in a beautiful new suite or a tired old recliner depending on which plane shows up. Before you book, check the seat map for your specific flight. It’s the single easiest way to avoid a disappointing ten hours.

• Read next: My Guide to Flying Delta One in 2026

Heads Up If You’re Flying to Europe (EES and ETIAS)

If Europe is on your list of places to visit this year, you should know about two new border systems before you book. The first, called EES, is already running. Instead of getting your passport stamped, first-time non-EU visitors now scan their fingerprints and have their photo taken at the border. It’s meant to speed things up long term, but this summer it’s caused some long lines at busy airports in Spain, Italy, and France. Give yourself extra time on arrival.

The second one, ETIAS, keeps getting pushed back. It’s a quick online travel authorization, similar to the ESTA that visitors need for the US. It costs €20, lasts three years, and takes about ten minutes to apply for online. It was expected in late 2026, but the EU pulled that date in July, and it now looks like a 2027 launch.

Here’s what I’d do for now. You don’t need to apply for anything yet, and I’d ignore any website charging you for ETIAS before it’s live. Just make sure your passport is valid well beyond your travel dates, since the authorization will be tied to it. When ETIAS does go live, applying takes minutes, so it’s nothing to stress about, just something to remember before your next European trip.

• You may also like: Premium Economy to Europe: When It’s Actually Worth the Upgrade