American Airlines this fall will add two one-weekend nonstop routes and upgrade to a larger aircraft weekly on another route to entice fans of the Green Bay Packers American football team.
American’s “Packers routes” are an example of a practice US airlines engage in every autumn: selecting key routes to add flights and/or seats to take advantage of the large cohorts of American football fans who travel to college- and pro-football games every weekend.
On Sept. 24, American will operate a Saturday flight from Green Bay (GRB) in Wisconsin to Tampa (TPA) in Florida. It will then operate a return flight on the morning of Sept. 26. The flights will accommodate Packers’ fans headed to the Sept. 25 Green Bay Packers-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game in Tampa.
Similarly, American will run a flight from GRB to its Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) hub on Nov. 12, with a planned return flight on Nov. 14. The route is aimed at fans headed to Texas for the Packers-Dallas Cowboys game on Nov. 13.
American normally serves GRB with regional aircraft from Chicago O’Hare (ORD). This fall, flights on and surrounding weekends will be operated with larger Airbus A319 aircraft to match the expected demand for passengers traveling to/from Green Bay for Packers games. Playing in Lambeau Field, one of the oldest stadiums in the US National Football League, the Packers attract football fans who travel to Green Bay to experience a game day at the iconic stadium.
“At a time when many airports are seeing a downturn in the number of airline seats each day, it’s exciting to see American Airlines bring in its Airbus A319 with 120-plus seats on each flight to accommodate the demand by football fans,” GRB director Marty Piette said in a statement. “These schedule changes and larger planes allow fans the best options when connecting to the game or to their home airport. It’s good for the fans and for our local economy.”
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