American Airlines is tripling its flights from Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to London Heathrow (LHR) from April 15th onward. The third daily flight will be the latest flight to the British capital from CLT, departing at 23:25 local time. Let's find out more about the latest increase to London.

Three's better than two

First spotted by the Charlotte Business Journal, American Airlines is adding a third daily service to London Heathrow from its hub in CLT from April 15th onwards. AA734 will depart Charlotte at 23:25 local time and land in LHR at 12:15 PM the next day, a flight time of 7 hours and 50 minutes. The return service, AA735, will leave Heathrow at 16:55 and arrive in CLT at 20:32 on the same evening, taking 8 hours and 37 minutes for the transatlantic crossing.

All three flights are served by the trusted Boeing 777-200, which offers three cabins: economy, premium economy, and American's Flagship Business. With 273 total seats, the aircraft seats 212 (66 in Main Cabin Extra and 146 in Main Cabin), 24, and 37, respectively.

American is the largest operator out of CLT and the sole one to London, giving it little competition on the route. Moreover, adding another flight will lower prices across the network, especially when connecting from other US destinations. Heathrow has long been a key connection from CLT, with the route being the first long-haul flight returning after COVID to the airport, and is now on track for its biggest-ever schedule.

American's two other flights from Charlotte depart at 18:35 and 20:33, landing in LHR at 07:40 and 09:05. These are well-suited to business and leisure travelers alike, with the early arrival allowing for a full day of work or exploring. The third flight does the same for those in Charlotte, leaving at 23:25, and offers leisure passengers a comfortable 12:15 arrival (but all flights remain red-eyes).

American's biggest schedule to the UK

The summer of 2023 will be record-breaking for American's operations to the UK. The carrier will operate 26 daily services from 11 US airports, with added flights from Los Angeles and New York this year. It's not only London Heathrow or Gatwick; even Edinburgh is preparing for its time in the sun with 10 routes from North America.

Meanwhile, Charlotte will see its connections to Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG - summer only) and Frankfurt restored (FRA - year-round) on a daily basis. Overall, this year marks a return, and even expansion from some cities, to pre-COVID levels of connectivity across the Atlantic.

It's not only American planning an expansion, but partner British Airways and competitors United and Delta planning to double down on their presence in the UK. With new entrants like Norse Atlantic in the mix too, 2023 is shaping up to be a great year for long-haul flying.