The many delights of the European continent will be easier than ever to reach for American travelers in the coming months, thanks to new non-stop routes being launched by major U.S. airlines, including Delta, United, American and Alaska.
The new routes put travelers directly through to world-class beaches, breathtaking architecture and historical sites dating back thousands of years.
Here are 10 of the best destinations travelers will be able to reach directly from Seattle, Boston, New York and Philadelphia.
1. Boston to Madrid, Spain — Delta
Launching: May 6, 2026
Frequency: Daily. Aircraft type: Airbus A330-900neo
This new direct service puts the Spanish capital’s imperious buildings and epic public squares within easier reach. Must-visits include Plaza Oriente, Plaza de la Villa and the Museo del Prado, which houses over 9,000 paintings and sculptures by artists including Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, Titian, Rubens and Hieronymus Bosch.
2. Boston to Nice, France — Delta
Launching: May 16, 2026
Frequency: Three times a week. Aircraft type: Airbus A330-900neo
Experience the striking Côte d’Azur light via this new service from Boston. Highlights within Nice include Vieux Nice, the city’s maze-like old town, and the palm-lined 19th-century Promenade des Anglais, which curves along the city’s seafront in front of the glittering Med.
3. Seattle to Rome, Italy — Delta and Alaska Airlines
Launching: April 28 (Alaska Airlines), May 6, 2026 (Delta)
Frequency: Daily (Alaska), four times per week (Delta). Aircraft type: Dreamliner (Alaska), A330-900neo (Delta)
The Rome service marks the first time in Alaska Airlines’ history that it will operate transatlantic flights of any kind. It will be operated by a widebody 787 Dreamliner aircraft in green liveries inspired by the Northern Lights. They go head-to-head with Delta’s Airbus A330neos. Top sights include the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Pantheon, an ancient Roman temple with just one source of light, a hole in the center of the dome called the oculus.
4. Seattle to Barcelona, Spain — Delta
Launching: May 7, 2026
Frequency: Three times per week. Aircraft type: Airbus A330-900neo
Delta’s state-of-the-art A330neos will bring West Coast travelers directly to one of Europe’s most intoxicating cities, where they can stroll the golden sands of Barceloneta Beach, gaze in awe at the Sagrada Família — part cathedral, part work of art — and immerse themselves in tapas culture.
5. New York JFK to Sardinia, Italy — Delta
Launching: May 20, 2026
Frequency: Four times per week. Aircraft type: Boeing 767-300ER
Jump aboard one of Delta’s 767s and experience one of the Med’s most alluring islands, home to a showstopping coastline — think cute coves and electric-blue water.
6. New York JFK to Porto, Portugal — Delta
Launching: May 21, 2026
Frequency: Daily. Aircraft type: Boeing 767-300ER
The new Delta service will be the first daily direct flight to Porto from JFK by any airline. Explore its photogenic historic center, a maze of winding cobblestone streets, visit the blue-tiled São Bento train station and peruse the shelves of the fairytale-like Livraria Lello bookstore. And earmark a stroll across the Dom Luís I Bridge, which spans the Douro River, to Vila Nova de Gaia for a port wine cellar tour and tasting.
7. New York JFK to Malta — Delta
Launching: June 7
Frequency: Three times per week. Aircraft type: Boeing 767-300ER
The Maltese archipelago — comprising the islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino — has sensational shorelines with world-class dive sites, stunning hotels and three Unesco World Heritage sites: the city of Valletta, the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum prehistoric underground burial site and the Megalithic Temples of Malta, seven temple complexes where you’ll find some of the oldest free-standing structures in the world.
8. Philadelphia to Budapest, Hungary — American Airlines
Launching: May 21, 2026
Frequency: Daily. Aircraft type: Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Budapest is famous for its thermal baths, “ruin bars” — set in abandoned buildings — and the immense Buda Castle, which stands above the Danube River.
9. Newark/New York to Split, Croatia — United
Launching: April 30, 2026
Frequency: Three times a week. Aircraft type: Boeing 767-300ER
Split offers travelers the chance to explore historic sites like the ancient Roman Diocletian’s Palace, the Cathedral of Saint Dominus — one of the oldest in the world — and enjoy an inviting promenade and harbor. United will be the only airline to fly from the U.S. to Split.
10. Newark/New York to Bari, Italy — United
Launching: May 1
Frequency: Four times per week. Aircraft type: 767-300ER
The new flight will serve as a gateway to the Puglia region from Newark/New York, offering travelers the chance to explore the area’s beautiful hilltop towns, the turquoise beaches of the Adriatic Sea, historic Old Town and the iconic Trulli buildings.
