Why Are Airlines Launching Random, Bizarre Direct Flight Routes?

Here’s what goes into making the decision between connecting two cities with a new flight route.

We’ve all been there, killing time at the airport, scanning the “Departures” screen for places we’ve been and places we’d like to go. Most of these routes make perfect sense. Occasionally, however, a smaller airport offers a direct flight to another smaller airport, puzzling common sense. For instance, from Jacksonville, Florida (JAX), travelers can fly non-stop to Des Moines, Iowa.

One reason is U.S.-based discount carriers like Spirit, Allegiant, and Frontier are building route maps around smaller airports with smaller gate fees as a cost savings. But sometimes, these oddities extend to international non-stops on major airlines. St. Louis (STL) flies non-stop to Frankfurt, Germany, on Lufth