How Can I Take Advantage of New Airline Routes?

The short answer is: wait for firm dates and booking windows before you do anything. British Airways' triangular London–Kilimanjaro–Zanzibar service and non-stop Buenos Aires flight with a Santiago tag are only scheduled for summer 2027 (May 29 through October 31, 2027). Emirates' daily Dubai–Berlin flights won't start until as early as December 2027. American's LA–Asia comeback is tied to Boeing 787 deliveries (three next year, six more in 2028) and the completion of its LAX terminal rebuild ahead of the 2028 Olympics. None of these are bookable today, so don't rearrange your 2026 plans around them.

What you can do now is start monitoring award availability. British Airways is a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards, so when those Tanzania and South America tag flights go on sale, you may be able to book them with Avios at attractive rates—especially if you can take advantage of the fifth-freedom segment between Buenos Aires and Santiago (though the source notes it's unclear whether you can book just that tag alone). Similarly, Emirates is a transfer partner of Amex, and Berlin could be a great sweet spot for redemptions once the route launches. Sign up for fare alerts on Google Flights for these city pairs to catch the first booking window.

For flyDubai's lie-flat business class retrofit: the retrofit begins this month and will take 12 months to complete on 21 aircraft. If you're planning a trip to or through Dubai in late 2026 or 2027, you might want to book a flyDubai 737 MAX route that currently has recliner seats, hoping you'll be upgraded to a retrofitted plane with a lie-flat seat. But there's no guarantee which specific aircraft will be retrofitted first. Your best bet is to wait until flyDubai publishes the retrofit schedule by tail number, then book accordingly.

One actionable tip: if you have flexible miles or points, target the routes that are new and likely to have low initial demand. Airlines often launch new routes with attractive introductory fares or award space to fill the plane. Set alerts on ExpertFlyer or use a service like AwardFares to notify you when British Airways releases award seats on the Kilimanjaro–Zanzibar or Buenos Aires–Santiago segments. For Emirates Berlin, consider booking a refundable ticket as soon as it goes on sale in case they offer a generous cancellation policy for a new route launch.