Customers departing from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (AVP) with American Airlines will soon have the ability to make connections through a third hub – Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

Effective August 6, 2024, new service linking AVP and PHL will be operated by luxury motorcoaches as part of American Airlines’ partnership with The Landline Company. The service will operate four (4) times daily in each direction, providing customers with a convenient way to start and end their travels. The service will have many of the features customers would expect from the first-class cabin of a regional jet, including in-seat power, WiFi, plentiful legroom and leather seats. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton customers connecting on American Airlines via PHL can clear security at AVP. American and Landline take customers directly to the tarmac of the “F” Concourse in PHL, allowing for easy, behind security connections to American’s global PHL network. Customers book trips on American and Landline just like any other connecting flight option by navigating to their preferred airline ticketing / reservation platform and selecting AVP as their origin.

Here are the highlights:

• American Airlines is launching a new “tarmac-to-tarmac” luxury motorcoach service to its hub in PHL.
• The new service allows passengers to clear security at AVP, board a luxury motorcoach at one of AVP’s departure gates and arrive at a secure gate at PHL’s Terminal F. Customers will then disembark at the gate (without having to re-clear security), and walk to their next gate to continue their connecting flight.
• These luxury motorcoaches feature 35 premium leather seats in a 2 by 1 seating configuration and offer 36 inches of seat pitch, comparable to the premium cabin on a regional jet. Passengers also enjoy free WiFi and in-seat power at every seat. Additionally, customers can earn and redeem AAdvantage miles using these new connecting Landline “flights”.
• Bags are handled as with any flight: passengers check their luggage in with American Airlines on arrival, and the airport’s baggage handling system takes over from there. Check-in also works like any other American Airlines flight.
• American is launching the service with four (4) roundtrips per day, timed to connect with American flights out of PHL.
• To use the service, customers will book their flight through American Airlines’ website or mobile app, entering AVP as origin and selecting the destination (i.e. MIA) as the endpoint, just like a flight itinerary.

Carl R. Beardsley, Jr., AVP’s Executive Director, said, “Many passengers choose AVP for the convenience and low-stress environment. Being able to start your trip from AVP and connect through Philadelphia alleviates some of the stress when starting your travel from a larger airport.”

Joe Sottile, American Airlines Director of Domestic Network Planning, said, “We are pleased to expand our innovative partnership with Landline to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. Complementing our existing service from AVP to both our Charlotte and Chicago hubs, this new service will enhance access to American’s global network, including convenient one-stop service via our Philadelphia hub to over 100 destinations in the U.S. and around the world.” 

“We are thrilled to expand our network to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton region, allowing American Airlines passengers to clear security at their local airport, closer to home, and connect through Philadelphia post security,” said Michael Sharer, Landline’s Northeast Operations Lead. “This service will provide a seamless, premium motorcoach connection to passengers with flights out of Philadelphia. Passengers can book their trips on AA.com by searching Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AVP) to their final destination.”

Travelers arriving back in PHL will continue to board the luxury motorcoach airside and arrive nonstop directly at AVP. Checked baggage will be directly transferred between the motorcoaches and aircraft. American Airlines currently has three (3) daily roundtrip flights between AVP and Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), as well as two (2) daily roundtrip flights between AVP and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).