How can I find inaugural flights?

A simple Google search can uncover new flight routes for a particular airline. Typing in the name of the airline and the phrase “announces new routes in 2026” can result in a list of new flights. Including the year typically eliminates previous inaugural flights in the search results.

Are inaugural flights worth it?

Inaugural flights can be a unique and exciting experience. However, inaugural flights may cost more (but not always), making it a personal choice if the experience is worth the added cost.

Can I book an inaugural flight with miles or points?

Yes, it is possible to book an inaugural flight with miles or points. Once you’ve found the flight you’re interested in, use award search tools such as seats.aero, point.me, PointsYeah, or Roame. You can also check the airline’s website for award flights.

6 Reasons To Join the Fun and Fly an Airline’s Inaugural Flight

Updated: November 13, 2025, 3:00pm CST

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Table of Contents

What Is an Inaugural Flight?
How To Find Inaugural Flights
1. You Can Book Inaugural Flights Using Points and Miles
2. Celebrations at the Departure Gate
3. Celebrations at the Arrival Gate
4. Onboard Experience
5. Opportunities To Explore a New Destination
6. It’s a Chance To Be a Part of History
Final Thoughts

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There are not many aviation experiences that can match the excitement of an airline’s first flight to a new destination. The event offers passengers, crew, and airline employees the opportunity to celebrate at both the departure city and the new destination.

An inaugural flight is also an opportunity to experience the best an airline has to offer, with the mood on board high in contagious passion and pride. However, the importance of the event extends far beyond the benefits of a new flight destination.

Stay tuned as we share some of the reasons to consider an inaugural flight, help you imagine the experience, and perhaps inspire you to book one with your favorite airline.

What Is an Inaugural Flight?

An inaugural flight is the first flight that an airline flies to a new destination. An inaugural flight can also celebrate a new aircraft model serving an already established route or a plane offering a new passenger experience, such as new business class suites.

In some cases, an airline may have flown the route decades ago and is restarting service. Airlines may still consider the new flight as inaugural and celebrate it as such.

Today, we’re going to discuss the attributes of inaugural nonstop flights to new destinations and the unique experiences they can offer.

How To Find Inaugural Flights

There’s always the slight chance you could be as fortunate as the honeymoon couple I met who arrived at the gate for the November 2024 inaugural Delta Air Lines flight from Boston (BOS) to Honolulu (HNL), entirely unaware it was an inaugural.

However, it’s more likely you’ll need to seek out these special flights in advance to join the celebration.

Fortunately, finding an inaugural flight is easy, as airlines announcing new routes alert the media.

Inaugural Flights Announcement American Airlines — A simple Google search can reveal an airline’s upcoming new route announcements. Image Credit: American Airlines

Here are simple ways to find inaugural flights on your preferred airlines.

You can start by doing a simple Google search using your preferred airline’s name and adding “announces new routes 2026.” Be sure to add the year, as too many past routes will be included otherwise. For example, if your preferred airline is United, you would search for “United announces new routes 2026.”

Here are the results of that search for United Airlines’ inaugural flights:

Inaugural Flights Announcement United Airlines — Inaugural flights are easily found with a Google search. Image Credit: Google

Once you have an idea of the flight you’d like to experience, you can visit the airline’s media page for more information. Every airline proudly announces newly added flight routes in a section of its website dedicated to news and announcements.

If you’re paying for the flight directly, use Google Flights to search nonstop flights with the specific airline on the day of the inaugural flight.

Inaugural flights may cost more than regularly scheduled flights, but not always. You may save by using points or miles to book your flight.

Here are all the reasons to join in the fun and book an inaugural flight.

1. You Can Book Inaugural Flights Using Points and Miles

Once you’ve found an inaugural flight you’d like to fly, you’ll likely be able to purchase it using points or miles.

Fortunately, several award search tools (such as seats.aero, point.me, PointsYeah, and Roame) can help you find the best way to use your rewards for an inaugural flight.

Here’s an example of a search for award space using seats.aero for an inaugural American Airlines flight from Oklahoma City (OKC) to Cancun (CUN).

It’s OKC’s first international flight, so it was easy to find during a Google search. Seats.aero shows you could purchase a business class flight for 25,000 American AAdvantage miles or 15,000 Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards points.

Inaugural Flights OKC to CUN Seats Aero — Image Credit: seats.aero

Availability can change quickly. Check the airline’s website to confirm flight numbers and book as soon as possible. Needless to say, business class on this flight sold out quickly.

You can use airline miles to purchase award flights, but transferring flexible rewards to an airline program can yield greater potential value. For example, you can transfer Bilt Rewards to Atmos Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Points can be transferred to American AAdvantage.

Some of the best travel cards for earning transferable rewards and receiving premium travel perks include the Platinum Card^® from American Express, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

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Hot Tip:

If an international inaugural flight is not within your budget, consider a domestic inaugural flight. While the fanfare won’t be as exotic, you can count on a fun experience.

2. Celebrations at the Departure Gate

One reason to participate in an inaugural flight is the festivities at the departure gate. The fun typically starts about an hour before departure and can include live music, destination-specific food and drinks, and souvenirs.

Inaugural Flights BOS to HNL Delta Sign — The fanfare at the departure gate is part of the excitement of an inaugural flight.

Chances are there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony with airline dignitaries, the flight crew, and key airport personnel in attendance. The airline may also ask passengers on the flight with top-level elite status or multimillion-milers to participate in the ceremonies.

Inaugural Flights Destination Specific Food at Gate — There can be plenty of food and drinks at the departure gate of an inaugural flight.

The anticipation is high when it’s time to board. And with a seasoned, excited crew, your flight experience should be grand.

3. Celebrations at the Arrival Gate

The celebration at the arrival gate can be more elaborate than at the departure gate, as the new destination cities are generally very excited about the new nonstop service.

At the Honolulu side of that Delta flight from Boston, there were hula dancers, leis made of fresh flowers for the crew and passengers, and welcome drinks.

Inaugural Flights HNL — An aloha greeting for arriving passengers on the Boston to Honolulu inaugural flight.

In Marrakech (RAK), Morocco, following Delta’s inaugural October 2025 flight from Atlanta (ATL), there was a grand tea buffet and live music, with excited local greeters welcoming inaugural passengers, including me.

Inaugural Flights Marrakech Reception — The welcome party for Delta’s inaugural flight to Marrakech was elaborate.

The receptions are always welcoming. The destination airport may even roll out the red carpet for arriving passengers.

The news media often attend, as do local dignitaries. The media may also interview passengers and take photos. While the extent of celebration varies, there’s no mistaking the importance of the inaugural flight to the destination’s community.

4. Onboard Experience

Inaugural flights are exciting for airline employees and passengers alike. For this reason, seasoned flight attendants and crew may bid for the privilege of working the flight. For passengers, the experience is therefore elevated and the mood festive.

Delta One 767 — Delta One seat on the inaugural flight from Atlanta to Marrakech.

On board, you may also receive airline swag, a special onboard menu, a flight certificate, or destination-specific souvenirs. One thing you can count on, especially on an international inaugural flight, is an exceptional experience.

Flying on an inaugural flight in business class is the ultimate experience, so book early to secure your spot. With that said, every seat on the plane has its share of the inaugural flight excitement.

5. Opportunities To Explore a New Destination

Airlines create new flight routes to destinations where passengers want to fly. Some of these destinations are traditional tourist spots, but many are up-and-coming. Either way, a new nonstop destination can be an opportunity to visit for the first time or revisit and experience it in a new way.

Inaugural Flights Marrakech Souk — Marrakech has recently become a new nonstop destination from Atlanta for Delta.

When you glance through the list of new American Airlines routes for 2026, there’s probably at least 1 destination you’d like to visit:

Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) to Athens (ATH), Greece; Buenos Aires (EZE), Argentina; and Zurich (ZRH), Switzerland
Miami (MIA) to Milan (MXP), Italy
New York (JFK) to Edinburgh (EDI), Scotland, and Tel Aviv (TLV), Israel
Philadelphia (PHL) to Budapest (BUD), Hungary, and Prague (PRG), Czech Republic

Delta Air Lines also has exciting new routes for 2026 and is resuming service to Israel:

If you’re planning a visit to any of these cities, consider an inaugural flight to enhance your trip. Or pick a destination and plan a trip around it.

Don’t forget to look for domestic inaugural flights, as well.

6. It’s a Chance To Be a Part of History

Direct airline service to a new destination opens up trade and tourism opportunities and can boost the local economy. Consider, for example, the historical significance of the 2025 United Airlines’ nonstop flight from Newark (EWR) to Nuuk (NUK), Greenland, or Atlanta to Marrakech, which marked Delta’s first flight to North Africa since 2011.

Inaugural Flights Marrakech Arrival — The press and local diplomatic heads turned out for the inaugural Delta flight from ATL to RAK.

Being part of the first direct air service connecting regions is a historical event, both culturally and economically. The ability to move people and goods more easily from one place to another, saving both time and money, is a positive change that impacts both destinations.

While some destinations are more affected by these new nonstop flights than others, international inaugural flights can strengthen diplomatic ties and even shift global dynamics.

It’s no small event to be a part of these historically symbolic flights.

Final Thoughts

An inaugural flight is a unique aviation experience that is worth booking. In addition to being a fun time, it can also be an opportunity for like-minded friends to get together and share the experience. You will find the onboard experience enhanced, and you may even hang out with your new friends at the destination.

Additionally, if you’re interested in an inaugural flight or have recently booked one, consider joining a social media group (or starting one) to share the experience with participating travelers.