About three dozen new transatlantic routes launch in 2026, credited to the long-range Airbus A321XLR, though most are not actually flown by it yet.

The narrowbody makes thin pairs like Dublin to Raleigh pencil out at 180 to 220 seats instead of a widebody's 250, but deliveries run two years late, so older jets do the work, and on the narrowbody crossings that means seven hours in a single aisle.

Before you book:

  • Take the nonstop for the door-to-door time saved, not the aircraft
  • Fares are soft: US-to-Europe bookings are down while seats climbed
  • Eight of eleven World Cup host cities are cheaper to reach, Kansas City by 16 percent

The map is winning. Legroom is not.