With Super Bowl LX fast approaching, US airlines have added countless flights to the San Francisco Bay Area to connect fans with the NFL’s largest game of the season. While fans from across the country will have countless additional options for reaching Levi Stadium in San Jose, fans from both Boston and Seattle will benefit the most with several additional nonstop flights operating just for the weekend.

With additional flights to the Bay Area for the Super Bowl, some flights have actually dropped in price compared to normal dates. By adding aircraft and frequencies, while the Super Bowl drives massive demand, airfare inflation remains relatively minimal and has emerged in recent years as the cheapest part of traveling to watch the Super Bowl in person.

American Airlines Adds Over 10,000 Seats For Super Bowl LX

Credit: Shutterstock

While American Airlines is the world’s largest airline by passengers carried, the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier operates a very limited network out of Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport(SJC), just a ten-minute drive from Levi Stadium and the site of Super Bowl LX. However, anticipating huge demand for travel to the San Jose area, American executed one of the most aggressive capacity expansions for the Super Bowl, increasing its normal capacity by over 450%. This represents over 10,000 additional seats for travelers looking to watch cheer on the Seahawks and Patriots in person on Sunday.

Normally, American operates one of the smallest networks out of San Jose, with only Hawaiian Airlines and Japanese low-cost carrier ZIPAIR Tokyo operating flights to fewer destinations. American’s yearly schedule out of SJC typically includes flights only to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), the carrier’s largest hub, as well as both mainline American and American Eagle service to Phoenix-Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). Looking at flight schedule data for February 4, one day before American’s planned additional services to San Jose, reveals just six daily flights out of San Jose, including three Boeing 737 flights to Dallas, and two Airbus A319 services and an Embraer E175 flight to Phoenix.

Starting February 5, however, American will increase its San Jose operations from two destinations to 10 cities, including all of its hubs except LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), both of which are solely short-haul hubs due to airport perimeter rules. Flights from Dallas and Phoenix will increase to a maximum of eight or six flights a day, respectively. As for options to San Jose from American’s other hubs, Los Angeles and Chicago lead the pack with up to four daily departures, with Charlotte gaining two daily services and Miami, New York, and Philadelphia each receiving one daily American Airlines flight on certain days between February 5 and February 10. Notably, American will operate its premium-heavy A321T on flights from JFK, configured with both first and business class cabins, offering a more exclusive experience for wealthy passengers.

While American is increasing capacity from its major hubs, the carrier is also adding one-off flights from both Boston and Seattle, providing additional connectivity for local Seahawks and Patriots fans. Between February 5th and 7th, American will operate a once daily flight from Boston (BOS) and Seattle (SEA) to San Jose. Both flights, AA612 and AA412, respectively, will be operated by A321 aircraft and depart around 1pm in the afternoon and arrive in San Jose later that evening. After the Super Bowl on Sunday, American will fly two flights to Boston on February 9th and 10th, as well as two flights back to Seattle, both leaving on February 9. With the added capacity, American hopes to capitalize on the surge of travel to the lower Bay Area, providing many nonstop and one-stop itineraries for passengers across the country.

Delta, Alaska, JetBlue Also Boost Capacity From Major Hubs To The Bay

Credit: Shutterstock

In contrast to American, Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines, two more familiar carriers in San Jose, have also upped their flying to the Capital of Silicon Valley. For Delta, the Atlanta-based carrier is increasing capacity for flights between both Boston and Seattle to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), the largest airport in the Bay Area, and still just a 45-minute drive away from Levi Stadium. For fans traveling to the Bay from Boston, Delta is increasing service from two daily flights to three daily on February 6 and February 9, allowing fans to arrive on Friday and return home on Monday after the game.

Additionally, Delta is already operating five daily flights between Seattle and San Francisco, adding an extra frequency on the return flight on February 9 to help fans get home. For Delta customers looking to fly directly to San Jose, which sees around 16 daily Delta flights on a normal day, Delta already offers four daily nonstop flights from Seattle to San Jose. The airline also offers multiple frequencies to other hubs, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City. On February 6 and February 9, Delta will connect San Jose with another of its major hubs at New York-JFK, providing strong connectivity to both San Francisco and San Jose from cities around the US.

Delta’s main rival in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska Airlines, is also boosting capacity for the 60th Super Bowl. The airline will help Seahawks fans travel to San Jose by adding 16 round-trip flights from Seattle to the Bay Area. This includes service to both San Francisco and San Jose, two airports Alaska already has a significant presence at. JetBlue, who operates a sizable schedule from the East Coast to San Francisco, will add a special connection from Providence, Rhode Island to San Francisco in time for Sunday’s game. This offering will depart Rhode Island on Friday and return on Monday, making it easier for New England fans living in Rhode Island or Connecticut to attend the game. While perhaps not as exciting as some of the other airlines’ Super Bowl moves, United is bolstering service to its San Francisco hub as well.

Related

Coastal Clash: Alaska & JetBlue Scale Up For Super Bowl LX

The stage is set for an epic showdown, and these airlines are making sure fans don’t miss a moment.

Airfares Are The Cheapest Part Of Attending The Super Bowl

Credit: Shutterstock

Despite the scale of travel demand during Super Bowl weekend, airfare has consistently been the most affordable part of the Super Bowl experience. With tickets averaging over $8,000 for last year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans, even inflated airline ticket prices can be just a fraction of that cost. However, with seat capacity typically increasing by about 25% overall during the Super Bowl weekend, airfares tend to fall for the game.

Looking at Super Bowl LIX as an example, every major US city had added at least an additional 15% capacity boost to New Orleans compared to normal schedules. According to OAG aviation analytics, rather than prices rising due to the increased demand, average airfares fell significantly. Of the 21 routes to New Orleans in the week leading up to and days after Super Bowl LIX, only two routes saw an increase in average airfares; Austin and Phoenix. Of the remaining ones, prices decreased, with tickets between Nashville and New Orleans dropping nearly 73% as capacity increased by 40%.

While several factors likely played a role in lowering ticket prices, like New Orleans being a popular destination for low-cost carriers like Spirit Airlines and Southwest Airlines, the trend from last year shows decreasing rather than increasing prices. For 2026, airfare data around the Super Bowl has not been published yet. But searches for certain routes reveal that plane tickets may have dropped in price once again. For example, searching just a week out for a February 10th return ticket from San Jose to Boston shows American charging only $189 for a one-way ticket. This is compared with the average $500 one-way ticket from San Francisco on the same day, showing it is possible that the one-off flights airlines add for the Super Bowl could actually be cheaper than normally scheduled services.

How Did Airlines Response To 2025’s Super Bowl LIX Compare?

Credit: Shutterstock

Comparing Super Bowl LX to last year’s Super Bowl LIX shows a very similar strategy year-to-year. Delta, United, JetBlue, Spirit, and Frontier all added additional services to New Orleans from major hubs as well as from Philadelphia and Kansas City, two destinations not normally linked with the Big Easy.

United added three special services from Philadelphia to New Orleans, as well as two flights from Kansas City to New Orleans, each with special flight numbers with hidden meanings. Delta mostly matched United last year in terms of Super Bowl flights, adding four flights from Philadelphia and three from Kansas City, for a total of over 1,300 additional seats available to travelers. The airline also offers free streaming to SkyMiles members, allowing fans across the country to tune in live to the game even while in the air.

Where Super Bowl travel differs slightly from 2026 is the inclusion of low-cost carriers. While San Jose and San Francisco are not known for their low-cost offerings, although Oakland International Airport does offer more options in that category, JetBlue, Frontier, and Spirit all added flights to New Orleans for last year’s Super Bowl. JetBlue, who already served New Orleans from JFK, added up to three flights each way. On the other hand, Frontier added a single two-way flight from Philadelphia to New Orleans for the day before and day after the Super Bowl. Further, just two weeks before the Super Bowl, Southwest too announced it would be adding 31 Super Bowl flights, further increasing capacity.

Related

US Airlines Add Extra Flights To New Orleans For Super Bowl LIX

New Orleans Airport expects high passenger traffic during the Super Bowl.

How Else Are Airlines’ Capitalizing On Super Bowl Hype?

Credit: Shutterstock

Beyond adding flights, airlines are increasingly using the Super Bowl as an opportunity to promote their unique brands to a national audience. For example, during the Big Game, United Airlines will air a space-inspired film to demonstrate Starlink’s impressive onboard WiFi capabilities. The ad will air in local markets, including Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis and Kansas City, cities where United flies its Starlink-equipped aircraft to, a fleet that recently passed 300 aircraft in terms on United planes with Starlink equipment.

Additionally, with the Seattle Seahawks representing the NFC and the greater Pacific Northwest, Delta highlights its unique 12Status program. This SkyMiles program, which is available to Washington state residents, rewards Seahawks fans with one Delta frequent flyer mile for every Seahawks passing yard over the course of the season. With 4,063 passing yards by the Seahawks in 2025 leading up to the Super Bowl, 12Status members have already earned over 4,000 Delta miles, bringing fan’s next vacation one step closer. In addition, 12Status members traveling down for the Super Bowl will receive Zone 5 priority boarding and 12% off purchases on the 12th of each month during future NFL seasons at official Seahawks Pro Shop stores.

Besides marketing strategies, airlines are also having fun with route numbers for their added flights. For example, American’s outbound flights from Boston to San Jose will operate with the callsign “American 612,” with the six a callback to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s six Super Bowl titles with New England and number 12 referencing Brady’s jersey number. As for the return flight to Boston, flight number AA67 was chosen for the Patriots’ six Super Bowl wins and potential seventh title on Sunday. For Seattle fans, the code AA412 for flights between Seattle and San Jose pays tribute to the Seahawks’ famous “12th Man” heritage.