American Airlines is adding another New Jersey airport to its route network, offering “Landline” service by bus to Philadelphia International Airport, while United Airlines is scrapping its two remaining bus routes.
American Airlines’ “Landline” Bus Service Expands
American Airlines is expanding its branded bus connection called Landline as part of its regional network strategy. This surface link aims to connect smaller markets with its Philadelphia hub via comfortable, airline‑style buses.
In partnership with Landline, American already offers routes between Philadelphia (PHL) and:
- Allentown/Bethlehem, PA (ABE)
- Atlantic City, NJ (ACY)
- Wilkes‑Barre/Scranton, PA (AVP)
- Wilmington Airport (ILG)
Starting on September 22, 2025, American Airlines will expand its Landline service to Trenton-Mercer Airport (TTN) and PHL with three round-trip bus routes.
The service is integrated fully into American’s reservation system and PNR, with baggage checked through to final destinations. However, if traveling by bus to connect to an American Airlines flight, you clear security at the smaller airport and do not have to re-clear upon arrival in Philadelphia.
- Airline-style booking – Landline shows up in the PNR like any other flight segment and count toward elite status
- Baggage handling – Bags are checked at origin and transferred through American’s system
- Security clearance – Passengers can clear security at their local airport, board the Landline bus, and will be dropped off post-security at PHL
Atif Saeed, CEO of Philadelphia’s Department of Aviation, said:
“Since its introduction in June 2022, American Airlines’ Landline service has made it easier for thousands of travelers in the Greater Philadelphia region to fly across the country and around the world from the convenience of PHL. The Landline expansion to Trenton will give thousands more access to 130 destinations worldwide.”
The new journey comes as SEPTA, the local rail transit authority that already connects the two airports, faces service cuts and a budget crisis.
United Airlines Cuts Landline Service
Meanwhile, United Airlines is scrapping its two remaining bus routes:
- Denver to Fort Collins (DEN-FNL) landline service will be withdrawn effective July 31, 2025
- Newark to Allentown (EWR-ABE) will be withdrawn effective September 1, 2025
Customers booked on these routes will be re-accommodated via the hub or another airport within 300 miles and offered a partial refund, or, in the case of Allentown, offered an alternative connection in Chicago O’Hare.
An internal memo provides no reason for the route cuts.
CONCLUSION
Bus routes may not be ideal, but they link smaller airports near hubs that once enjoyed more air service. The retirement of smaller aircraft and the pandemic accelerated the cancellation of many feeder routes, and using a bus has been seen as a more economically viable and environmentally friendly way to continue to offer service.
While American Airlines is expanding this kind of service, United Airlines is ending it.
Maybe the worst thing AA ever did. They used to fly between ABE & PHL on a short flight and it often was cheaper than a direct flight to the final destination. Also parking was much cheaper at ABE so it was popular with those in the Bucks County area 50/50 between the 2 airports. I do wonder how many occasional travelers book this without looking at details and later find out they are on a bus?
Same with ACY, who wants to ride a bus in 2025? This is truly an embarrassment for a wannabe major airline. Congratulations to United for realizing how bad an idea this was.
Meanwhile AA is on a race to the bottom with Spirit and Allegiant, who actually FLY into these airports.
Nothing wrong with a bus, esp. the ones Landline were using. Seat width is likely a little wider than your airplane seat, and you’ve got a mobile connection the entire journey. I think it’s preferable to a CRJ-200 for instance tbh.
I remember I rode the service once from ABE to EWR and that was because I think there was a major fog event the day before because of a weekend snowstorm and got stranded at ABE. Had to take the reroute and remember the bus wasn’t even connected airside (it was all landside) so had to clear security at EWR. Kinda frustrating. BTW, the year was in 2013. So it might have made United $200 over the years. Don’t know.
It’s all airside now and quite convenient.
In the case of Fort Collins, without an airside connection, there was very little to make the United Landline service advantageous. For the same price as the add-on to go to Fort Collins on a United ticket, you could book with one of two shuttle companies (including Landline operating shuttles for itself) on one of 32 shuttle routes from more convenient points in Fort Collins (or from the airport where the United shuttles ran).
This is absolutely correct. UA charged a significant premium (most of the time) for a bus service that was in no way superior to the numerous private operators running services to DIA from Northern Colorado communities.
Although FNL is nominally closer to my home that DIA, using this bus line would have required going the opposite direction for twenty minutes, just to get on a bus and go back the other way.
But even after all that, I’d have considered paying a premium for the service if I could have gone through TSA in Loveland, then arrived at DIA airside.
Trenton would be a great add and help steer those in between EWR and PHL to choose AA at PHL vs. UA at EWR
AA could franchise its name for a lot of bus service, like Chicago to Rockford, Chicago Mudway to O’Hare, LAX to Santa Barbara, Burbank, Ontario, Long Beach, etc.
… Love the ” Mudway ” slight, very creative !
.,… lol..
I know someone who regularly uses the ACY connection and loves it. The busses always run, not affected by weather, clean and comfortable, no stress way to get to PHL.
How is this different than a connection from ACY to PHL? How is a flight, which is what airlines do, more stressful than a quick flight? I understand the bus might run the AC Expressway when weather could affect a flight but odds are there will still be an issue at PHL.
Others are welcome to their opinion but to me if I want to ride a bus, I’ll book a bus trip. AA should just pull out of these airports if they can’t profitably fly from them. Being associated with buses is degrading to the airline and the customer.
What’s next? Advertising flights to downtown London, connecting on the train at Heathrow?
In fact, Air France and Lufthansa both market combo air/train tickets to cities across France and Germany as a single ticket.
It is not that big of deal.
AA did not fly to TTN, ILG or ACY at all before Landline so it is a service improvement.
The big advantage of AA Landline vs. UA Landline is that you clear TSA at the smaller airport so you arrive at PHL sterile. I’ll take TTN or ACY security over fighting crowds at EWR or PHL any day.
Wonder if the government ( ie taxpayers ) can benefit from using this strategy at least partially in the EAS program, instead of abandoning those cities entirely.
As much as I am a fan of the airline industry, I came to the realization years ago that ( at least European ) train travel is far superior/civilizes to airline service from a passenger viewpoint.
Alotta commercial flying these days borders on an even SUB-bus experience. I’d like to see a trip review of one of these segments with the details of seat pitch, lavatory dimensions and wifi service. Sadly, I’d say it would be superior to what is foisted upon ‘airborne’ pax the way this industry has deteriorated over the years.
Hell, it might even catch on to expand/replace longer flown segments as the airlines continue their ‘race to the bottom !
Clearing security prior to boarding the bus and being dropped off airside is a great idea! I don’t think Lufthansa offer that on their bus connections (Iberia definitely don’t because they just slap their code on regular ALSA coach services).
I use the AA and UA Landline routes frequently from ABE – the AA route is so much more convenient because you clear security at ABE instead of PHL. Buses are also really nice – with single seats on one side and lots of room to stretch out.
If we had existing or better train lines we wouldn’t need to be bussed by an airline, otherwise, it is a good idea imo.
The ACY bus is great. Boarding is 5 mins, seating is comfy, easy trip up the Expressway. No worrying about getting a gate or arrival delays into PHL. Much cheaper parking that is terminal-side. ACY is 25 mins for me and PHL is 1.5 hrs. I did it 3 times and my only complaint is that if you have a long layover you just want to get home. Id have a 2 hour layover and just be sitting there like damn I could be home before this bus even leaves the terminal. I also wonder how they’d handle a delayed flight and you miss the last ACY bus? I imagine Id be taking an expensive Uber to ACY to get my car or call in a huge favor from a friend, 0 chance I’d overnight in PHL. Once my dad was driving past the airport at a convenient time and just picked me up at PHL instead, it was great.
The word expands in spelled incorrectly in the title of the article.
In what?
That’s a shame about the EWR=ABE bus service. I took that several times and found it quite convenient. It certainly beat having to drive I-78 yourself (especially since there was a dedicated airside gate for the service).