Unusual connecting routes reveal travel patterns between Los Angeles and New York-JFK

Some travelers took even more unconventional routes. For example, Delta and Alaska Airlines routed about 1,700 passengers through Seattle. JetBlue and United saw roughly 1,500 travelers connecting via San Diego. Miami served as a stopover for 1,300 passengers on American Airlines flights. There were also less common combinations such as Portland or Orlando with Delta or connections involving two different airlines or multiple stops—including Reno/Salt Lake City or Detroit/Syracuse.

A particularly notable option was flying through international destinations such as San Jose Del Cabo in Mexico; JetBlue facilitated this route for about 600 people in 2024. Some chose to connect through Canadian airports like Toronto or Vancouver. In an unusual case last year, around 60 passengers traveled from Los Angeles to New York by way of Vancouver and Calgary.

Market share data indicates that Delta led the nonstop segment between LAX and JFK with a 45% share of passengers carried. JetBlue held a 33% share while American Airlines had a 20% share. This reflects each carrier’s seat capacity offered on this high-demand transcontinental market.

In related coverage published earlier today by Simple Flying https://simpleflying.com/, it was noted that the most expensive transcontinental flight in the United States is also on this route—operated by American Airlines—though average fare figures are influenced by inclusion of premium cabin classes.