Eastern Airlines has announced its first transatlantic route, which will fly from Chicago to Sarajevo in Bostnia and Herzegovina. The bold move comes as the U.S carrier continues to chase profitable business opportunities outside of core markets that are well-served by traditional legacy carriers.
Starting on May 28, Eastern will between Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and Butmir International Airport in the city of Sajarevo. Flights will run once a week and will take place throughout the summer season until September 5, 2021.
The outbound flight leaves Chicago past 7 p.m on Fridays, arriving at Sajarevo just past 11 a.m the next morning. The plane then spends a night at Butmir International Airport, departing back for U.S on Sundays at 8 a.m and arriving at the windy city at 12:00 noon. Flights will be operated by the airline’s Boeing 767s. This marks both Eastern’s first flight out of Chicago and its first venture across the Atlantic.
According to the airline’s website, flights start at $898 one-way, which sure seems steep for a transatlantic flight, considering there are more cost-convenient flight alternatives from the U.S to Bostnia and Herzegovina via a one-stop itinerary with a short connection at a larger European hub. On the plus side, Eastern tickets include up to 70lbs (31KGs) checked luggage for free.
The Pennsylvania-headquartered carrier has 9 active 767s in its fleet, including two Boeing 767-200s and 7 Boeing 767-300s. The carrier offers two classes: a Premium cabin offering lie-flat seats and a standard economy class offering “roomy seats,” as the airline likes to describe its product. There are now in-flight entertainment screens in both cabins, but the carrier does offer content via streaming on passengers’ personal devices…
