Carriers Add Services For Super Bowl Attendees

by Michele McDonald / January 24, 2017

Are you ready for some football?

Several airlines are adding services to and from Houston to ensure that fans make it to Super Bowl LI. The clash between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons will take place at Houston’s NRG Stadium at 5:30 p.m. CST on Feb. 5.

JetBlue, the official airline of the New England Patriots, normally operates a single nonstop between Boston and Houston, but it is adding a Boston-Houston Hobby flight on Feb. 3. Flight 1931 will depart at 5 p.m. and arrive at 8:39 p.m. On Feb. 6, Flight 1032 will depart Houston Hobby at 1 p.m. and arrive in Boston at 5:31 p.m.

JetBlue also is adding a flight from T. F. Green Airport in Providence, R.I. (a route it does not normally serve), on Feb. 3. Flight 1971 will depart at 7:30 a.m. and arrive at 11 a.m. On Feb. 6, Flight 1912 will depart Houston Hobby at 2:06 p.m. and arrive in Providence at 6:26 p.m.

The carrier noted that Houston Hobby Airport is located just 11 miles from the stadium.

On game day, passengers wearing official New England Patriots jerseys and flying from Boston; Burlington, VT; Hartford, CT; Portland, ME; Providence, RI, or Worcester, MA, will be allowed to board early. Customers traveling on game day also will receive their first round of adult beverages for $1.

Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport is one of United Airlines’ biggest hubs, and the carrier is adding services from Boston, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Newark for the big event:

BOS-IAH: One extra section on Feb.3, two on Feb. 4

ATL-IAH: One extra section on Feb. 3, one on Feb. 4

EWR-IAH: One extra section on Feb. 4

LAX to IAH: One extra section on Feb. 4

Additional return flights will operate as follows:

IAH-BOS: Three extra sections on Feb. 6

IAH-ATL: Two extra sections on Feb. 6

IAH-LAX: One extra section on Feb. 6

IAH-EWR: One extra section on Feb. 6

Delta Air Lines, which has served both teams on a charter basis all season long, will carry both teams to Houston for the game. It also is gearing up to carry lots of fans from both Atlanta and New England:

ATL-IAH: 14 flights on Feb. 3, up from the usual eight

IAH-ATL: 18 flights on Feb. 6, up from the usual eight

Delta is adding several nonstops between New England (Boston, Hartford and Providence) and Houston; it normally doesn’t fly nonstops on the routes:

BOS-IAH: Two flights on Feb. 3

IAH-BOS: Two flights on Feb. 6

BDL-IAH: One flight on Feb. 3

IAH-BDL: One flight on Feb. 6

PVD-IAH: One flight on Feb. 3

IAH-PVD: One flight on Feb. 6

Southwest Airlines is adding flights for both sets of fans. It normally operates a single Houston-Boston nonstop, augmented by a variety of connecting services:

BOS-HOU: Two flights on Feb. 3, in addition to the usual one nonstop

HOU-BOS: Two flights on Feb. 6, in addition to the usual one nonstop

ATL-HOU: Two flights on Feb. 3, in addition to the usual five

HOU-ATL: Two flights on Feb. 6, in addition to the usual five