Effective Monday, October 5, American Airlines will transition flights from South Bend International Airport (SBN) to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) from a luxury motorcoach service, operated by The Landline Company, to a regional jet aircraft.
The flights will operate three times daily with the airline’s CRJ-700 regional aircraft with dual-class cabins and 65 seats. American’s ORD flights complement existing jet service to Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) and Charlotte (CLT), providing one-stop access to more than 350 destinations around the world.
The route between SBN and ORD will continue to be operated by The Landline Company on the 35-seat luxury motorcoach through Sunday, October 4. Passengers that have already booked between SBN and ORD on American Airlines will be automatically rebooked and will receive an email notification from the airline.
The change will be welcomed by many American Airlines passengers at SBN. Via social media there have been numerous concerns expressed about the length of time for the SBN-ORD bus connection, compared to the short hop flight passengers had been accustomed to in prior years. Others complained they were caught off guard, not realizing they had booked a motorcoach connection as the first or last leg of their travels. This move by American will address both of those concerns.
South Bend International Airport is served by American, Delta, United, Allegiant and Breeze.
