American Airlines has added direct services between Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Miami, Florida, this week, providing flights for fans of the Penn State football team as it heads to the Orange Bowl.
Nittany Lions vs. Notre Dame
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team clinched Boise State on December 31, while the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team conquered Georgia Bulldogs last Thursday. This now means that the Nittany Lions will face Notre Dame at the Miami Gardens on Thursday, January 9, at 19:30 local time.
Shortly after Penn State won against Boise, one of the nation’s Big Three carriers, American Airlines
, announced that it would add special flights for football fans to travel directly from Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) to Miami International Airport
(MIA). Usually the airport, only welcomes American Airlines mainline services to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
Photo: Karolis Kavolelis | Shutterstock
American Eagle
provides additional region services to Boston, Charlotte, Chicago O’Hare, and Philadelphia, with seasonal services to Miami (from February 15).
The only other carrier serving Harrisburg with direct flights to the state of Florida is low-cost-carrier Allegiant Air
, which operates flights to Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville , Orlando/Sanford, Punta Gorda, Sarasota, and St. Petersburg/Clearwater, with seasonal services to Myrtle Beach.
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Non-stop services this Tuesday and Wednesday
American Airlines will provide several non-stop services on Tuesday, January 7, and Wednesday, January 8, from Harrisburgh (MDT) to Miami (MIA) onboard its Airbus A321neo, which according to the carrier’s website shows that the plane offers 20 seats in first class, 47 in Main Cabin Extra, and 129 economy class seats.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
Extra flights will follow the below schedule, as per the airline’s website:
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
- AA509, departing from Harrisburgh at 12:05, touching down in Miami at 14:53. Block time of two hours and 48 minutes
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
- AA509, departing Harrisburg at 12:05, arriving in Miami at 14:53. Block time, two hours, 48 minutes
With the Orange Bowl set to take place on Thursday evening, return services are scheduled for Friday, January 10:
Friday, January 10, 2025
- AA509, departing Miami at 08:30, arriving in Harrisburg at 11:12. Block time two hours, 42 minutes
- AA567, departing Miami at 16:05, arriving in Harrisburg at 18:47. Block time two hours, 42 minutes
Costs for a return ticket at the time of writing were:
Main Cabin |
$932 per person |
---|---|
Main Plus |
$989 per person |
Main Select |
$1,015 per person |
First |
$1,535 per person |
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With American Airlines Airbus A321neo
seating up to 196 passengers onboard, this will add 392 extra seats between Harrisburgh and Miami in each direction, alongside other indirect services.
There will be 784 seats across the four flights for Penn State fans to watch their team take on Notre Dame from the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana.
Photo: grandbrothers | Shutterstock
Since 1996, the Orange Bowl has been held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, the home football field for the University of Miami and the Miami Dolphins. However, since December 2014, Capital One has sponsored the Orange Bowl, which is appropriately named the Capital One Orange Bowl.
The American college football bowl game has been played annually in Miami since 1935 and is the oldest bowl game in the United States, behind the Rose Bowl. The Orange Bowl was held in Miami Fiel before being moved to the Miami Orange Bowl Stadium and later to Miami Gardens. It is played alongside the Sugar Bowl and Sun Bowl.
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