American Airlines flew from ORD-TXL for a few years in the mid-90's. On a related note when I was in Berlin I really enjoyed it even though I was there only 20 Hours. It was an awesome place, really need to get back there for like three or four days.

Funny enough, just ran into this issue. Was looking to book ATL - TXL, astonished to find no non-stops. Ended up convincing me to get an award ticket, since I would connect either way! I am ATL - FRA - TXL inbound, and MUC - LHR - LAX outbound.

Having a nonstop flight from Berlin to Houston would be lame IMO. When AB joins OneWorld in the spring, and when BER opens up in June, I wouldn't be surprised to see AA start ORD-BER service. And since AB has given all indications that BER will be their primary hub, and LAX-DUS already exists, they might add LAX-BER to their schedule. Their 787s are suppose to start delivery in late 2012 IIRC; and there aren't enough 332s in their fleet to add any longhaul service before then.

BTW, there's also nonstop service between TXL and MIA on AB, not just to JFK.

I think all the main future users of new Berlin airport have indicated a focus on shorthaul, leisure and LCC services. The low demand for business class and lack of sustaining industries and financial services does not look good in regard of new longhauls.

However, due to the financial woes at Air Berlin, very likely that it's holidaymakers are fed to Florida and elsewhere through AA's JFK and/or MIA hubs in the futue. An Air China/Lufthansa codeshare to Beijing would also not be surprising. Other than that, the large Vietnamese community in Berlin will ensure nonstop flights to their ancestral country.

Thanks for the additional and interesting posts. :)

An ORD-BER non-stop would be awesome. Getting 0 stops to NYC, LA, Chicago and Miami would be enough, I think. That would make traveling more efficient.

I do hope and pray that Berlin's attractiveness as a city will attract more international business in the future and with it the convenience of direct flights. I also think that a Berlin-Beijing would be sweet, as well as a flight to New Delhi.

Is there a non-stop to HK? Probably not.

Till

Dream on :rolleyes:. There was no substantial international business added to the Berlin area in the last 20 years that would support/justify more than just a handful intercontinental flights. And those flights are mainly tourist flights. LH and a few others already tried intercontiental out of the BER area and stopped doing so rather quickly. The loss on revenue was rather dramatic due to the fact the F/C classes were almost empty. So, why should any non German airlines fly intercontinental to BER? LH (group) has its main hubs in FRA, MUC, ZRH, VIE, BRU and LHR. Why adding BER as another hub? FRA and MUC in Germany have lots of international world class business which justify direct international access and adding another hub is just gaining costs and weakening the other well-working and money making hubs. :eek:

No. Should there be any? :confused:

There is a 3x weekly HU service PEK-TXL :D^

Not bad if you don't mind a dominant red:

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviatio.../4/1936437.jpg

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviatio.../9/1841931.jpg

AB does TXL-MIA and TXL-JFK.

Berlin may be attractive as a city, but its very left-of-center government is not that attractive for businesses. Just look at the opening of the new airport. I remember a time when it was suppose to open up in 2005. Then it got bogged down in numerous environmental lawsuits. Then there was this rediculous flight path proposal over the area that aircraft would have to make while departing and landing at BER. The one that's now been agreed upon is somewhat less wasteful of burning jet fuel, but it's still not ideal. And their decision to close TXL once BER opens up (and having already closed THF) means that all GA will have to use BER which is a considerable distance and drive from the city center.

I love Berlin. It's basically my second home. I've been going there since a time when people would look at me puzzled as to why I would even go there, and so often. But Berlin is what it is. It's become a mecca for a young crowd looking for a safe place that's open 24hrs, drink cheap beer, eat cheap food, and sleep in cheap accommodations. And that's not a customer base airlines look for to fill their profit-generating premium cabins. Berlin's saving grace post-war was that it was heavily subsidized during the Cold War by the Allied powers, as well as the BRD. And if it weren't for the fact that the federal government moved back there once the Allies packed up and left, Berlin would be more broke-@$$ than it already is. Berlin's economic future lies upon it's attractiveness as a travel destination, but not as a business destination.

Their business product looks better then the one on LH :D