Milwaukee Travelers Benefit From Competition at O’Hare

American Airlines aircraft. Photo courtesy of American Airlines.

Milwaukee travelers are in a position to benefit from American Airlines’ plans for a massive expansion of service out of Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

The carrier is locked in a battle with United Airlines for domination of the airport, duking it out through new flights and destinations. Earlier this year, United CEO Scott Kirby, who was previously the president of American, reportedly said United would force American to “de-hub” at O’Hare, making American scale back its Chicago footprint as United expands its fleet and adds new destinations.

American has responded. On Monday, the airline announced it was adding 100 new daily departures from O’Hare, including two additional daily flights between Milwaukee and Chicago. Milwaukee travelers looking to catch a connecting flight out of O’Hare will now have six daily options for getting there with American through Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.

O’Hare is a major hub for both airlines. With the new expansion, it will become the third-largest hub in American’s global network. Meanwhile, United is poised to remain the dominant player at the airport for now, picking up additional gates and announcing its own service expansion in 2026.

Either way, Milwaukee travelers can expect a greater menu of flight options from both carriers in 2026. The daily flights through American Airlines provide a wide range of departure times for travelers looking to connect to 180 destinations served by more than 500 daily flights out of O’Hare.

The flights out of Milwaukee will start in February and are timed to coincide with American’s spring expansion, with 100 new flights across 75 destinations out of O’Hare.