US: New low-cost airlines bring more competition to trans-Atlantic flights

Chicago-to-London airfares under $450 are great news if you're a cash-strapped globe-trotter who doesn't mind a no-frills flight. It's not so great if you're United or American Airlines, both of which are charging more than double that sum for a coach seat on similar nonstop flights early next year. Mainline US carriers like United, American and Delta already face competition for price-conscious domestic travelers from the likes of Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines. Now they're facing it on trans-Atlantic routes from those carriers' European cousins, which are just starting to arrive in Chicago. Iceland's Wow Air is expected to begin flying from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to the airline's Icelandic hub in Reykjavik on July 13. Norwegian Air's first flights from Chicago to London are scheduled to begin March 25. More could be on the way — Norwegian said it's adding flights as fast as Boeing can deliver the 787 Dreamliners it's ordered. During recent investor conferences, executives at United and American said the new airlines would force more competition on those trans-Atlantic routes. Story has more details.<br/>