Of course, United and American aren\u2019t really fighting over Erie and Johnson City \u2014 but rather over Chicago’s O\u2019Hare International Airport (ORD), where each operates a large connecting hub at the nation\u2019s fourth-busiest airport<\/a>.<\/p>\n Heated rivalry: United, American up the ante in battle for Chicago supremacy<\/a><\/p>\n United and American have sparred this year<\/a> over access to ORD, where the gates are in high demand \u2014 and where said demand can seriously limit a carrier’s ability to grow if no gates can be found. Both United and American have claimed they should be entitled to new gates now coming online there. But the back-and-forth appears to have ignited a turf war as hometown United seeks to entrench its prime position while American tries to close the gap.<\/p>\n So how did Erie and Johnson City land a starring role in the Windy City spat?<\/p>\n Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter<\/p>\n Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG\u2019s experts<\/p>\n By signing up, you will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use<\/a> and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy<\/a>. You may unsubscribe at any time.<\/p>\n That came yesterday, when American added three new routes from O\u2019Hare in its broader expansion. Those three new Chicago routes?<\/p>\n Erie International Airport (ERI)Tri-Cities Airport (TRI), near Johnson CityLincoln Airport (LNK) in Nebraska<\/p>\n Barely 24 hours later, United rolled out its own expansion \u2014 featuring all three of those cities that American included in its ORD additions.<\/p>\n United will begin flying ERI-ORD on June 1, putting the Pennsylvania city back on its route map for the first time since May 2023. And the carrier will make its debut at TRI \u2014 which also serves the eastern Tennessee cities of Kingsport and Bristol \u2014 on June 8.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.com\/images\/EmailSignUp\/daily-dt.svg\"\/)
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