Airlines Take New Approach to International Routes

"We still have catching up to do," he said. The carrier also plans new service next year from Philadelphia to Birmingham, England, Oslo and Tel Aviv.

Meanwhile, Delta announced summer service to Paris from both Raleigh-Durham and Pittsburgh. The concept seems like a risky one, because Delta lacks domestic feed traffic in both cities. But Delta spokeswoman Betsy Talton says both "are solid business travel markets, and these unique nonstop flights take customers to a strong hub in Paris," with connections to about 90 cities on Delta partner Air France.

Though it has eliminated an Atlanta-Vienna route and seasonally reduced trans-Atlantic service, Delta remains committed to international growth. In December, Delta will begin eight new flights to Latin America, the fastest growing international region. American is the leading carrier between the region and the U.S.

Even as carriers are planning new international flights, JP Morgan analyst Jamie Baker says US Airways and JetBlue(JBLU Quote) "remain our favorite names, in large part due to their limited international exposure."

Baker wrote in a recent research report that the only question is "when, not if, the global economy [will] catch up to the U.S. airline industry." JP Morgan has financial relationships, in both investment banking and noninvestment banking, with JetBlue and US Airways.

In general, while domestic flying has been slashed by an unprecedented 10%, international flying by U.S. carriers remains relatively flat. International capacity rose 1.4% in October and 0.5% in November, and will decline by 1.7% in December, roughly in line with seasonal adjustments last year, according to a report by Barclays Capital analyst Gary Chase.