American Airlines takes another step toward establishing Philadelphia as its main trans-Atlantic gateway by adding a seasonal, non-stop flight connecting Philadelphia (PHL) and Berlin (BER). The route begins service June 7 and will run through the end of September.

“We see a lot of promise in Berlin and have seen strong booking results thus far,” said Andrew Tull, manager, corporate communications, American Airlines.

American Airlines will operate the route using a Boeing 767-300. The service seats 225 passengers, split between 27 business-class seats, 21 Main Cabin Extra seats and 177 economy seats. The flight will operate four times weekly during its initial seasonal run. In the future, American Airlines plans to expand seat volume and frequency, with the ultimate goal of making the flight available year-round.

The American Airlines expansion to Berlin comes at a time of great opportunity for travelers looking for great experiences in the German capital.

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. The biggest event commemorating the peaceful revolution is coming Nov. 4–10. A huge celebration will turn the entire city into a big open-air festival during the week. Exhibitions ranging from art to history will take over the city and culminate in a big concert on the night of Nov. 9.

Since the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the city transformed from isolated into a world city, officials from Visit Berlin explained. In 2018, Berlin ranked third in terms of how many visitors stayed overnight. Berlin is host to more than 1,000 events every day, nearly 150,000 hotel beds and 15,192 restaurants and bars with 26 Michelin stars between them.

Does this direct flight make travel to Berlin more likely for your future travel? What is your favorite thing about the city? Tell us. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.