It started as a cry for help that went viral. Rachel Crampton was facing a 23-hour flight with three children under the age of five. Unable to recruit a family member or friend to help out, she took to social media and offered a sizeable cash payment – A$1,000 (about £560 at the time) – to someone who would accompany her on the epic London-to-Sydney flight.

Crampton, a Briton based in Sydney, was inundated with responses and found an “amazing Aussie girl” living in London who was homesick but could not afford the flight back to Australia.

She has since turned that experience into a business which has just launched in the UK after success in Australia. Her website, Juurnee, matches those who want help on a flight with people willing to be their travel companion.

Those needing help could include a parent travelling solo with toddlers, an older person requiring some assistance, someone with a disability, an unaccompanied child, or a nervous flyer.

The companion receives a payment that will cover part, or all, of the cost of their flight.

At the time of writing there were 30 live requests for help on the site. These included a London-to-Switzerland return flight, where the full cost is offered to someone who can help an older passenger who uses a wheelchair; and a London-to-Sydney return trip, with 50% of the flight cost paid, for someone who can help a mother with her one-year-old (there is an option to help just one way).

Crampton says more than 12,000 people have signed up to be a companion and many are qualified teachers, nurses, midwives, childcare workers and others who have clearances to work with children, or qualifications to assist people with disabilities.

But she adds: “You don’t need to be a nanny or nurse – just a decent person willing to lend a hand.”

People seeking a companion can post their offer for free and don’t pay for a successful match. They list the route, the date, the flight details and the sum they are willing to pay someone to travel with them.

They can choose their own payment amount, although the website recommends 50% to 100% of a companion’s flight cost.

Companions sign up for free and can view the offers, but pay a £15-a-year subscription to be able to message people directly to offer their services. They buy their own flights, so, to that extent, the person who needs help is not responsible for them.

Once a companion has applied for an offer, the person requesting help has 14 days to accept and match with them. If selected, the companion will be put in touch with the individual needing help.

Crampton recommends companions get paid at the end of the trip, and that an escrow service is used to hold the payment from when the agreement is struck until 48 hours after landing. “At the moment we are recommending our matched travellers use Escrow.com,” she adds.

There is no official “contract” between the two parties provided by the site – for example, outlining what is expected of the companion – but Crampton says users are free to create one themselves. The website does provide a guide that covers different scenarios.

What if the companion doesn’t turn up at the airport? “We haven’t had this situation crop up just yet,” says Crampton.

If, say, the companion rearranged their flight, they would not be paid their fee. “Hopefully, they would inform Juurnee, or the person they were meant to be helping, in advance, and then we can find another companion,” she says.

American Airlines has made bold changes, and they start as early as August. The airline is scaling back on flights following weaker numbers during its third quarter. Hundreds of U.S. domestic flights are cancelled this month, resulting in a loss of over 76,000 seats.

In the meantime, American is looking to ramp things up elsewhere. They added the new Airbus A321XLR, according to Simple Flying, while they also caught Canadians by surprise recently, proposing a new codeshare partnership with Porter Airlines. This will allow for more travel options to Canada.

Additionally, American continues to move away from domestic U.S. travel, announcing new international routes. The new options have been praised and are already drawing hype for the summer of 2026.

Here’s a closer look at the new routes American Airlines just revealed, along with the perks that come with them.

American Airlines Announced Six New International Routes For Next Summer

American Airlines continues to be one of the top U.S. airlines. However, its recent projections failed to hit the mark. In the eyes of many, American Airlines is currently slumping behind the competition, including Delta Air Lines and United.

Despite the allegations, American Airlines spiced things up with an unexpected announcement. American Airlines has also bolstered its summer 2026 schedule with six additional destinations.

The add-ons start with a debut service to Prague, and its U.S. service to Budapest, Hungary, will become the only non-stop service in America.

Additionally, added routes include popular destinations such as Athens, Greece (ATH); Milan (MXP); and Zurich (ZRH). Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE) will also get a major jolt, with expanded service.

Brian Znotins, American’s Senior Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning, said in a statement:

“Customers continue to tell us that Europe is where they want to go each summer and these new routes make it even easier to cross the Atlantic in 2026. We are excited to grow our network to new destinations like Prague and Budapest and offer even more premium travel experiences on our flights to Tokyo.”

Tickets will be available for these new and exciting routes as of August 11th.

The Breakdown of the new routes:

• Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) to Athens, Greece (ATH)
• DFW to Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE)
• DFW to Zurich (ZRH)
• Miami (MIA) to Milan (MXP)
• Philadelphia (PHL) to Budapest, Hungary (BUD)
• PHL to Prague (PRG)

Flights to Athens, Budapest, Zurich and Prague are all set to be seasonal flights. On the flip side, the Milan flight from Miami will be a year-round service starting on March 29th, 2026. The Buenos Aires flight will extend service from May 21st to August 3rd.

The changes have been met with lots of positivity, especially given the timing. The move also favors soccer fans and those who love visiting Europe in general.

The Additional Perks Of American Airlines’ New Routes

American Airlines is pivoting and listening to what the consumer trends are these days. Europe continues to be a significant hot spot for Americans, especially with the decline in travel to Canada.

​​​​​​​American will not offer 18 daily flights next summer from the U.S. to both Italy and Greece alone. The decision is a very popular one, especially with Milan and Athens now added.

Another added perk of the new routes caters to soccer fans.

AA wrote on its website, “Special for global soccer fans, American will launch limited-time service between DFW and ZRH and offer expanded summer service from DFW and MIA to EZE. Flights from Argentina and Switzerland will connect soccer fans to Dallas-Fort Worth for the world’s premier sporting event.”

An exciting option for soccer fans, to say the least. Along with Europe, AA is also enhancing its journey to Asia, with premium options for flights to Tokyo and other areas. Pyjamas and mattress pads on all widebody flights to East Asia, the Middle East, India, Australia and New Zealand will be served for passengers in the business class, along with multi-course meals.

AA is ramping things up, and the timing couldn’t be any better.

American Airlines Is In A Slump After Its Third-Quarter Forecast Fell Short

In late July, American Airlines saw its shares dip to nearly 10% after its third-quarter forecast fell short of expectations. CEO Robert Islom issued a statement on the struggles. The numbers were driven by consumer weakness, according to CNBC.

American’s CEO said in a statement:

“July’s been a tough month … because of the domestic consumer weakness.”

American isn’t concerned, however, with the recent slump, expecting the demand to increase during the next couple of months, while it aims at scaling back on its capacity growth to rebuild. Although the rebuild is taking place with reduced travel, AA is already looking for a significant boost in 2026, with exciting new destinations. This is the exact type of pivot the airline needs during these uncertain times, with reduced travel to the United States.

Be sure to let us know your thoughts on American Airlines’ added routes. Is this the new approach what American needs to take moving forward, diversifying its routes? Chime in down below.