Which routes from Reno–Tahoe exceed 1,300 miles?

Reno–Tahoe International Airport is a smaller airport serving the ‘Biggest Little City In The World’. Due to Reno’s close proximity to the world-famous Lake Tahoe, the airport also serves as an arrival point for those going to the lake. According to Cirium, there are nearly 4,000 flights scheduled to and from Reno in December.

Only seven routes are longer than 1,300 miles, totaling just over 425 flights for the month. These routes are to six cities, including one international destination. The six cities with flights over 1,300 miles from Reno are:

1. New York
2. Atlanta
3. Chicago
4. Guadalajara
5. Houston
6. Dallas

Reno – New York-JFK

2,411 miles

The first route over 1,300 miles from Reno is to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. JetBlue , which is headquartered in New York City, is the only airline to operate the route. The flight from RNO to JFK is 2,411 miles and is the only route over 2,000 miles from Reno this month.

JetBlue operates this flight twice weekly on its Airbus A220-300s. These planes are configured with 140 seats in a 2-3 configuration and feature middle seats on just one side of the aircraft. The flight leaving Reno is a redeye, while the leg from New York has a late-night arrival in Reno.

The flights operate on the following schedule:

JetBlue did not operate this flight throughout the entire year. Data shows the airline had flights between January and March before going on a two-month pause. Flights then resumed in June and ran through August, before picking back up in December. JetBlue scheduled 244 flights in 2024 and had nearly 39,000 seats available.

Reno – Atlanta

1,993 miles

The second-longest route from Reno is also to a city where another American carrier is headquartered. Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is the biggest hub for Delta Air Lines , the only airline operating flights from Reno to Atlanta. According to data, the flight is 1,993 miles long.

Delta operates the route daily using its Boeing 757 aircraft and its operating times vary. For example, on the leg from Atlanta to Reno, there are mid-morning departures and mid-evening departures. On the return leg, there are flights that leave shortly after noon, and others that are redeyes.

With 25 roundtrip flights, Delta has nearly 10,000 seats available between Atlanta and Reno in December.

Delta relaunched this route in June after ending operations in 2022. The airline had previously served Reno from Atlanta until 2010, and then from 2016 to 2022. After relaunching in June, operations were constant until the end of the year.

Cirium shows that from June to December, Delta scheduled 334 flights and had more than 66,000 seats available

Reno – Chicago

1,671 miles

Continuing the theme of routes to cities where airlines are headquartered, the third-longest route from Reno this month is to Chicago. Chicago is home to United Airlines' headquarters and to the airline’s busiest hub at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The flight from Reno to Chicago is 1,671 miles long and operated daily.

United uses its smallest Boeing 737 aircraft, the -700, for this route. These planes have 126 seats in a two-cabin configuration. There are 12 first-class seats and 114 in economy. The -700 fleet still features United’s DirecTV live TV.

Like with Delta’s Atlanta flights, United’s flights on the ORD-RNO route vary in time. From Chicago, flights leave between 19:45 and 20:30 and arrive in Reno before 23:00. On the return leg, there is more variation. Almost half of United’s flights from Reno to Chicago are redeyes, departing at 23:55 and arriving at 05:52. The rest is split between 07:00 and 09:00 departures.

With 28 flights from Chicago to Reno and 27 in the opposite direction, United has nearly 7,000 seats available in December.

United was not the only airline that connected Reno to Chicago in 2024. American Airlines had flights during the summer, from June to September. But, United’s operations were year-round, with two daily roundtrips for most of the year.

Cirium shows that United had 622 flights scheduled in 2024, with nearly 81,000 seats, while American had 180 flights and nearly 31,000 seats.

Reno – Guadalajara

1,631 miles

This is the first international destination on this list and the only one. The flight from RNO to Aeropuerto Internacional de Guadalajara Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (GDL) is 1,631 miles long. GDL is Mexico’s third-busiest airport and is connected to RNO by Volaris , one of Mexico’s ultra-low-cost carriers.

According to Cirium, Volaris is operating this route five times weekly throughout December. Volaris uses its Airbus A320neos with 186 seats for the flight from GDL to RNO. Volaris’ aircraft are configured in a single-cabin configuration with all-economy seats.

Flights operated on the following schedule:

Earlier this month, Reno celebrated ten years of nonstop service from Guadalajara to Reno. The airline and airport authorities held special festivities to commemorate the milestone. The Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA) hosted the first event in Mexico, and Mike Larragueta, President and CEO, said,

“This route is more than just a flight; it’s a gateway for visitors from Mexico to experience all that Reno-Tahoe has to offer, from our beautiful outdoors to our unique cultural events. It also gives our community direct access to the incredible heritage and opportunities in Guadalajara. This connection has been and will continue to be invaluable for our region.”

Volaris operated the route throughout 2024, reaching its peak in May, July, and October when the airline had 46 roundtrips and more than 8,500 seats available. There were 524 flights scheduled throughout the year and more than 97,000 seats available.

Reno – Houston

1,530 miles

United is the only airline with two routes from Reno that are over 1,300 miles. The second route on this list is to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), home to United’s busiest hub for Latin American and Caribbean flights. The flight to IAH is 1,530 miles.

This flight will be operated daily from December 19th through the end of the month, and has just over 3,200 seats available in December. Like the flight to Chicago, United uses its smallest 737s, the -700s. The flights operate on the following schedule:

United’s operations on this route were sporadic throughout the year. Cirium shows that United had flights in January and March but did not operate the route in February and April. Then, in May, United resumed operations for the summer, and ended its flights in early September.

Flights then resumed this month, in time for the holidays and for the ski season to be taken advantage of on Lake Tahoe’s slopes. United scheduled 115 flights between Reno and Houston this year and had more than 15,000 seats on offer.

Reno – Dallas

1,356 miles

This list closes out with two more routes to cities where airlines are headquartered, but this time, it is two airports in the same metropolitan area for two different airlines. First is the flight from Reno to Dallas Love Field (DAL), home to Southwest Airlines . The flight to DAL is 1,356 miles long.

Operations are scattered throughout the month, totaling 11 roundtrips for December. Using several different aircraft, Southwest has more than 3,300 seats available between Reno and Dallas.

According to Cirium, Southwest uses all the planes in its fleet for the route. This includes:

• Boeing 737-700
• Boeing 737-800
• Boeing 737 MAX 8

The most-used plane is the -700, which has 143 seats in a single-cabin configuration.

In 2024, Southwest almost operated the RNO-DAL route throughout the entire year. Though operations never reached a daily frequency, Southwest connected the two airports every month except October. Some months had just one weekly flight.

In total, the airline only scheduled 143 flights between Reno and Dallas Love Field. There were 22,081 seats available throughout the year.

Reno – Dallas/Fort Worth

1,345 miles

The final route on this list is to one of the world’s busiest airports, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). The airport is home to the biggest hub for American Airlines, which is headquartered just a few miles away. Though the shortest route over 1,300 miles from Reno, it is by far the busiest route.

According to Cirium, American has 101 roundtrip flights, which is more than three daily roundtrips. Deploying the 737-800 on the route to DFW, American has more than 34,000 seats available in December. American’s 737-800s have 172 seats, 16 in first class and the rest in economy.

On its busiest days, American has 09:00, 12:19, 19:30, and 22:40 departures from DFW, with the latest flight arriving in Reno after 00:00 on the following day. In the opposite direction, flights depart at 06:00, 11:30, 14:53, and 23:59.

This route is operated year-round by American, with the busiest months being in the summer. Cirium shows that in July, the airline had 121 roundtrips, four daily for most of the month. There were more than 41,000 seats available in July.

For the entire year, American scheduled 2,657 flights (total) and had more than 450,000 seats available.