Spain`s popularity with Americans is growing and US Airways and Air Plus Comet are adding service for the upcoming summer season. The European Travel Commission is predicting a record 13.4 million U.S. visitors will go to Europe in 2005. Other industry experts are reporting cruise bookings for the Mediterranean are up, a hedge against the low buying power of the dollar. Over the past several years, cruise line executives have been adding several ports in Spain to their western Mediterranean itineraries including Barcelona, Malaga and Valencia. This year`s Gastronomic Festival in Barcelona is sure to entice more travelers to visit.

For the peak summer travel season, US Airways announced they will inaugurate service between Philadelphia and Barcelona on May 16. The airline will feature two-class service on Boeing 767 aircraft, with 23 seats in Envoy Class and 176 seats in Coach Class. US Airways flight 948 will leave Philadelphia (PHL) at 8:15 PM, arriving in Barcelona the following morning at 10:05 AM. The return flight, US Airways 949, departs Barcelona at 12:35 PM and arrives back at Philadelphia at 3:30 PM the same day. US Airways also flies from Philadelphia to Madrid daily.

Since March, Air Plus Comet has been serving Madrid with non stop flights once a week from Terminal One at John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) in New York. The airline is flying Airbus 300/310s with two-class service: 12 in Class Plus and 242 in Economy Plus. Air Plus Comet`s flight A7 916 departs at 4:00 PM, arriving in Madrid the following morning at 5:30 AM. The return flight A7 917 departs Madrid at 11:25 AM and arrives in New York the same day at 2:30 PM. The airline also offers connecting service to all major Spanish cities including Barcelona and Malaga, the gateway to Andalusia and the fabled cities of Seville, Cordoba and Granada.

Madrid, Barcelona and Andalusia are the three most popular areas in Spain for our U.S. visitors, said Javier Pinanes, director of the Tourist Office of Spain. These new flights on US Airways and Air Plus Comet will make it easier than ever for American travelers to get to their favorite vacation destinations faster.

Iberia, Spain`s national carrier offers non-stop service to Madrid from New York (John F. Kennedy airport), Chicago and Miami. American Airlines has non-stop service from those three gateways as well. Delta Airlines has non-stop flights from New York and Atlanta to Madrid and also offers seasonal service to Barcelona from both gateways. Continental has a daily non-stop flight from Newark to Madrid and Air Europa code shares with Continental on those flights.