Flying to the Midwest and Great Plains

General Information

Given the vastness of the territory and the remoteness—or even isolation—of some cities, there are countless airports, and every significant urban area has its own. However, traffic often boils down to direct service to regional or national hubs (such as Chicago or New York) operated primarily by major U.S. airlines like American, Delta, United, or Southwest. Beyond that and a few seasonal or occasional "sun destinations" (Mexico, the Caribbean, etc.), most airports offer little else.

That said, exceptions include the megacities Chicago, Detroit, and Minneapolis–Saint Paul. Chicago has the third-largest airport in the U.S. (Chicago O'Hare), handling 70 million passengers annually (plus the 20 million at Chicago Midway Airport), giving the city a broad global reach. Minneapolis-Saint Paul (35 million passengers/year) and Detroit (32 million) also see strong traffic, including international flights, as key hubs for Delta Air Lines, among others. As for other major cities in the region (St. Louis, Kansas City, Cleveland, etc.), while they do handle traffic (10–12 million passengers), it’s primarily domestic.

In short, the Midwest/Great Plains region has fairly good air coverage, but outside the five or six main urban areas, reaching your destination often requires a connection through one of the major U.S. airlines’ hubs—especially when arriving from abroad.

Types of Flights

Charters, Scheduled, and Low-Cost

Promotions and Special Offers

From France

Only Paris offers direct flights to several cities in the region, primarily Chicago. Aside from Chicago, which has steady transatlantic demand, other cities mainly serve as hubs or layovers for French or European passengers in transit. For Chicago, expect roughly 9 hours and 40 minutes of flight time, with round-trip fares ranging from 380 to 850 €.

Direct Flights

From Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport:

Chicago: American, Delta (seasonal), United.

Cincinnati: Delta.

Detroit: Air France, Delta.

Minneapolis/St. Paul: Air France (seasonal), Delta.

Connecting Flights

How to Choose Your Flight?

From Paris

From Other French Cities

From the Rest of Europe

From the Rest of the Americas

Canada

Rest of the United States

Service from the rest of the country is fairly good, though secondary cities may require airport transfers unless your route involves one of the country’s megacities, which often have direct connections.