(COLUMBUS, OHIO) Airlines are adding targeted fall 2025 flights at John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) to match Ohio State’s biggest football weekends, bringing extra nonstop options that are not usually offered from Columbus and timing departures and returns around game days. The Columbus Regional Airport Authority published the special flights lineup on July 31, 2025, with additions covering the Texas home opener, the road games at Washington and Wisconsin, and the Penn State and UCLA home games.
Carriers stepping in include American, Delta, United, and Southwest, while Alaska’s daily CMH–SEA service remains in place for the Washington trip window.
Targeted flight additions for game weekends
- Texas at Ohio State (home) — Game day: Aug 30, 2025 (Columbus)
- Inbound to CMH: Aug 29
- Returns: Aug 31–Sept 1
- Added lift to CMH:
- American: Austin (AUS), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
- Delta: Austin (AUS), San Antonio (SAT)
- Southwest: Austin (AUS), Dallas (DAL), Houston (HOU)
- Note: One American return from DFW appears on Sept 1.
- Ohio State at Washington (away) — Game day: Sept 27, 2025 (Seattle)
- Depart CMH: Sept 25–26
- Return: Sept 28
- Special CMH–SEA nonstops by: Southwest, American, Delta, United
- Baseline: Alaska’s daily CMH–SEA remains available beyond the special dates.
- Local reporting confirms added CMH→SEA departures on Sept 25–26 and returns on Sept 28 across the four majors.
- Ohio State at Wisconsin (away) — Game day: Oct 18, 2025 (Madison)
- Depart CMH: Oct 17
- Return: Oct 19
- Added CMH–MSN nonstops by: American, United
- Penn State at Ohio State (home) — Game day: Nov 1, 2025 (Columbus)
- Inbound to CMH: Oct 31
- Return: Nov 2
- Added SCE→CMH service by: United
- Focused on inbound Penn State fans and alumni traffic.
- UCLA at Ohio State (home) — Game day: Nov 15, 2025 (Columbus)
- Inbound to CMH: Nov 14
- Return: Nov 16
- Extra LAX→CMH frequencies by: American, Delta
These date-specific boosts mirror the 2025 Ohio State schedule: Texas (Aug 30, Columbus), Washington (Sept 27, Seattle), Wisconsin (Oct 18, Madison), Penn State (Nov 1, Columbus), and UCLA (Nov 15, Columbus).
For two away games, the added nonstop options are especially unusual for CMH. The one-off CMH–SEA flights for Washington and CMH–MSN for Wisconsin reduce connections and shave hours off travel time. For the Penn State weekend, the SCE→CMH addition eases inbound demand for visiting fans.
Important: These extras are concentrated on the listed dates and are built around likely kickoff windows. Inventory is limited and fares can rise as seats sell.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, carriers often file event-driven extras 4–8 weeks before a peak weekend when bookings spike, so more tweaks could arrive as the season draws closer.
What travelers should know: booking and airport operations
- Search the exact dates above (for example, Aug 29 inbound and Aug 31–Sept 1 returns for the Texas opener) on each airline’s website or app.
- Use the “nonstop” filter to surface special flights on key pairs such as CMH–SEA, CMH–MSN, and SCE→CMH.
- If the CMH–SEA special nonstops don’t appear on your preferred date, check Alaska’s daily CMH–SEA, or consider connections through major hubs:
- American: DFW / PHL / CLT
- Delta: ATL / DTW / MSP
- United: ORD / IAD / DEN
- For fans traveling from Texas markets for the opener, scan AUS, DAL/DFW, HOU, and SAT into CMH on Aug 29 with returns on Aug 31–Sept 1 across American, Delta, and Southwest.
- Book early. Event weekends tend to see fast-moving fare buckets once TV windows firm up and ticket transfers accelerate.
The airport also points to normal flight schedules during ongoing work on the CMH Next terminal program. Construction is staged alongside daily operations, and flight activity in 2025 is not expected to be disrupted.
For official updates and the full list of game-weekend flights, see the Columbus Regional Airport Authority’s special page: https://flycolumbus.com/travel-tips/special-flights. The authority’s page is the current single source of record for dates, routes, and participating carriers, and it was last updated on July 31, 2025.
Operational context and traveler benefits
- These adds are targeted and tactical; American, Delta, United, and Southwest are flexing schedules to meet short bursts of demand.
- Alaska continues to anchor the Seattle corridor daily.
- Independent local coverage highlighted the rare point-to-point CMH–SEA pairing by the four largest domestic carriers for the Washington weekend, with departures on Sept 25–26 and returns on Sept 28.
Benefits for travelers:
– Reduces lost workdays and enables same-weekend turnarounds.
– Example: A Columbus parent planning the Wisconsin trip can leave Friday and return Sunday night on a single ticket without a hub stop.
– Visiting Penn State families can use the special SCE→CMH lift on Oct 31 and fly back on Nov 2, avoiding long drives.
Broader airline strategy and outlook
Ohio State’s 2025 slate carries national TV interest and high ticket floors, which airlines track closely. When schedules feature rare matchups—like the Washington road trip—carriers can justify pop-up nonstops that otherwise wouldn’t clear their network models.
That explains:
– The one-weekend burst to Seattle (Sept 25–28)
– Added Madison service for Oct 17–19
– Extra transcontinental capacity for the UCLA weekend on Nov 14–16
Future adds remain possible. As Big Ten play evolves and TV windows tighten, carriers may adjust timings or upgauge aircraft. The airport suggests monitoring airline sites for fresh frequencies, especially in the 4–8 week window leading into each game.
Warning: There was no posted change to the current list beyond these dates as of Aug 12, 2025. Travelers should verify flight numbers and times directly with each airline before booking because schedules can shift quickly ahead of major events.
All told, the 2025 football season will bring rare nonstop choices and extra capacity at John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) tied to five high-demand weekends. For travelers building plans around Texas at Ohio State, the Washington and Wisconsin trips, or the Penn State and UCLA home games, the most direct seats are now in the market—at least for the dates listed. Checking early, filtering for nonstop, and watching airline schedule updates will give fans the best shot at locking in the simplest route to kickoff.
This Article in a Nutshell
Airlines added targeted fall 2025 nonstop flights at CMH for Ohio State weekends, debuting rare CMH–SEA and CMH–MSN service. Published July 31, 2025, carriers American, Delta, United, Southwest, and Alaska timed departures around game days to ease travel and reduce connections for fans and alumni.
