In this paper, we investigate the routing and wavelength assignment problem for incremental connection requests in all-optical wavelength-division-multiplexed networks, with the objective of maximizing the profit that can be made. Specifically, each connection request between a pair of nodes in the network is associated with an earning, which can be obtained by satisfying the connection request. Each wavelength on a link is associated with a cost of using that wavelength on that link. We assume that the connection requests come in one by one (incrementally) and once a connection request is satisfied, the connection stays in the network for a long period. To establish a connection between a pair of nodes in the network, a path and a wavelength on that path through the network is found, such that connections whose paths share a common link in the network are assigned different wavelengths.We propose profit maximizing heuristics which try to satisfy the incremental connection requests, as they arrive, possibly by re-routing the existing connections in the network, in a manner which maximizes the overall profit obtained from the network. The heuristics are then compared with a profit maximizing heuristic, which does not re-route any existing connections.