United Airlines has by far the most interesting global route network of the “big three” US carriers, and the network keeps expanding. Yesterday, the Chicago-based airline teased how it would announce new international routes today, and those details have just been unveiled.
In this post:
Details of United’s long haul route expansion for 2027
United Airlines has just announced its long haul route expansion for 2027, which the airline is describing as its largest expansion in history. With this, we’re seeing the airline add service to 10 all-new destinations, eight of which aren’t served by any US airlines. On top of that, the airline is adding four new routes to existing long haul destinations.
The reason we’re seeing such a big expansion this year is because United is taking delivery of a lot of new long haul aircraft. Specifically, the airline is taking delivery of Airbus A321XLRs, which are long haul, narrow body planes, opening up plenty of new markets.
The airline is also taking delivery of new Boeing 787-9s in an ultra premium configuration — while these won’t directly be used for new routes, the idea is that they’ll free up wide body planes to operate other routes.
Here’s how Patrick Quayle, United’s brilliant SVP of Global Network Planning and Alliances, describes this expansion:
“We aim to have a destination on our route map for every traveler, at every stage of their lives. Whether it’s a business trip, a dream honeymoon, a bucket-list adventure, or a trip home to see family, we’re making the world feel smaller and connecting cultures at a scale no other airline in the world can match. We’ve added flights to nearly 60 new international cities in the last decade, building a global network with the breadth and reach to set travel trends and inspire even the most discerning travelers to discover somewhere new. When someone visits our website or app to start planning a trip, they’ll be amazed by where United can take them.”
Since United always makes a game of launching new routes, below is the trailer that United released yesterday about the new routes.
Meanwhile below is the follow-up video today, coinciding with the announcement.
United adds service to 10 new international destinations
The most exciting part of this expansion is that United will add flights to 10 all-new international destinations in Europe and Asia, eight of which aren’t served by any other US airlines. Below is a chart showing the routes, when they’ll launch, their frequencies, and the aircraft types.
| Route | Start Date | Frequency | Aircraft |
| San Francisco (SFO) – Okinawa (OKA)* | Mar. 27 | 3x Weekly | Boeing 777-200ER |
| Newark (EWR) – Luxembourg (LUX)* | Apr. 2 | Daily | Airbus A321XLR |
| Washington (IAD) – Toulouse (TLS)* | Apr. 26 | Daily | Airbus A321XLR |
| Newark (EWR) – Ljubljana (LJU)* | May 12 | 4x Weekly | Boeing 767-400ER |
| Newark (EWR) – Olbia (OLB) | May 27 | 3x Weekly | Boeing 767-300ER |
| Newark (EWR) – Catania (CTA) | May 28 | 4x Weekly | Boeing 767-300ER |
| Newark (EWR) – Ibiza (IBZ)* | May 31 | 4x Weekly | Airbus A321XLR |
| Newark (EWR) – Valencia (VLC)* | Jun. 2 | 3x Weekly | Airbus A321XLR |
| Newark (EWR) – Marseille (MRS)* | Jun. 4 | Daily | Airbus A321XLR |
| Newark (EWR) – Terceira (TER)* | Jun. 9 | 3x Weekly | Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
| * United is the only U.S. airline to fly nonstop from the U.S. to this city. | |||
United adds routes to four existing international destinations
Beyond 10 fully new destinations, United will also add four new routes to existing destinations. Below is a chart showing the routes, when they’ll launch, their frequencies, and the aircraft types.
Route | Start Date | Frequency | Aircraft |
Denver (DEN) – Paris (CDG) | May 27, 2027 | Daily | Boeing 787-9 |
Los Angeles (LAX) – Osaka (KIX) | March 27, 2027 | Daily | Boeing 787-9 |
San Francisco (SFO) – Tel Aviv (TLV) | March 28, 2027 | 3x weekly | Boeing 787-9 |
Washington (IAD) – Milan (MXP) | May 28, 2027 | 3x weekly | Boeing 767-300ER |
My take on United’s huge international expansion
Every time you think United can’t top itself in terms of route announcements, the airline manages to do so. No, there might not be any truly shocking destinations on the list (like Greenland or Mongolia), but this is just such an impressive expansion in terms of the breadth and depth of United’s long haul network. Adding 10 new international destinations over the course of just over two months is unbelievable.
What are my takes on the specific route additions?
- It’s very cool to see United adding yet another city in Japan, as the carrier’s Asia route network really is unrivaled among US carriers
- I think the least surprising Europe additions are those in France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, given general travel trends; meanwhile I find the Ljubljana and Luxembourg additions to be a little more surprising
- I imagine the Los Angeles to Osaka route is largely driven by trying to compete with Delta, as it grows its presence in Southern California, especially across the Pacific
- It’s always nice to see more long haul service out of Denver, especially to a non-joint venture hub
- I’m delighted to see United actually using the A321XLR in the way its intended — to add service to new destinations that probably wouldn’t work with wide bodies — rather than just introducing smaller planes on existing routes
Bottom line
United Airlines has unveiled the details of its 2027 international expansion. With this, we’ll see the airline add flights to 10 new destinations in Asia and Europe, with five of the routes being operated by the new Airbus A321XLR. On top of that, the airline will add four new routes to existing destinations, in Asia and Europe.
As usual, United’s network impresses. It’s amazing how the airline already has such a robust route network, but keeps growing.
What do you make of United’s international expansion?
United has reportedly assigned the flight number for IAD to TLS as UA flight 222. A cute nod to LH here ;)
Frankly I'm surprised it took this long to see Denver-Paris flights as Air France entered the market a few years ago and I figured they'd want to defend, not to mention they're more competitive in connections on the Denver side than AF is on the Paris side.
As a DEN UA flyer, it almost makes me want to move to New Jersey. Well, thought about it for a few seconds, anyways.
All the spring breakers going to ibitha. Luxembourg will be a big fail. It’s literally a 20 minute train from Paris.
whether or not the route succeeds, luxembourg is 250 road miles from paris and raileurope.com won't quote me anything under 2.5 hours. in what world other than your apparently deluded mind is that 20 mins?
I think you can get from Gare du Nord to Luxembourg train station in 20 minutes using the B line with a mere 2 stops ... that is lighting fast after all ... now Luxembourg / Jardin du Luxembourg , that is a tiny detail
Excellent pickup! Jardin de Luxembourg (a beautiful park) never occurred to me.
Bear in mind that not all these routes are likely to work - TFS has been dropped from UA's route network.
Unlike IBZ and PMI, Valencia is a large city (Spain's biggest after MAD and BCN) so a year round A321 service SHOULD be viable?
Have you, Ben, or has anyone else heard if United will be retiring their very old Boeing 777 planes? They have the oldest 777s of any airline by far, and have had issues with them as a result. We won't fly on them. Which is too bad as we live in Houston, one of their hubs. We'll choose another airline even if it means adding a connection to avoid any United 777. Yes, some of...
Have you, Ben, or has anyone else heard if United will be retiring their very old Boeing 777 planes? They have the oldest 777s of any airline by far, and have had issues with them as a result. We won't fly on them. Which is too bad as we live in Houston, one of their hubs. We'll choose another airline even if it means adding a connection to avoid any United 777. Yes, some of them are younger, but you don't know which one you'll end up getting until close to their flight time. Thanks! -Brian
I do wish they would add capacity on the SFO-NRT/HND route. Both cash costs and award are mind bogglingly expensive
Also SFO to FUK would be welcome
Why not Fresno to Fukuoka…
@Marcus--your description of pricing might be the reason they don't add more Tokyo capacity out of SFO. UA has a lot of pricing power at SFO and they are using it to make as much as they can. I suspect you might have better luck if JAL expanded more at SFO.
Eh. F him. Bad faith actor. Few good points drowned out ad nauseum by the repetition and insults and fake data.
@UA-NYC--Just guessing, but I presume this reply was to my post below, about TD, and not related to any comments about UA's fares out of SFO. If so, you are certainly entitled to your opinion. And you do make a decent point about misinformation. Still, I found it fun sparring with him on occasion and definitely fun to watch others do it.
Looks like the Timcel has been gelded! Hahaha. Have fun elsewhere.
United further laying claim to being THE US true flag Carrier to the world.
Honestly, I hope TD has not been banned from OMAAT. After all, this is something of an avgeek op-ed page, so why not his opinions? (I say that after having been flamed by Tim a few times myself.). And, of course, Tim was in some ways a unifying factor here (and elsewhere). Reading these comments is at least half the fun of OMAAT and not having a "common enemy" will make things very different--and maybe...
Honestly, I hope TD has not been banned from OMAAT. After all, this is something of an avgeek op-ed page, so why not his opinions? (I say that after having been flamed by Tim a few times myself.). And, of course, Tim was in some ways a unifying factor here (and elsewhere). Reading these comments is at least half the fun of OMAAT and not having a "common enemy" will make things very different--and maybe even less unified! Will someone else now become the poster we all love to hate? . Please, not me!
Steve, I just want you to know that found your comment both 'Helpful' and 'Yowzers!' ;-)
Thanks, @1990. That means a lot coming from you, given how much you and TD mixed it up on this and other forums.
Personally, I'm a fan of whoever wants to 'tango' on these platforms. Even if I disagree with them, passionately sometimes, engaging on various topics usually is inspiring and energizing. Like, best way to 'steel-man' your own opinions is to have someone challenge them on here. I've said many times, 'the answer to speech we don't like is more speech.' And, I try to live by that. Besides, there's a lot of cool travel ideas sprinkled in-between. What's not to like!
This is great and goes to show how A321XLR can be a game changer for United to grow thinner routes, not just feeding partner hub traffic.
Too bad EWR is so congested, another east cost hub would be useful for this expansion, (hello IAD)
These all seem like interesting routes but it's highly unlikely I will ever fly any of them. For flyers loyal to UA/Star Alliance, this may be good news. For the rest of us, who wants to connect at EWR? The answer depends upon where you live. For me, living on the Northwest coast and in a oneworld and SkyTeam hub, I would rather fly nonstop to Europe or East Asia and then connect to get...
These all seem like interesting routes but it's highly unlikely I will ever fly any of them. For flyers loyal to UA/Star Alliance, this may be good news. For the rest of us, who wants to connect at EWR? The answer depends upon where you live. For me, living on the Northwest coast and in a oneworld and SkyTeam hub, I would rather fly nonstop to Europe or East Asia and then connect to get to these smaller markets. Still, kudos to UA for creativity, and, as Ben points out, for using the A321XLR in the way in which it was intended.
I am really curious about the occupancy of the flights to Ljubljana...
The city is indeed full of tourists, however not many from the US, and for those few Ljubljana is usually just a stop on the longer itinerary.
At the same time, the US is a country of 350 million people, UA’s Mileage Plus program has 100 million members. Is it difficult to fill a plane to any random destination 3x a week? Probably not.
It’s not like routes haven’t failed before due to lack of demand.
I also can’t imagine there’s huge demand for direct service to Ljubljana. But good to see United do some experimenting with the XLRs.
@Volan--100 million FF program members doesn't really translate to 100 million UA frequent flyers, although it's still a large number. Like many people, I belong to a lot of FF programs, particularly if I need to fly on an airline that isn't affiliated with one I fly frequently. Why not? It doesn't cost anything so I might as well. That said, in the case of UA, I don't fly them every year but I still...
@Volan--100 million FF program members doesn't really translate to 100 million UA frequent flyers, although it's still a large number. Like many people, I belong to a lot of FF programs, particularly if I need to fly on an airline that isn't affiliated with one I fly frequently. Why not? It doesn't cost anything so I might as well. That said, in the case of UA, I don't fly them every year but I still count as one of those 100 million. I am pretty sure I am not alone.
"The airline is also taking delivery of new Boeing 787-9s in an ultra premium configuration"
... IF these "modern" planes then even fly as they should? UA does NOT really have the gest of luck, to operate those Ultra Premium configured NEW planes from BOEING. ;-) ;-) So i guess people will be happy to fly a narrow A321XLR instead of a plane that might cax every other scheduled flight? :-o
I don't even know what the he-- you just said
I think he was trying to say that Boeing sucks and Airbus rules. I think they both have their problems on occasion. The only real difference is that the EU may do a better job of regulating the industry than the USA does. They both make very complex machines and are trying to make a profit, which can easily lead to attempted shortcuts absent good inspection and regulation.
I wish they increased the frequency of NRT-ROR nonstop, or added a KIX-ROR. For travel to/from mainland US, a single connection in Japan is so much nicer than having to stop in Guam after connecting in Hawaii/Japan. Returning to the US from Palau via Guam and Japan has the distinction of forcing you to go through US immigration twice on a single all-United itinerary.
Hardly the greatest expansion in history
Its seasonal allocation of extra aircraft -possibly the oldest ones- to leisure routes
But nowadays you can market everything as the most glorious improvement because the starting point is so low
whether you like narrow bodies on long haul or not, calling an announcement that features majority literally brand new a321xlr aircraft, as "possible the oldest ones" is TD level spin
OK the most uncomfortable ones sorry
Still leisure routes
Narrowest expansion in history then!
No I'm not TD ;)
its the permanent end of affordable tourism to Italy
Americans have already ruined the Amalfi coast for good
With more DL, United direct flight to Sardinia and Sicily even the cost of a granita will be uniformed to the Hamptons prices
Yes and no. Yes, Americans will flock the places you mentioned BUT most are not savvy enough to explore the true Sardinia and Sicily. They will stay in Taormina (Sicily) because of White Lotus and in the Emerald Coast (Sardinia) because of Instagram. However, those islands have way more to offer and to explore and luckily most Americans won't venture outside of their comfortable zone.
You will see
They're everywhere-and it doesn't bother me because it's them, as they are actually far better behaved that Italians and other Europeans -albeit boring and cliche' to obsession- BUT because they will want to BUY BUY BUY (it's the American way to affirm relevance abroad), raising prices of everything and forcing the American tipping logic to the local hospitality business. Local economy won't improve, only the ones who already have not one,...
You will see
They're everywhere-and it doesn't bother me because it's them, as they are actually far better behaved that Italians and other Europeans -albeit boring and cliche' to obsession- BUT because they will want to BUY BUY BUY (it's the American way to affirm relevance abroad), raising prices of everything and forcing the American tipping logic to the local hospitality business. Local economy won't improve, only the ones who already have not one, but two feet in will get richer. I wonder if the employee pay of the five star properties that raised their prices 10x in the past 5 years rose accordingly...probably only their amount of tax evasion did. Talk sustainability
Disappointing to see nothing for IAH for years now...
@JD, I know right? Like more destinations in Latin America and Caribbean, which UA treats like a bastard child.
As someone based in the Bay Area, I'm excited about the Okinawa route. I have some friend/family connection there and I've always wanted to go. I've taken United from SFO to NRT and was pleased with the service.
Watch how fast these routes get cancelled when the economy crashes.
True statement but probably applicable to many routes and airlines, not just these new routes and UA.
Of course the big question is, how many of these routes will still be in service in 2030…and which ones will be.
Can't fault them for trying though. AA is an airline allergic to trying things with their route networks and look at them now
Wasn’t faulting them for it, just that it’s interesting to speculate which of these routes will still be going strong in a few years.
2030??! Most will be cancelled by Christmas 2027.
Meanwhile AA adds a 50th JFK-LHR flight.
As long as it’s one of those 789Ps with the new Flagship Suites, that’s a reliable, financially viable long-term strategy for them. AA all-of-the-sudden starting service to Ulaanbaatar wouldn’t be the ‘win,’ you may think it is. Great ‘PR’ for a cycle, sure.
Ironically you chose the worst example possible since AA has only been reducing these flights because of their weakness at LHR.
They used to have 4 frequencies and are down to 3 now on this route.
C'mon, yolo. Help our pal from Ivory Coast out a bit. If Abidjan was suggesting that AA is 'playing it too safe,' then he could've suggested more frequency on DFW/CLT/MIA–LHR (or MIA–MAD). Then again, I think AA can't even afford to do a flashy PR route, at this time. Like, they're hunkering-down as if it's about to be 2008 all-over-again (as they probably should.)
The issue with AA goes beyond not initiating interesting new routes. It extends to an unwillingness to keep routes that might actually work financially long enough to find out.
I wonder how much Lufthansa & Air Canada had a say in this. Sure they could have a launched IAD-BER or to Düsseldorf.
Also see how Poland & the Scandinavian countries are nowhere to be found?
Remember that LH can't be bothered with LOT and SAS despite LOT using Miles&More as their FF programme.
SAS had enough and they just said " Pfiadi LH. Bonjour, Pardon, Merci Air France".
Chicago to...
I wonder how much Lufthansa & Air Canada had a say in this. Sure they could have a launched IAD-BER or to Düsseldorf.
Also see how Poland & the Scandinavian countries are nowhere to be found?
Remember that LH can't be bothered with LOT and SAS despite LOT using Miles&More as their FF programme.
SAS had enough and they just said " Pfiadi LH. Bonjour, Pardon, Merci Air France".
Chicago to Warsaw woulkd make alot of sense to UA given the large polish community in the wind city but LOT is left to dominate the route.
If Kirby is acting like Trump (as one does, when they blow with the wind), United probably didn't even consult its allies in Canada (AC) or Europe (LH). Or, rather, he did this to spite them. Psh.
Is there any indication that they'll keep the summer routes from this year, like EWR-BRI? I haven't seen how they've performed yet.
There is a line in the news release, SPU/BRI/SCQ/GLA are all returning for S27.
The IAD-TLS will definitely take advantage of the Airbus corporate traffic between Toulouse and the HQ of Airbus Americas in Herndon.
Oh Timmy? Where are you? I need your analysis of how this is good for Delta!
He has already posted 2 obligatory comments (the usual “United sucks, Delta rules!” spiel) on LALF…
Julia, you mixed up the order; to him, it's 'DL #1, UA #2, AA doesn't matter... (and WN #4!)
Did I miss him getting banned or something?
Shocking he hasn't given his taek
I was hoping for Prague, Vienna, Istanbul, Warsaw, Budapest
They already did IST and failed miserably after one season. They cant compete with a superior airline like TK and their transit traffic.
Same goes for WAW and LO.
Why would they want to add VIE when it is already done via Austrian who's in Star Alliance? Same for Istanbul which is done by Turkish.
I was hoping for Newark Penn with an a321xlr
As a Delta flyer (I am based at a Delta hub), I am jealous to see United adding so many interesting international destinations. If I lived in a United hub, I would definitely be excited about these additions. However, my biggest concern is the same I have by living in a Delta hub: extortionate prices. Delta charges whatever they want if I want to fly non-stop from here and I believe United will do the...
As a Delta flyer (I am based at a Delta hub), I am jealous to see United adding so many interesting international destinations. If I lived in a United hub, I would definitely be excited about these additions. However, my biggest concern is the same I have by living in a Delta hub: extortionate prices. Delta charges whatever they want if I want to fly non-stop from here and I believe United will do the same if you want to fly non-stop to one of these unique destinations. It will be interesting to see how much more people are willing to pay to fly non-stop vs connecting in Europe.
I do live in a UA hub, but we didn't get any additional service. And if you want me to transfer planes at EWR or IAD, you've got another thing coming.
For example, if you live at ORD, there are options to fly to Europe including competition from European airlines. So I would rather fly ORD to Europe on whatever airline offers the best fares and then take a intra EU flight to the final destination. Yes, these flights are ideal for NYC based passengers which will value the non-stop option but if I have to fly to EWR to catch any of those flights I rather fly to Europe from my hub and then fly to one of these places.
Yep. I am a DL/SKyTeam flyer based in Chicago, @Santastico...fares out of ORD TATL are pretty reasonable on UA and AA - often cheaper than a one-stopper on DL. I still fly DL for two reasons: 1) I live much closer to MDW (like 30 minutes door-to-gate on the L!) than I do ORD, and DL is the only of the Big 3 who flies out of MDW, with plenty of easy 1-stop connections through...
Yep. I am a DL/SKyTeam flyer based in Chicago, @Santastico...fares out of ORD TATL are pretty reasonable on UA and AA - often cheaper than a one-stopper on DL. I still fly DL for two reasons: 1) I live much closer to MDW (like 30 minutes door-to-gate on the L!) than I do ORD, and DL is the only of the Big 3 who flies out of MDW, with plenty of easy 1-stop connections through ATL, DTW, and MSP to Europe (and several places in Asia), and 2) out of ORD, the SkyClub is freaking awesome, and with KL, AF, and new member SK flying out of ORD direct to Europe, I don't feel compelling to jump back to UA for Polaris...
this is all stupid and dumb and no one will ever fly any of these, especially not when they could instead fly JFK-LAX on a 763 with seats that predate the birth of christ and are 9" wide. CASM RASM bitches
"..predate the birth of Christ......CASM RASM". You've just made spit out my drink (it's late afternoon in Europe) and i can't stop laughing. Thank you.
Wow. The LUX raised my eyebrows.
I guess no Polaris lounge access to TER since it's MAX-8 service?
Not a surprise but a little disappointed for DEN. CDG is safe, but surely AMS or DUB would be relatively safe, too.
I get the importance of EWR, plus how the XLR works well from there, but given their traffic delays, I would have thought maybe they would spread these additional routes out more to other hubs. I've been trying to avoid EWR and ORD best I can for connections.
Love the Ljubljana one - Slovenia is one of my favorite European trips to date.
AMS and DUB are capped, so unless UA acquired or gave up a slot from another city, they can't add additional flying from either airport.
The continued lack of routes to Prague, Budapest, and Copenhagen are absurd. They refuse to divert any traffic from a dumb LH connection in Frankfurt.
They flew EWR > PRG nonstop in 2019. It was one of the few times my PlusPoints upgrade cleared in advanced haha. I wouldn't be surprised if it does come back though. If AA flies it but UA doesn't...
Fully agree. When you look at summer award ticket prices on AA's PHL-BUD flights, it is 450k every day. Those planes are always full. I hoped UA would finally fly to BUD.
It is weird that they've avoided BUD, PRG - I do wonder if there is a bit of backroom dealing between them and LH on markets that LH wants to keep funneling through FRA/MUC.
That's an interesting idea but I doubt it. UA doesn't play nice with its alliance partners. OTOH, in this case, you might be right because UA and LH are in a JV. Revenue sharing may well change the dynamic.
Yeah, larger alliance partners, certainly UA has many frosty a relationship (e.g. notably SQ over the years).
But in this case it is part of the broader TATL JV with LH, AC, etc.
Agreed! I took AA's flight to BUD this summer and it was delightful not having bleary-eyed connection in Europe first thing in the morning. AA's recent VIE leads me to believe they've found success in Central Europe. It will be interesting to see if UA/LH feels any pressure...hopefully they do as I'd love additional options to BUD.
Very cool. Great destinations. United is a fookin machine.
Ljubljana is a fantastic city.
Would love to see some Aeroplan award space open up.
maybe you've been away for the past 18 months but UA doesnt do partner space anymore
I have been, and thank you
LUX is a freight hub, so it makes sense even with smaller pax load factor
Anything through EWR is pretty much a no thank you until they get their "S" together there. It's harder to get between DC and EWR than it is from EWR to the international location. I've missed more international flights because they can't make a simple connection work between DCA/IAD and EWR.
Agree completely, DCA-EWR is extremely unreliable. I'm surprised more of these flights, especially LUX, weren't run out of IAD given how terrible EWR operations are.
As a German/American that lives in the CT/NY/NJ area and that has family just across the border from LUX, I am happy to see this flight added!!! RTL in Luxembourg had been reporting of rumors that a direct flight to NY might be in the works but I wasn’t expecting this news. I hope UA can make this work as I am also a UA elite. Only thing I fear, is that the prices will be ridiculous.
OKA has some large military presence, so this is a good way to connect people one-stop to anywhere in the US. But is UA not cannibalizing ANA market share with the KIX and OKA adds?
IAH loses out again.
They are not adding Okinawa, they are adding Naha. To say they fly to Okinawa, rather than Naha is like saying the new route DEN CDG is Colorado to Paris rather than Denver to Paris.
There are 13 civilian airports in Okinawa.
The island of Okinawa is roughly the size of metro Denver. The comparison is pretty apt, really.
That's like saying there is no difference in the route being Honolulu or Kona, both the same place?
You may want to get in touch with the airport authorities at several Japan airports, as well as flight crew and tell them to stop putting up signage, and making announcements saying flights are going to Okinawa.
Mostly 321XLR routes. Gross. Hope other airlines don’t follow this trend.
No one is stopping you from taking a layover to get there instead :)
Just out of curiosity, with all of this expansion why is it that United won't go back to the Around the World flights they had bought from Pan Am and were running all the way until the late 90s? I think it was LAX-HKG-DEL-CDG-JFK-LAX?
Why would they do that? It was a marketing gimmick based on an old world view of transport. Lost buckets of money. That's why it stopped and why Ua nor anybody would ever do that again
Finally TLS from an US carrier but why IAD? We need it from EWR!
Don't be greedy, EWR is getting virtually all of it. Give us DMV people something
Likely biz related. TLS is Airbus HQ, and Airbus US HQ is right next to IAD.
Seeing as how Airbus's North American headquarters is in the DC region, the A321XLR between the two cities is kind of a no-brainer.
United's international network is chef's kiss...can't wait to see what else they have in the cards as they receive more aircraft.
OKA is the most surprising to me, but the huge US military base there could make it work. I wonder if this route will affect the military charter services of Atlas and Kalitta.
Lots of new hotels there, including on the luxury side, and it's very much growing with American tourists. On my last trip to Japan, we wanted to end in OKA but couldn't simply because of timing and making the flights work. I think this is a great add, especially for convenience.
Yeah I find OKA a bit surprising, from a tourism perspective I don't see much to bring people from thr mainland US. It's basically known as the vacation spot for Japanese who can't afford Hawaii
That being said I think Okinawa would be a great destination from Guam on the 737 given the military link
Wow, such fantastic adds. Newark is clearly the “favorite child” as hubs go. So excited for the Obia and Slovenia flights.
A little surprised they didn’t add Copenhagen.
And another Tel Aviv resumption, excellent United!! NVIDIA employees will be delighted.
Paris and Milan, very nice adds. Will be interesting to see if the new Azores route and Toulouse service sticks, I’m still shocked by the flight to Santiago de Compostela, yes it’s returning.
Okinawa is awesome. Catania feels like a shot across the bow at Delta. (They fly JFK-CTA).
Delta also flies to Sardinia and Ibiza was the third option in the customer voting last year that was not selected.
This expansion looks strange until you think about what they’re trying to achieve. They’re not trying to compete with Delta and American on another flight to Paris or London…they’re using the A321XLR to make smaller, underserved international markets viable. Cities like Ljubljana, Toulouse, Valencia and Ibiza may not have enough demand for a 787 every day, but they can work with smaller aircraft..and the premium pricing that comes with being the only nonstop option. It’s...
This expansion looks strange until you think about what they’re trying to achieve. They’re not trying to compete with Delta and American on another flight to Paris or London…they’re using the A321XLR to make smaller, underserved international markets viable. Cities like Ljubljana, Toulouse, Valencia and Ibiza may not have enough demand for a 787 every day, but they can work with smaller aircraft..and the premium pricing that comes with being the only nonstop option. It’s essentially a bunch of small bets on destinations that are hard to reach today. Some will fail, but the ones that work could give United a market all to itself.
I would rather have fewer flights and lower co2 emissions. Why encourage people to go to Israel during the crisis in Gaza?
Why not (CO2 aside)? Adding a SFO-TLV flight isn't encouraging anyone to go to Israel. It is simply a recognition that people DO go to Israel, i.e., there is market demand. Like all the other services announced in the press release, the flight will last only as long as it works financially.
First ever TATL flights to Ibiza. Feeling hometown pride today.
Which hometown? Newark (or Ibiza)?
(Yeah, I'm sure the folks in the Ironbound are cheering... *wink*)
Ibiza.
It’s a double edged sword of feelings today - excitement as an Avgeek of getting transatlantic service - but aware that Ibiza is about to get even busier with lots of Americans
Would hate to be a FA on the EWR-IBZ flight.
LOL! A similar painful version of being a FA on the LAS-LHR flight.
Actually I am on those flights twice a month on BA and FAs are having a great time and tell me they love it. I guess a LAS or IBZ layover is better than an PHL or ORD or DFW - no offense
Perhaps the 'legacy' flight attendants, who hate being bothered after the service with another request can't stand it. Admittedly there are a few of those.
Willmo, may those visitors spend generously to benefit your local economy; and, perhaps, if you wish, come visit NYC. We're still a welcoming city with a little something for everyone.
For sure - it’s an exciting route, looking forward to flying it.
Re the FAs - I agree - will be an interesting flight to work on. If you search IBZ on this blog up until today, it is always stories of drunk passengers forcing diversions on UK - Ibiza flights. It’s fair to say the island has a certain reputation- or that may just be the British tourists!
¡Gracias por saber que el problema de turistas borrachos existe antes de la comienza de vuelos directos de los EEUU!
I have never visited Ibiza but my first time in Spain was a charter flight from East Midlands Airport on a package holiday to Benidorm. I was the only American on that trip (long story) and clearly, the only one who spoke Spanish.
It wasn't just British tourists there but they seemed to predominate....
¡Gracias por saber que el problema de turistas borrachos existe antes de la comienza de vuelos directos de los EEUU!
I have never visited Ibiza but my first time in Spain was a charter flight from East Midlands Airport on a package holiday to Benidorm. I was the only American on that trip (long story) and clearly, the only one who spoke Spanish.
It wasn't just British tourists there but they seemed to predominate. Each European nationality had its own pubs (I still remember one with a big neon sign, El Duque de Wellington) and the foreign nationals didn't seem to mix much with each other. They definitely avoided mixing with the Spanish locals. My best moment of that trip was convincing a group of English travelers to go into a local bar and try tapas. After a lot of initial reluctance, I translated and everyone had a good time.
Bottom line: I hope the new flights to Ibiza are fruitful for locals and that visitors are respectful and learn something about Balearic culture.
Funny your brag about your Spanish when your first paragraph has several orthographical errors in Spanish... dime de qué presumes y te diré de que careces
@TX...Attempting to write something in Spanish isn't bragging about my Spanish. I was merely trying to be friendly to @Willmo for stating that drunk tourists are already a problem in Ibiza...and not trying to blame it on Americans. I am not fully bilingual or a native Spanish speaker but I do speak Spanish--well enough to have traveled extensively to Spanish-speaking countries and areas where no one speaks English. And, well enough to translate for a...
@TX...Attempting to write something in Spanish isn't bragging about my Spanish. I was merely trying to be friendly to @Willmo for stating that drunk tourists are already a problem in Ibiza...and not trying to blame it on Americans. I am not fully bilingual or a native Spanish speaker but I do speak Spanish--well enough to have traveled extensively to Spanish-speaking countries and areas where no one speaks English. And, well enough to translate for a group of English tourists in a bar in Benidorm, such that the owner thanked me by topping up my beer for free by asking, ¿más presión?
So, rather than being snarky by telling me you will tell me what I lack, how about actually doing that? That is, I would appreciate knowing what you think was bad spelling, grammar, etc. That, rather than snark, is how I can improve my Spanish.
Más presión? Funny, we don't say that in Spanish. You're right on one thing, you're not bilingual or native speaker, that's quite evident.
@TX--You might not say "más presión" in Texas but that's exactly what the bar owner said to me in Spain. Maybe you need to get out more. And, you still haven't told me what was wrong with what I said in Spanish in the first place. How about a little less arrogance on your part and a lot more helpfulness? I would also point out that you clearly understood what I said in Spanish, even...
@TX--You might not say "más presión" in Texas but that's exactly what the bar owner said to me in Spain. Maybe you need to get out more. And, you still haven't told me what was wrong with what I said in Spanish in the first place. How about a little less arrogance on your part and a lot more helpfulness? I would also point out that you clearly understood what I said in Spanish, even if you didn't find it precisely correct. So, here's a bit more potentially "orthographically incorrect" Spanish that I am certain you will nonetheless understand: Dime otra vez lo que dijiste la primera vez y te mostré que has sido un pendejo.
Can't tell about IBZ, but for Sardinia and Sicily the local 'economy' doesn't benefit regular folks when it comes to employment, wages, services to the public away from the tourist season. The usual interest groups benefit, and their bank accounts are strictly overseas....
Well. That was interesting. In some cases the destination was expected, but the origin city was not…just one example, a lot of people assumed the flight to LUX would be from IAD instead.
The DEN service to CDG, whats the frequency and equipment and when are they planning to start ?
Whilst there are a lot of exciting destinations. From a selfish perspective I'd much rather the XLR went to an existing route like Edinburgh so I didn't have to go to London or change at FRA/MUC/ZRH across the Atlantic as a *Gold
I agree, but for me, MAN would be very helpful. UA doesn't serve Manchester at all these days and there just aren't many nonstop flights on any airline from the USA. It's probably not as touristy as Scotland but there are a lot of things in the area worth seeing if you know where to go--and it's a very large metro area not far from other large metros (Liverpool, Birmingham, etc.).
Problem is Manchester is not a premium destination despite Cheshire trying to be. There is a W Hotel under construction but that won’t be open till 2029 at the earliest. Other places surrounding it like the Lake District don’t even have points hotels and as an executive once told me ‘people aren’t flying 8 hours for pies’. The only reason EK QR work is the ginormous Pakistani diaspora across the north and EY because of the ownership of Manchester City.
@Walter--all good points. Thanks for sharing. You are correct that Manchester isn't well known as a tourist destination. In the States, "Cheshire" probably has more cachet with tourists, even if they don't exactly know where it is. I suspect that if Greater Manchester, Liverpool, and the city of Chester (and maybe even North Wales) got together and marketed themselves, it could be a tourist powerhouse. That seems unlikely to happen, though. And, unlike many of...
@Walter--all good points. Thanks for sharing. You are correct that Manchester isn't well known as a tourist destination. In the States, "Cheshire" probably has more cachet with tourists, even if they don't exactly know where it is. I suspect that if Greater Manchester, Liverpool, and the city of Chester (and maybe even North Wales) got together and marketed themselves, it could be a tourist powerhouse. That seems unlikely to happen, though. And, unlike many of my fellow countrymen, I almost always rent a car and drive while there, which makes getting around easier than relying on public transportation or tours. Oh, well...it was a nice idea while it lasted. :-)
Second best airline in the world after Lufthansa
Oof. There aren't enough rubber duckies and roast duck in the world...
@1990
I caught your typo. I am certain you meant roast goose.
@1990
I caught your typo. I am certain you meant roast goose.
I hope this is a joke....as LH has become a joke of an airline in the 30 years I have been flying Star Alliance Airlines across the pond.
@Christian I would hope so as well. Like who would seriously think that LH is the best airline in the world. LH is certainly not known for having the best service. Also, I remember Ben’s critique of the awful plating in business class and the taste of the food was nothing remarkable at all.
Of course it’s not a joke. Star alliance airlines are the best airlines, UA and LH are star alliance, hence the best airlines
I believe you meant third, after Belavia and LH