Recently, United Airlines announced an incredible international expansion, whereby the airline added eight new destinations. What made this so cool is how far-flung some of the new destinations are, ranging from Kaohsiung, to Nuuk, to Ulaanbaatar.
We’ve seen these flights progressively go on sale, and the new flight to Kaohsiung is now bookable, so I wanted to go over the details.
In this post:
United will fly from Tokyo to Kaohsiung as of July 2025
As of July 11, 2025, United Airlines plans to launch a daily, year-round flight between Tokyo Narita, Japan (NRT), and Kaohsiung, Taiwan (KHH). I have a confession to make — this might be the first airport ever added by a US airline where I had to look up at the airport code, which shows just creative United’s expansion is.
The 1,508-mile flight will operate with the following schedule, as flagged by AeroRoutes:
UA837 Tokyo to Kaohsiung departing 5:30PM arriving 9:00PM
UA838 Kaohsiung to Tokyo departing 10:25AM arriving 3:15PM
The flight from Tokyo Narita is blocked at 4hr30min, while the flight to Tokyo Narita is blocked at 3hr50min.
United intends to use a Boeing 737-800 for the route, featuring 166 seats. Yes, this is the same plane you’ll find on many domestic United routes. It’s configured with 16 (domestic) first class seats and 150 economy seats. United will be marketing the forward cabin on this flight as business class, unlike on its Newark to Greenland flight, where the forward cabin of the 737 is marketed as premium economy.
This will be the first time in over 20 years that a US airline flies to Kaohsiung. Northwest was the last airline to operate this exact route, and it was discontinued in 2003. Meanwhile Continental Micronesia flew to Kaohsiung until 1998.
Why is United flying to Kaohsiung, Taiwan?
Understandably, there’s a lot about this route that may confuse people. What is Kaohsiung? Why would United fly there? And why would United fly a Boeing 737 there, so far from the United States?
Kaohsiung is a port city in Southern Taiwan, with a population of nearly three million people. It’s located on the opposite side of the island as Taipei, which is around 180 miles to the north.
The first thing to understand about the motivation for this route is that United is trying to profitably fly Boeing 737s from Tokyo Narita. Why? Well, historically United has had a base in Guam (GUM), and has 737s, including crews, based there.
United’s Guam network reportedly isn’t as profitable as it was pre-pandemic, so United wants to try something new with the aircraft. Rather than bringing them back to the US mainland, the airline instead wants to try flying them out of Tokyo Narita. I love United’s willingness to try new concepts. There are a couple of main reasons that United flying 737s out of Tokyo Narita could make sense:
- United continues to have a robust transpacific network out of Tokyo Narita, rather than just out of Tokyo Haneda (HND), so there’s value in having connectivity; meanwhile Delta has completely pulled out of the airport, while American just has a small presence
- United has a joint venture with All Nippon Airways, but the airline actually doesn’t have that huge of a regional network out of Narita, partly because ANA doesn’t have many narrow body regional jets, which are needed for the economics of some routes to work
So with its expansion at Tokyo Narita, clearly United hopes it can capture some connecting transpacific traffic, and also serve the local market.
Clearly Kaohsiung is a market where United feels there’s strong year-round demand, and the airline can get decent yields. Interestingly, the market is already served by several airlines, including EVA Air, Thai AirAsia, and Tigerair Taiwan.
It remains to be seen if this route succeeds in the long run. One thing is for sure — I commend United for its creativity, and trying something new, as it’s not something we often see from US airlines.
Bottom line
As of July 2025, United will be launching daily flights between Tokyo and Kaohsiung using Boeing 737s. This is part of United’s strategy of shifting some 737s from Guam to Tokyo. I hope this strategy succeeds, because it sure is fun to see a US airline so dedicated to maintaining fifth freedom flights from Asia.
What do you make of United’s new Kaohsiung flights, and do you think the route will succeed?
Travelers will be surprised and delighted with the domestic business class experience. Especially when they could take Starlux business or a 787 EVA business class from Tokyo, and just take the HSR.
I think this route is destined to fail. It is being served by an underwhelming ac with a US carrier. Also, demand cannot be that big from NRT.
It's a bit funny to see those "But how could United compete with Asian carriers" comments. US carriers has been flying intra-Asia flights before and they had a way to make it work.
1. US carriers would boost their service level when competing with Asian airlines. They can be good airlines. They just don't want to do it until being forced to. I flew UA's trans-pacific flights several times. I didn't find the service much...
It's a bit funny to see those "But how could United compete with Asian carriers" comments. US carriers has been flying intra-Asia flights before and they had a way to make it work.
1. US carriers would boost their service level when competing with Asian airlines. They can be good airlines. They just don't want to do it until being forced to. I flew UA's trans-pacific flights several times. I didn't find the service much worse than NH or BR's.
2. These intra-Asia flights would naturally leave Japan late and head to Japan early. This is a high preferred schedule by Taiwanese travelers heading to Japan. Many people took these flights just for the timing.
3. Previously they were also able to compete with prices. But that was before the raise of the LCCs so we will see.
because NW did fly this route before, there is history of how US carriers do not just on this route but also for intra-Asia flights as a whole.
UA discontinued its NRT hub just like DL because widebody aircraft can be used more efficiently in US to foreign destination and narrowbodies can be used most efficiently (and generate the greatest profit) in domestic service.
The whole reason why UA is adding KHH w/ a domestic...
because NW did fly this route before, there is history of how US carriers do not just on this route but also for intra-Asia flights as a whole.
UA discontinued its NRT hub just like DL because widebody aircraft can be used more efficiently in US to foreign destination and narrowbodies can be used most efficiently (and generate the greatest profit) in domestic service.
The whole reason why UA is adding KHH w/ a domestic aircraft is because NH doesn't fly it, in part because NH has a relatively few narrowbody aircraft, and because the UA GUM hub is not doing well so they have to find places to move those planes. At some point, the efficiencies of the GUM grow too little for it to operate as a hub - both from a pilot and aircraft scheduling standpoint.
KHH and all of the beyond NRT 737 flying is a lose-less strategy.
from a service standpoint, US carriers get very little premium traffic in any 5th freedom operations worldwide - which is why there are so few of them left.
Anyone that understands the industry knows all of that so the legitimate question can be asked "why is this different than in the past" which leads to highlighting real facts that some people simply don't want to admit.
On a related note, it looks like NRT-ROR nonstop is the last of the recently announced United expansion routes that is not on sale and doesn't even have a schedule. UA website says 2x weekly, starting spring 2025, "to be loaded at a later date". Seems strange to wait that long for a spring flight to be loaded, especially when it's not a daily flight.
I had to look up for myself what EVA Air's business class looks like on this route, since it wasn't mentioned, and neither was China Airlines, which is also listed as current on FlightConnections. I found that China Airlines flies an a321neo with 2-2 lie flat seats in a luxurious shell design, with a total of 180 passengers on its A321neo, split into 168 in Economy Class and 12 in Business Class, while EVA Air's...
I had to look up for myself what EVA Air's business class looks like on this route, since it wasn't mentioned, and neither was China Airlines, which is also listed as current on FlightConnections. I found that China Airlines flies an a321neo with 2-2 lie flat seats in a luxurious shell design, with a total of 180 passengers on its A321neo, split into 168 in Economy Class and 12 in Business Class, while EVA Air's A321 features 184 seats in a heavy configuration of 180 economy and just 4 business class seats, recliners in 2-2. These seats sell for between $700-900 one way in the month of December.
As KHH or KIA based UA gold this is great news. No need to to TSA airport in Taipei
What a cool route!
While this is a great article, I feel like stating the relevance of Kaohsiung would have been a beneficial addition:
1. Kaohsiung is vital to Taiwan's economy since its main port is located there, handling most of Taiwan's container volume for import/export.
2. Kaohsiung is the third largest city in Taiwan, after Taipei and Taichung.
3. Kaohsiung International Airport is the second busiest airport in Taiwan.
4. Until 2004, Taiwan's tallest building...
While this is a great article, I feel like stating the relevance of Kaohsiung would have been a beneficial addition:
1. Kaohsiung is vital to Taiwan's economy since its main port is located there, handling most of Taiwan's container volume for import/export.
2. Kaohsiung is the third largest city in Taiwan, after Taipei and Taichung.
3. Kaohsiung International Airport is the second busiest airport in Taiwan.
4. Until 2004, Taiwan's tallest building was the 85 Sky Tower in Kaohsiung.
There are several chip factories located in southern Taiwan that didn’t exist 20 years ago. I’m guessing UA is trying to capture United members who are flying from US to that part of Taiwan for work. Business traveler buys premium tickets.
It's not something new and creative if NW flew it just over 20 years ago which they did.
as for the comment about AA and DL's size at NRT, DL doesn't have to support a JV partner at NRT by maintaining transpacific flights to/from NRT w/ less and less local Tokyo traffic on them. UA's only choice to keep traffic flowing over NRT is to take domestic aircraft which could be used on their domestic...
It's not something new and creative if NW flew it just over 20 years ago which they did.
as for the comment about AA and DL's size at NRT, DL doesn't have to support a JV partner at NRT by maintaining transpacific flights to/from NRT w/ less and less local Tokyo traffic on them. UA's only choice to keep traffic flowing over NRT is to take domestic aircraft which could be used on their domestic network to pump traffic through NRT.
Remember that UA will receive less than 4 dozen new aircraft in 2024, almost 100 fewer MAXs than planned, and yet it makes more financial sense to try to salvage the NRT hub than to add more domestic service.
Yes, DL left NRT and has a JV at ICN, an airport that not only has far more connecting flights beyond ICN than NRT or HND but ICN is a larger local market than NRT is.
I know a whole lot of people like to think that DOT profitability by global region data is voodoo math but it shows that UA made less money on its TPAC services in the 1st half of 2024 than DL.
Of course, part of that was driven by UA's disastrous attempt at massive expansion in the winter of 2023-24 but actual data shows that UA's vast network translates into nothing more than more dots and lines on a route map.
And KHH isn't even unique or new for US carriers.
Man, I know you relay facts (sometimes) but it’s very hard to take you seriously with your obvious bias towards DAL and against UAL. I know that every airline has its true ride or die fanboys, but I feel like your posts would be received more positively if you didn’t always come across as the biggest hater.
I’m not that smart but it’s just my 2 cents FWIW. I’m a full on DAL supporter...
Man, I know you relay facts (sometimes) but it’s very hard to take you seriously with your obvious bias towards DAL and against UAL. I know that every airline has its true ride or die fanboys, but I feel like your posts would be received more positively if you didn’t always come across as the biggest hater.
I’m not that smart but it’s just my 2 cents FWIW. I’m a full on DAL supporter too. And UAL. The constant need to highlight DAL in other airline threads is a turn off though. I understand we can choose just not read your comments but less passive aggressive hate would probably be appreciated.
ATLien,
it's not about denigrating UAL or elevating DAL.
It is simply noting facts.
KHH has been served by US airlines before.
and the simple fact whether you or anyone wants to admit it or not is that the opening of HND has destroyed the local Tokyo market at NRT because the highest value traffic is moving to HND. That is simply a confirmable fact for those that have access to...
ATLien,
it's not about denigrating UAL or elevating DAL.
It is simply noting facts.
KHH has been served by US airlines before.
and the simple fact whether you or anyone wants to admit it or not is that the opening of HND has destroyed the local Tokyo market at NRT because the highest value traffic is moving to HND. That is simply a confirmable fact for those that have access to data to confirm it.
AA and UA got JVs with JL and NH in return for Open Skies; DL realized it was time to consolidate at HND and get the most service it could - it is still the largest foreign carrier at HND just as it was at NRT - and DL built a JV at ICN with KE that not only has a larger local market but more connectivity now and the potential for far larger TPAC growth for DL and KE.
and then when you consider how much UA has talked about growing its domestic network but is taking domestic aircraft to fly international routes - including to pump traffic through the dying NRT hub - you truly have to ask if UA has lost the plot IT created for itself all in the name of creating sexy route maps.
AA and DL are simply adding more TATL capacity in 2025 and, while DL is likely to add even more TPAC routes, it is already adding more TPAC capacity for 2025.
For an airline that incessantly talks about growth and the size of its network, any halfway objective person can't help but ask the question if DL might have outsmarted UA in its fleet acquisition and network strategies and DL makes more money than UA doing it - with the only real difference that DL doesn't care about trying to wow anyone with dots and lines on a route map.
and the same thing can be said to a lesser degree about AA compared to UA.
It has nothing to do with a fan of any company - it is about being able to critically see news and developments for what they are - and are not in light of what each company has said they intend to do and how they compare to competitors now and in the future.
Yes, yes, we all know it’s only new and unique if you decree it so.
Tim, you never answer the question when asked.
UA’s expansion in Asia was “disastrous”, even though only a small amount of capacity was cut, in spite of UA showing they’re willing to cut unprofitable flights.
So if, as you say, UA is a wreck to Asia but overall financial performance is similar, where is UA outperforming DL to make up for the subpar Asia performance? Europe? Domestic?
I don't have profitability by route and neither do you so I can't tell you what was bad.
Cranky did publish load factor data for the winter 2023-24 period and he identified several S. Pacific, Japan and China routes that had very low LFs.
To no surprise, UA has pulled back in each of those low LF routes and, most significantly, they didn't return to some of their LAX - S. Pacific routes.
...I don't have profitability by route and neither do you so I can't tell you what was bad.
Cranky did publish load factor data for the winter 2023-24 period and he identified several S. Pacific, Japan and China routes that had very low LFs.
To no surprise, UA has pulled back in each of those low LF routes and, most significantly, they didn't return to some of their LAX - S. Pacific routes.
and if you bother to look at the data, UA's TPAC profitability for the 2nd quarter of 2024 was the most proportional to capacity to DL's profitability than it has been in years.
This simply confirms to me that UA has the capability at least during parts of the year to generate profitability as good as or better than DL's - and they came very close to that this summer, other than the fact that UA has not brought its FAs up to industry standard pay.
There is no data that shows that UA is outperforming DL anywhere on its route system.
UA is learning to quit doing ego-driven stuff like the winter 23-24 expansion and THAT is what is allowing it to generate profits comparable to DL - offset by UA's lower labor rates for some groups.
Even their narrowbody, less than daily, largely seasonal summer 2024 schedule is a pretty low risk way to put more dotes and lines on their route map (which clearly fascinates a lot of UA execs and Ben) but comes at the cost of UA's domestic system.
Despite getting so few new narrowbody deliveries - and most will be A321NEOs rather than MAXs - UA is more interesting in these "sexy' new narrowbody less than daily largely seasonal routes than they are in building up their domestic network which they have said for years is their goal.
And as much as you or anyone else want to argue about the greatness of UA's international network, DL's domestic system is not only much larger than UA's but DL's domestic network is far more profitable than any other US airline's domestic network - and UA seems less and less focused on trying to challenge DL at what DL does best even as DL still is growing its int'l network faster than UA in 2025 and that is going to only accelerate as DL receives large numbers of large and much more efficient A350s.
And guess what? Literally no one here (except you) care who is “winning” from a financial performance perspective. Delta having stronger performance financially is not germane to this post. And as a passenger I do not care if United or Delta is making more money on a route.
I would never individually buy stock in an airline and would never work for an airline so their individual comparative performance is really irrelevant.
and yet united IS a for-profit company and you are beyond ignorant if you think that companies can make decisions that result in less-than-optimal profitability just so they can pursue "strategic purposes"
Further United has talked endlessly about beating or exceeding Delta's profits so your interests aren't aligned with what United itself says it wants.
United spent the latest 2010s - right before the pandemic - flying all kinds of routes across the Pacific that...
and yet united IS a for-profit company and you are beyond ignorant if you think that companies can make decisions that result in less-than-optimal profitability just so they can pursue "strategic purposes"
Further United has talked endlessly about beating or exceeding Delta's profits so your interests aren't aligned with what United itself says it wants.
United spent the latest 2010s - right before the pandemic - flying all kinds of routes across the Pacific that didn't make money - just as American did. Delta, in contrast, kept cutting routes but was the ONLY profitable US carrier across the Pacific.
Guess what? Delta is now rebuilding its Pacific operation and doing it from a position of far more financial strength and with far better assets - BECAUSE it did the tough work of cutting what didn't work and in coming up w/ a plan to be far more profitable flying the Pacific than any US airline, including United, and perhaps more than other Pacific airlines.
Life is a marathon.
While you and others gets excited about dots and lines on a route map, other players will do what is necessary to become far more profitable and do it on a consistent basis.
UA has proven it can be just about as profitable on an ASM basis in the best of the peak season - and that it won't do stupid, share grabbing stunts like it tried in the late 2010s and in last winter.
If you are incapable of realizing that United itself is going to quit doing things that don't or won't make money, then the entire airline industry goes over your head.
KHH might make money but much of what they announced is not growth but seasonal, less than daily, narrowbody service that doesn't move the needle of their international network one iota on a year round basis.
Enjoy your fixation with dots and lines. Other airlines like Delta that are committed to sustained profitable flights will grow including in regions like Asia/Pacific where United is diverting domestic resources to try to keep ahead its dying hub at NRT which DL worked away from almost 5 years ago.
all japanese and taiwanese full service airlines are 5* and united is 2*. how stupid do you have to be to fly a 2* airline with a very long history of unsafe flights and not japanese or taiwanese airlines? even japanese budget airlines are better than any american airlines. waiting for flights to be cancelled i guess...
If you're referring to Skytrax ratings, firstly CI is rated four stars, and secondly United is rated three stars.
Also, you should not put in too much care about the SkyTrax ratings. Just look at Lufthansa as an example. Nuff said.
CI used to have a terrible safety record. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons why BR came into existence. Generally Taiwan has a poor safety culture, as can be seen from frequent train crashes and construction disasters.
Comfort and service wise agreed, yes, the idea of flying as US carrier from Japan to Taiwan is hilarious.
Thanks to Americans, Winnie the Xi will probably launch a blockade by 2027 so this flight won't run for that long.
Do premiers get upgrades on this route?
Yes. Silvers can get on the CPU list.
This flight is not CPU eligible: https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/mileageplus/upgrades.html#select-flights
How you gonna compete Asian airlines using 737–800???
Older plane, worse service and higher price.
Good luck United.
I can see this being both good and bad for United.
It's about a 3 hour MRT ride from TPE to KHH + factoring in immigration and going from KHH to your final destination in Taiwan. So it ends up being about a 4 hour extension after flying 12+ hours long haul, while also having to tote around heavy checked bags.
The UA KHH flight will give people a chance to rest up in NRT,...
I can see this being both good and bad for United.
It's about a 3 hour MRT ride from TPE to KHH + factoring in immigration and going from KHH to your final destination in Taiwan. So it ends up being about a 4 hour extension after flying 12+ hours long haul, while also having to tote around heavy checked bags.
The UA KHH flight will give people a chance to rest up in NRT, shower in the UA Club or ANA lounges and won't really increase their total time since NRT is 2 to 3 hours shorter than the TPE flight.
I just wonder how this will affect their TPE yields and load factors. Right now UA is selling a lot of interline to CX for this route via HKG and I guess they want to reduce the spillage.
Not sure where you got your data from..
First of all, there’s no MRT from Taipei to KHH. The high speed train takes less than 2 hours to get to KHH from Taipei main station and another half an hour from KHH station to airport. The immigration + security check takes less than half an hour from KHH airport since it’s a small airport.
Hey Ben , can you write a post on why is UA being allowed to fly regional flights out of Japan. Seems like a random thing.
These are the seventh freedom flights - at the seventh freedom, a foreign airline can set a base in a country and operate flights to a third party country. UA inherited the right from Pan Am when they bought Pan Am's TPAC network back in the late '80s.
NS, these are fifth freedom routes, not seventh freedom. UA flies from the US to Japan, then continues from Japan to Taiwan.
After WW2, planes had less range. Pan Am and Northwest got rights to have a hub in Tokyo and operated it for several decades. In fact, Delta dismantled the hub only recently, dropping NRT to SIN and MNL among others.
Found the CCP troll.
Ugh, replying to the wrong comment. "Darren" is the CCP troll.
Taiwan is part of China. Make that clear.
@Darren Holmes
You're right, there's no such country called Taiwan.
Because it was, is, and will be a part of the Republic of China.
May god bless KMT.
Don't bless the KMT. Bless the TPP.
Back to the subject of air service, Northwest Airlines served KHH in the late 1990's using 757's. There was also a KHH-LAX non-stop on EVA but it didn't last long.
In that case, Free Taiwan!
Yes, and as descendants of the Republican government, Taiwanese should take the reins from the impostor "govt" in Beijing
NW flew NRT-KHH 2001-2004...
Even before that
I was on that route when I went to the US in 1999
Glad they're trying this! KHH is an underrated city and very inexpensive. Loved my time there.
If you haven't done so already, you should really review their Island Hopper!