Hey, you’ve gotta hand it to United’s network planning folks for their creativity and willing to try to new things…
United plans more intra-Asia flights with 737s
Brian Sumers at The Airline Observer has a fascinating interview with Patrick Quayle, United’s SVP of Global Network Planning and Alliances. Quayle shared an interesting new area of the network that the airline is focusing on, to optimize profitability.
United has a huge presence in the Pacific, and the airline even has some Boeing 737s (and corresponding crews) based in Guam (GUM). However, United’s network out of Guam reportedly isn’t as profitable as it was pre-pandemic, based on how demand has shifted.
The airline is now planning something new with some of these 737s. Rather than returning some of the 737s to the US mainline, United instead plans to increase its narrow body flying out of Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT). I love the idea behind this:
- US airlines have largely shifted their flying from Tokyo Narita Airport to Tokyo Haneda Airport, as more slots have become available there
- United continues to have a huge presence at Narita Airport, with flights from many of its hubs
- While some of the passengers on those Narita Airport flights are terminating in the Tokyo area, others are connecting onto other airlines, including All Nippon Airways
- Recently, United announced plans to launch a new 737 route between Tokyo Narita and Cebu, in the Philippines (CEB), and this is apparently the first of several new 737 routes that United is considering from the airport
- Not only could these flights be useful for those connecting off United flights, but United would also have traffic rights to serve the local markets
The new route between Tokyo and Cebu is being viewed as a test. Apparently initial bookings are quite strong, so United is now investigating ways to expand there. As Quayle explained:
“Our job is solving problems and being creative, and not complaining. We have these assets that are out in the western Pacific, so let’s use it to try something different.”
Gosh, I love that attitude, and willingness to try new things, and I wish it’s something we saw at more airlines. Not all of United’s new route endeavors work out well, but I commend the airline for being willing to try, and then adjusting quickly when things don’t work out.
It’s quite a contrast to American’s non-existent strategy, and to Delta’s very conservative strategy. Before anyone jumps in to say “but that effort might not lead to the greatest profitability,” let me point out that I’m looking at this from the perspective of a consumer, and not a shareholder — consumers like global route networks.
Intra-Asia United flying brings back good memories
United restarting intra-Asia flying from Tokyo Narita sure brings back some fond memories. Back in the day, I remember flying United Boeing 777s from Tokyo Narita to Bangkok (BKK) and Singapore (SIN), and United Boeing 747s from Hong Kong (HKG) to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN). Gosh, those were some fun times.
Now, at the time those routings were more important to United’s overall route network, since United didn’t otherwise have a huge nonstop network to Asia. In the meantime, United has an incredible transpacific network, with nonstop flights to everywhere from Manila, to Singapore, to Taipei.
On the one hand, that amazing network makes you wonder if there’s even a need for more intra-Asia Boeing 737 flying. But I guess another way to look at it is that it all depends where your travel is originating. United’s expansive Asia network is largely out of San Francisco (SFO), so from other United hubs, there would be lots of one-stop routings possible by connecting at Narita Airport.
Bottom line
United Airlines will soon launch a new route between Tokyo Narita and Cebu with a Boeing 737. It seems that this could be part of a larger strategy on the part of United, of operating point-to-point routes from Tokyo to other points in Asia.
The logic is that United’s Guam hub isn’t performing as well as it used to, and there are 737s that are based there. So rather than returning them to the mainland, United will try its luck at expanding out of Tokyo. I love what United’s going for here, and can’t wait to see how it plays out, and what other routes we may see.
What do you make of United expanding out of Tokyo Narita with Boeing 737s?
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