United Airlines’ Fascinating Florida Expansion

Airlines have significantly cut capacity in recent months due to the pandemic. What’s surprising is seeing the ways that airlines are starting to add back capacity. One might assume that airlines would start by adding back routes that were previously suspended, but that’s not what’s happening — rather airlines are largely adding point-to-point routes that they never operated before.

United is the latest airline to add all new routes, so let’s take a look at those.

United Airlines’ Florida expansion

United Airlines has announced plans to add up to 28 daily nonstop flights this winter to four popular Florida destinations. As it’s described, these new nonstop flights reflect United’s strategy of aggressively and opportunistically managing the impact of coronavirus by increasing service to destinations where customers want to fly most.

These routes will operate between November 6, 2020, and January 10, 2021, with service frequencies increasing most around the holidays. These new flights are already bookable online.

As Ankit Gupta, United’s VP of Domestic Network Planning, describes these additions:

“The addition of these new flights represents United’s largest expansion of point-to-point, non-hub flying and reflects our data driven approach to add capacity where customers are telling us they want to go. We look forward to offering customers in the Midwest and Northeast more options to fly nonstop to Florida this winter.”

Let’s take a look at the details of the new routes:

New routes to Fort Lauderdale (FLL)

United Airlines will operate up to:

• 2x daily flights between Boston and Fort Lauderdale with 737-800s
• 2x daily flights between Cleveland and Fort Lauderdale with 737-800s
• 2x daily flights between New York LaGuardia and Fort Lauderdale with A320s

New routes to Fort Myers (RSW)

United Airlines will operate up to:

• 2x daily flights between Boston and Fort Myers with A320s
• 2x daily flights between Cleveland and Fort Myers with 737-800s
• 1x daily flights between Columbus and Fort Myers with Embraer 175s
• 1x daily flights between Indianapolis and Fort Myers with A320s
• 1x daily flights between Milwaukee and Fort Myers with A319s
• 2x daily flights between New York LaGuardia and Fort Myers with 737-800s
• 1x daily flights between Pittsburgh and Fort Myers with Embraer 175s

United Airlines is adding seven new routes to Fort Myers

New routes to Orlando (MCO)

United Airlines will operate up to:

• 2x daily flights between Boston and Orlando with 737-800s and A320s
• 2x daily flights between Cleveland and Orlando with 737-800s
• 2x daily flights between New York LaGuardia and Orlando with A320s

New routes to Tampa (TPA)

United Airlines will operate up to:

• 2x daily flights between Boston and Tampa with 737-800s
• 1x daily flights between Cleveland and Tampa with 737-800s
• 1x daily flights between Milwaukee and Tampa with 737-800s
• 2x daily flights between New York LaGuardia and Tampa with A319s

United Airlines is adding four new routes to Tampa

Talk about a new era of route planning…

The past few months has really transformed the airline industry in so many ways. Airlines have turned their approach to route planning upside down, and it’s fascinating to see.

This certainly seems like the right approach for airlines to take, as they’re increasingly focused on point-to-point routes, rather than building up hubs when there’s limited demand.

If you told me last year that United would operate an Indianapolis to Fort Myers flight with a mainline aircraft, I wouldn’t have believed you.

I’m not sure which part of this expansion is most interesting:

• United is adding service out of Boston, which is a hub for Delta and JetBlue, and a focus city for American (though it has been less important in recent years)
• It’s fascinating that of all Florida markets, Fort Myers is getting the most new service; this also follows Alaska Airlines recently announcing two new transcon flights to Fort Myers

Bottom line

The old playbook for airline route planning is out the window, as airlines are now seemingly adding service in any and all markets where they see demand returning, regardless of how it fits into the overall network.

We’ll have to see how coronavirus evolves on a state-by-state basis, but with international travel restrictions, it’s logical that Americans may increasingly be looking to visit Florida this winter.

Still, seeing United add service out of Boston to Florida, as well as adding seven non-hub flights to Fort Myers is something I never thought I’d see.

But 2020 is full of surprises, so…

What do you make of United Airlines’ Florida expansion?