UNITED: Seasonal route & frequency expansion including Australia

Boasting an expansion to 114 international destinations, United has today (well yesterday USA time) issued a release detailing its expanded services.

New Destinations v increased frequency

There are only three actual new destinations: Dubai, Malaga and Stockholm as far as I can see, although the release trumpets ‘nearly 25 new routes‘. The rest are additional flights to Europe including Barcelona, Berlin, Edinburgh, London, Naples, Paris, Rome and Shannon; seasonal flights to ‘unique’ places like Amman, the Azores, Palma de Mallorca and Tenerife; increased flights to Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul and Hong Kong.

Seasonal frequency increase to Australia

But, there is also some good news for Australia. With United expanding its schedule between the USA and Australia with non-stop routes to Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. It’s recently launched codeshare partnership with Virgin Australia gives travellers access to 20 additional Australian destinations.

Seasonal Routes and increased frequency

Here is a list of the routes that will see over the northern Summer – or our winter:

• New York/Newark – Dubai, UAE
  United recently signed up with Emirates to expend their customers destinations choice, and award earning and redemption options
• New York/Newark – Malaga, Spain
  A new route starts 31 May x3 flights/week on a B757-200
• New York/Newark – Stockholm, Sweden
  Daily flights from 27 May on a B757-200
• San Francisco – Rome, Italy
  Daily from 25 May on a Boeing 777-200ER
• Chicago/O’Hare – Shannon, Ireland
  Seasonal daily flights from 25 May on a Boeing 777-200ER
• Washington Dulles – Berlin, Germany
  Daily from 25 May on a Boeing 767-400ER
• Chicago/O’Hare – Barcelona, Spain
  Daily from 25 May on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

There will also be increased flights on popular routes

• Los Angeles and London Heathrow
  Additional daily flight on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
• Washington Dulles and Paris Charles de Gaulle
  From 2 June, 2nd daily flight on a a Boeing 777-200ER

…and some additional seasonal routes from last summer:

• New York/Newark and Nice
• Denver and Munich
• Boston and London Heathrow
• Chicago/O’Hare and Zurich
• Chicago/O’Hare and Milan

…and unique to United routes to:

• Amman, Jordan
• Azores, Portugal
• Palma de Mallorca, Spain 
• Tenerife, Spain

…and some increased frequencies on:

• New York/Newark to Edinburgh, Scotland 
  from 25 May to 27 October
• New York/Newark to Naples, Italy 
  from 23 June to 7 September

2PAXfly Takeout

Seasonal flights are nothing new, but this 25% increase in capacity amply demonstrates just how well the airline and the travel industry is doing; bouncing back after the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The increase in United flights between the USA and the East Coast of Australia, should begin to alleviate capacity constraints on these routes, and put a bit of downward pressure on airfares.