It was April 2, 2025 that UA announced new international routes, including to BKK and SGN (via HKG), and SFO-ADL. Shall we speculate on what new international routes will be announced perhaps as soon as next month? Of course there's a lot of hope for LAX- or SFO-BKK nonstop. We shall see!

Recently an EWR-based purser said their crew room is abuzz with rumors of resuming flying from EWR to HKG, PVG, and PEK, as supposedly negotiations are underway to allow flying over Russian airspace once again. Longhaul planes will become available as the new 787-9Ls arrive (supplanting the current 787-9Ps), and the A321 CoastLiners replacing 777s and 787s now used for EWR-LAX/SFO.

What's the difference between the 787-9L and the -9P? Is the former the new IGW variant?

While you correctly identify sources of new longhaul capacity, not clear how much that will be offset by retiring old aircraft -- the 777-200 fleet is struggling and the 767 fleet's reliability isn't amazing either, so some of the new aircraft are likely to just allow for retirements. And of course, if fuel prices remain high, there will be an even stronger incentive to accelerate some of those retirement plans.

I won't believe a word of this until we hear it from the van driver at LHR.

Chinese routes=zero int. Anything else please.

i have to think resuming BOM or another DEL flight would be on the table. Current *A options to India are abysmal in J with AI, LX’s ancient A330’s, and LH’s 2-2-2. And the fares they are charging in J and PY on UA 82/83 are incredibly high.

I still fully think LAX-SIN is big up on the board. My question is when we'll start hearing about new routes on the XLR, since it should get delivered mid-summer the latest right?

I just hope for something cool out of SFO
They might change the HKG - SGN/BKK to direct from SFO also

while on the subject of India, would be great to finally see the start of the previously announced SFO-BLR route. Obviously it requires Russian airspace, and while it would be great to have use of it for all the routes that need it, I hardly consider a rumor via EWR crew room that it might re-open as likely. I�ll believe it when I see it actually happen.

I know the BKK issue has been talked about quite a bit in previous threads, but I�m of the opinion, like many others, that the fares probably aren�t high enough to make a ULH like that work. Especially with the current price of oil. I�m sure others will disagree. I also wonder the same about SFO-SGN, especially with respect to if there is the demand for 2 carriers on the route.

There are a few *A hubs, which aren�t served by United. I�d like to see flights from the east coast to Istanbul, Warsaw and Addis Ababa.

I find it hard to believe UA would announce resuming any EWR-China routes. In fact, with the ongoing macro uncertainty, I could see UA delaying any route announcements to see if there is any resolution to the ongoing situation. I also wonder if the ORD-KEF winter schedule could be the extent of it for now.

They've been *A hubs for well over a decade if not more, and UA has been content to let their home airlines serve the US without competing. I don't see much that's changed in recent years to spark UA's interest in serving these fairly low-yield markets.

VIE comes to mind.

Another hub that UA has been content to ignore, though it's covered by the JV. VIE, WAW, and IST are too far east in Europe for the comparatively high-yielding US POS traffic that UA targets.

So do people think we will know next week on the new routes if there are any?