Aug 26, 2017, 4:30 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archive thread.
The active thread is What Route(s) do you wish UA Flew?
Thanks, United forum Moderators.
The active thread is What Route(s) do you wish UA Flew?
Thanks, United forum Moderators.
What Route(s) do You Wish UA Flew? [Archive thread]
Aug 15, 2019, 6:26 am
#1816
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,322
Not new routes, but calling for better aircrafts with premium cabin flat seats between IAD and LAX/SFO. Although there are a token of wide body services (SFO), I am tired of flying 737/A320 aircrafts on transcon flights.
Not sure how many 789 UA has on order, but they could be used to replace 788 on the international routes and have those 12 788 flying on transcon routes as part of rotation to international leisure routes.
Not sure how many 789 UA has on order, but they could be used to replace 788 on the international routes and have those 12 788 flying on transcon routes as part of rotation to international leisure routes.
Aug 15, 2019, 6:45 am
#1817
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Raddison Platinum, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 5,268
Wishing, not expecting
PHL-LAX because I'm out of PHL
ORD/NRT/HKG-SIN east coast to SIN even if I have to stop in NRT/HKG
ORD/SFO/NRT/HKG-BKK/KUL/SGN/HAN/CGK more SE Asia other than HKG/SIN
ORD/IAH-Europe More options to europe other than from EWR
More eastern europe, middle east
PHL-LAX because I'm out of PHL
ORD/NRT/HKG-SIN east coast to SIN even if I have to stop in NRT/HKG
ORD/SFO/NRT/HKG-BKK/KUL/SGN/HAN/CGK more SE Asia other than HKG/SIN
ORD/IAH-Europe More options to europe other than from EWR
More eastern europe, middle east
Last edited by eng3; Aug 15, 2019 at 6:53 am
Aug 15, 2019, 6:47 am
#1818
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Raddison Platinum, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 5,268
duplicate..please delete
Aug 15, 2019, 8:26 am
#1819
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Colorado
Programs: UA Gold (.85 MM), HH Diamond, SPG Platinum (LT Gold), Hertz PC, National EE
Posts: 5,651
Really wish COS-SFO would come back, and sadly I would accept the Devil's Chariot, which is what it was years ago.
Aug 15, 2019, 9:15 am
#1820
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Colorado (anywhere between DEN DMM BAH)
Programs: United MileagePlus, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, NEXUS
Posts: 3,030
Wishing, not expecting
PHL-LAX because I'm out of PHL
ORD/NRT/HKG-SIN east coast to SIN even if I have to stop in NRT/HKG
ORD/SFO/NRT/HKG-BKK/KUL/SGN/HAN/CGK more SE Asia other than HKG/SIN
ORD/IAH-Europe More options to europe other than from EWR
More eastern europe, middle east
PHL-LAX because I'm out of PHL
ORD/NRT/HKG-SIN east coast to SIN even if I have to stop in NRT/HKG
ORD/SFO/NRT/HKG-BKK/KUL/SGN/HAN/CGK more SE Asia other than HKG/SIN
ORD/IAH-Europe More options to europe other than from EWR
More eastern europe, middle east
A pipe-dream, but I wish United would serve DMM-IAD or EWR. Eastern Saudi Arabia (where I grew up and frequently travel to) hasn't had direct flights to the US since the days of PanAm (used to be the old Dhahran Airport to New York and Orlando because a lot of American Aramco expats worked there). There's still a substantial expat population from the US and Canada, but most of them have to fly through Europe, or to the US/Canada via RUH and JED. DMM only connects to AMS and FRA, and in December, to LHR, but via BAH. And if DMM gets a direct US route, I doubt it'll be with an American carrier.
Last edited by Nayef; Aug 15, 2019 at 9:25 am
Aug 15, 2019, 10:16 am
#1821
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: All of them, UA-Plat, 1MM*G
Posts: 881
Not new routes, but calling for better aircrafts with premium cabin flat seats between IAD and LAX/SFO. Although there are a token of wide body services (SFO), I am tired of flying 737/A320 aircrafts on transcon flights.
Not sure how many 789 UA has on order, but they could be used to replace 788 on the international routes and have those 12 788 flying on transcon routes as part of rotation to international leisure routes.
Not sure how many 789 UA has on order, but they could be used to replace 788 on the international routes and have those 12 788 flying on transcon routes as part of rotation to international leisure routes.
Aug 15, 2019, 3:26 pm
#1822
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: UA MM
Posts: 4,118
Unlikely to happen. The relative economics just aren't there. 787's carry the infrastructure to fly 7000 miles. This means more weight in the plane's structure as it needs to carry more fuel, which means a bigger wing, bigger fuselage, heavier landing gear, etc. 737s only carry the infrastructure necessary to fly 2600 miles. So everything about the plane is lighter -- thus cheaper to build and cheaper to operate. Unless airports become extremely capacity-constrained; or pilots become a lot more expensive, economics will favor 737s over widebodies on US TCONs for the foreseeable future.
Aug 15, 2019, 3:38 pm
#1823
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,322
Unlikely to happen. The relative economics just aren't there. 787's carry the infrastructure to fly 7000 miles. This means more weight in the plane's structure as it needs to carry more fuel, which means a bigger wing, bigger fuselage, heavier landing gear, etc. 737s only carry the infrastructure necessary to fly 2600 miles. So everything about the plane is lighter -- thus cheaper to build and cheaper to operate. Unless airports become extremely capacity-constrained; or pilots become a lot more expensive, economics will favor 737s over widebodies on US TCONs for the foreseeable future.
A pilot told me that each aircraft does not carry a full load of fuel. There is a formula they use based on weight, distance, weather; temperature and win to come up with the amount of fuel needed.
I flew an almost brand new 787 from SFO to YYZ on Air Canada recently while UA flew the A 320. Also last month AC 787 between SFO and YVR while UA uses 738. The business class fare were almost the same.
Aug 15, 2019, 3:44 pm
#1824
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,386
Aug 15, 2019, 3:56 pm
#1825
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,322
Probably and good point! I guess I usually pay business to fly other *A airlines and pay economy and apply upgrade to fly UA (when they fly the same routes), so I have not factored in those who are willing to pay business fare to fly United.
Aug 15, 2019, 8:04 pm
#1826
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: YUL
Programs: UA 1K, MR Bonvoy Bonzaiiiii, National EE
Posts: 622
I flew into DMM once, waited 3 hours at immigration, and said never again. Suppose it's better for a KSA national, but as a foreigner it sucks and it's so much easier to fly to BAH and pay 300 dinar for a driver to take you over the causeway.
Aug 15, 2019, 8:34 pm
#1827
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,002
After cutting IAD-DXB, it's clear that UA won't fly a ME route (excluding TLV) unless there's a government contract in place for it. I'd love for them to give EWR-MCT a flyer, but it will never happen in my lifetime. I'm 33, so I'm open to take bets on a nice meal in NYC on that route. 
Aug 15, 2019, 9:18 pm
#1828
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: DEN
Programs: UA GS, Marriott Gold
Posts: 174
Having flown LH BAH-RUH-FRA and BAH-DMM-FRA back in the day and seeing the struggles, the market dynamics there I don't think support an outside KSA carrier making much inroads.
Back to UA, I hope that they reassess the route winners for the region and really "fly America". All of the routes are code shares with an American flag, flown by a ME/EU airline. Dubai is a Jetblue route, flown by Emirates. For all the US folks I've seen move in and out of AUH, BAH, DOH and KWI - I can't believe we can't make it profitable.
Back to UA, I hope that they reassess the route winners for the region and really "fly America". All of the routes are code shares with an American flag, flown by a ME/EU airline. Dubai is a Jetblue route, flown by Emirates. For all the US folks I've seen move in and out of AUH, BAH, DOH and KWI - I can't believe we can't make it profitable.
Aug 15, 2019, 9:21 pm
#1829
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Houston (IAH,HOU) / Kāʻanapali (JHM,OGG)
Programs: UA GS 2MM, AA P 2MM, DL PM, US P, VS G, SPG LT P, HH D, HYATT P, PC P, AVIS PC, HERTZ PLAT
Posts: 970
OGG-IAH
One can dream.
One can dream.
Aug 16, 2019, 12:35 am
#1830
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: United Arab Emirates & Arizona, USA
Programs: UA MM/1P, EK Au, QR, TK, Marriott Life Ti, Hilton Dia, IC Dia, Hyatt Glob, Accor Pt, Shangri-La
Posts: 4,525
After cutting IAD-DXB, it's clear that UA won't fly a ME route (excluding TLV) unless there's a government contract in place for it. I'd love for them to give EWR-MCT a flyer, but it will never happen in my lifetime. I'm 33, so I'm open to take bets on a nice meal in NYC on that route.
Incidentally, I take the LX flight DXB-MCT frequently. It's dirt cheap and well-timed for a weekend flight. As were the UA fifth-freedom routes DXB-DOH and BAH-KWI in their day. I could live with a UA flight to, say, BAH then MCT. By the way, I vote for the new MCT as the nicest mid-sized airport in the world. It's gorgeous and the contract lounge (not sure if WY uses it) is probably the best non-airline-branded lounge I have seen.