UA starting 7 new DEN routes(?)
Mar 16, 2019, 12:02 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 8,989
UA starting 7 new DEN routes(?)
I only picked up on this today while reading @ Live and Let's Fly - but UA announced 7 new seasonal routes from Denver a month ago on Valentine's Day based on the below:
The odd thing is that I can't find a UA press release about this or any detailed information about flight frequency or anything else. Seems like there is some speculation that this is purely a retaliatory move against Frontier and that these routes will drop if they can get Frontier to drop them. The only one that I find to be a bit of a headscratcher is the SYR route - I don't know anyone who considers Syracuse to be a vacation destination of any kind, and UA has been cutting back on service to upstate NY in recent years - but the others have some merit to it (and I think it's great that BTV and PWM are getting added service, as I really enjoy both of those towns). Just curious if folks think these routes will stick or not, and if anyone has more info on when/how frequent UA is planning on flying...
The odd thing is that I can't find a UA press release about this or any detailed information about flight frequency or anything else. Seems like there is some speculation that this is purely a retaliatory move against Frontier and that these routes will drop if they can get Frontier to drop them. The only one that I find to be a bit of a headscratcher is the SYR route - I don't know anyone who considers Syracuse to be a vacation destination of any kind, and UA has been cutting back on service to upstate NY in recent years - but the others have some merit to it (and I think it's great that BTV and PWM are getting added service, as I really enjoy both of those towns). Just curious if folks think these routes will stick or not, and if anyone has more info on when/how frequent UA is planning on flying...
Mar 16, 2019, 12:11 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Programs: DELTA
Posts: 15
There were a few announcements. Here is one link to new routes/service: https://hub.united.com/united-airlin...631061648.html
Mar 16, 2019, 12:13 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 8,989
There were a few announcements. Here is one link to new routes/service: https://hub.united.com/united-airlin...631061648.html
Mar 16, 2019, 8:06 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: WAS-ish
Programs: UA 1K-MM + UC, Marriott Plat, National Exec
Posts: 1,341
First I'd heard of this, but a quick Google search yielded this article from the SYR airport site: https://www.syrairport.org/united-ai...syr-to-denver/
According to the article, service starts June 6, and one of the quotes describes it as "year-round", so maybe not all of these routes are seasonal? If this was seasonal, I'd expect DEN to be the seasonal destination (not SYR), and I'd expect it to be for ski season. So with it starting in June, I'm betting on it being non-seasonal. Could be temporary, but I'm pretty sure F9 doesn't serve SYR.
I'm more inclined to suspect that it's part of an overall attempt to open up more 1-stop routes between small eastern-US cities and western destinations that are only served out of DEN/SFO/LAX. I'm pretty sure none of those 7 cities have UA service to DEN/SFO/LAX. This enables (e.g.) SYR-EUG with a single connection.
Also, from a purely personal perspective... I'm bitter 'cause I've been flying United westbound out of SYR for the last 3 years, and I'm moving away in July. Actually, come to think of it... I moved away from BDL about 3 months after BDL-DEN started. United hates me. Bring back IAD-ABQ dangit!
According to the article, service starts June 6, and one of the quotes describes it as "year-round", so maybe not all of these routes are seasonal? If this was seasonal, I'd expect DEN to be the seasonal destination (not SYR), and I'd expect it to be for ski season. So with it starting in June, I'm betting on it being non-seasonal. Could be temporary, but I'm pretty sure F9 doesn't serve SYR.
I'm more inclined to suspect that it's part of an overall attempt to open up more 1-stop routes between small eastern-US cities and western destinations that are only served out of DEN/SFO/LAX. I'm pretty sure none of those 7 cities have UA service to DEN/SFO/LAX. This enables (e.g.) SYR-EUG with a single connection.
Also, from a purely personal perspective... I'm bitter 'cause I've been flying United westbound out of SYR for the last 3 years, and I'm moving away in July. Actually, come to think of it... I moved away from BDL about 3 months after BDL-DEN started. United hates me. Bring back IAD-ABQ dangit!
Mar 18, 2019, 12:54 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA Silver, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 21,522
Posted on February 18. https://www.routesonline.com/news/38...denver-in-s19/
Mar 18, 2019, 12:57 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: DEN
Programs: UA-GS; WN A-list;Hyatt - CC; Hertz - PC
Posts: 643
The SAV and GSP routes sure would have come in handy for me from 2013 through 2017. Of course, direct routes would have most likely precluded my GS status, so this is a tough one.
Mar 18, 2019, 5:11 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: SBA
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 940
I'm fairly excited for DEN-BTV. Living in SBA for the last 20 years but going back to visit family in VT, I've always had to connect twice on United. Or drive to LAX for one connection. Now one connection thru Denver, as long as the timing and price are decent. 
