Jan 24, 2020, 7:24 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
By 2023, UA has returned to the more traditional pre-COVID schedule update process. There are still some closer in changes but far less than during the COVID era.
UA publishes a schedule for 330 days in advance (called Beginning of Schedule) andin the past would make tweaks quarterly and things would be fairly settles 3-4 months out. Updates would occur Friday evening / Saturday morning (Chicago time). Routine additions could occur anytime.
Present updates are every Friday and sometimes mid-week usually focused on the next month and farther out.
Check Your UA Itineraries for Schedule Changes and what to do after one
20 Oct 2021
However, during the COVID era, UA has gone to a more dynamic and shorter-term setting of schedule (as has the other carriers). Presently UA, while UA is still publishing a schedule for 330 days in advance it reflects pre-COVID operational levels and is considered just a placeholder schedule. Then 3-5 weeks prior to a month, UA makes a major update of that month's schedule.
Examples (Major updates)
The October 2020 schedule was updated 4-5 September 2020
The November 2020 schedule was updated 2-3 October 2020
The December 2020 schedule was updated 30-31 October 2020
Holidays can move the major date a week earlier or later.
Weekly updates are still generally done over night Friday-Saturday (Chicago)
UA does not publish a summary of most schedule changes but a variety of sources below do and summaries / links of those sources can be found in this thread & wiki.
Always crosscheck with UA's Travel Notices , Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel waivers and information, www.united.com/coronavirus as the situation is dynamic
Other Resources and Statistics
Archive: COVID19 UA-Schedule {Archive}
new Archive : UA-Schedule changes {Archive}
UA publishes a schedule for 330 days in advance (called Beginning of Schedule) and
Present updates are every Friday and sometimes mid-week usually focused on the next month and farther out.
Check Your UA Itineraries for Schedule Changes and what to do after one
Examples (Major updates)
The October 2020 schedule was updated 4-5 September 2020
The November 2020 schedule was updated 2-3 October 2020
The December 2020 schedule was updated 30-31 October 2020
Holidays can move the major date a week earlier or later.
Weekly updates are still generally done over night Friday-Saturday (Chicago)
UA does not publish a summary of most schedule changes but a variety of sources below do and summaries / links of those sources can be found in this thread & wiki.
Always crosscheck with UA's Travel Notices , Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel waivers and information, www.united.com/coronavirus as the situation is dynamic
Other Resources and Statistics
- CDC Travel Notices (Worldwide)
- US State Department Advisories (Search or Click "Date Updated" to Sort by Date)
- US State Department - COVID-19 Country Specific Information
- John Hopkins' Incident Map
- Worldometer Statistics
- WHO Page on Covid-19
- IATA Latest Travel Document News
- UA's Page to Query TIMATIC Database (an IATA database with the current documentation and entry requirements worldwide
Archive: COVID19 UA-Schedule {Archive}
new Archive : UA-Schedule changes {Archive}
UA System Schedule changes
Jan 5, 2023, 9:27 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 76
UA System Schedule changes
Updates to April occurring this evening. I have a handful of flights move by a matter of minutes.
...But placeholder Air Wisconsin flights are still alive and well. Figured they'd be dropping off soon with their UA ops winding down in March--but still alive and well.
...But placeholder Air Wisconsin flights are still alive and well. Figured they'd be dropping off soon with their UA ops winding down in March--but still alive and well.
Jan 6, 2023, 9:48 pm
#2
Used to be MBS PremExec
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Saginaw, MI (MBS)
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And since this is the thread...More updates to April occurring tonight. While my Air Wisconsin flights are still Air Wisconsin flights as I mention above, I had a few mainline changes by a few mins here and there and some insignificant 319s change to 320s--or vice versa.
Jan 8, 2023, 6:46 pm
#3
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 233
I am looking at UA flights within the US as part of a larger trip. I notice that there were significant changes to the options a few weeks ago, which seem to have been reflected a bit earlier in this thread. If I book now for early March, is that soon enough that the schedules are likely to stay about the same, or is there a risk of further significant change within the last couple of months? I understand there could be irregular ops on the day, but ideally I don't want to pay a bit extra for a hub-to-hub flight on a 787 and then get changed in advance to an A320 or 737 with possibly less convenient timing.
Jan 8, 2023, 9:32 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,447
Early March should be relatively settled at this point, but IMO hub-to-hub internationally configured widebodies are relatively vulnerable to closer-in (1-2 months out) changes, as those aircraft could easily be repurposed for their true mission, long-haul international flying.
Jan 12, 2023, 2:54 pm
#6
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Significant (3-5 hour) schedule changes today for a May trip. All the United options are terrible, but other options are even worse. United seems to be really trimming down service to and through the midwest.
Jan 12, 2023, 3:01 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
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David
Jan 12, 2023, 9:30 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
Jan 13, 2023, 9:28 am
#9
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2,277
Without any further context that is an extremely premature conclusion to draw based on a single 3-5 hour schedule change. There are plenty of routes that experience large schedule changes like this, especially if they are low frequency as is (which a handful of midwest locations tend to be). That is the difference on a once a day route between a 7am departure getting shifted to 10am or vice versa. Or a RON for an aircraft being shifted to the hub from the outstation. Even if this is a reduction in service to that particular midwest city (which we don't know that it is, given no further context), without seeing what they're actually doing with the equipment, that doesn't give any indication about overall "2023 growth and recession-proofdness". A reduction in frequency could be counteracted by a change in equipment to still maintain capacity, how do we know it's not two devil chariot frequencies (or any regional aircraft) being replaced by a mainline aircraft? Again, very premature to draw your conclusion based on the post you were replying to. It sounds like since "other options are even worse" this is just an already poorly served market and isn't a good indication for whether there is growth system wide as a whole. Schedule changes are often to redeploy aircraft/schedules to where the growth actually is.
Jan 13, 2023, 11:23 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
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Posts: 20,061
Without any further context that is an extremely premature conclusion to draw based on a single 3-5 hour schedule change. There are plenty of routes that experience large schedule changes like this, especially if they are low frequency as is (which a handful of midwest locations tend to be). That is the difference on a once a day route between a 7am departure getting shifted to 10am or vice versa. Or a RON for an aircraft being shifted to the hub from the outstation. Even if this is a reduction in service to that particular midwest city (which we don't know that it is, given no further context), without seeing what they're actually doing with the equipment, that doesn't give any indication about overall "2023 growth and recession-proofdness". A reduction in frequency could be counteracted by a change in equipment to still maintain capacity, how do we know it's not two devil chariot frequencies (or any regional aircraft) being replaced by a mainline aircraft? Again, very premature to draw your conclusion based on the post you were replying to. It sounds like since "other options are even worse" this is just an already poorly served market and isn't a good indication for whether there is growth system wide as a whole. Schedule changes are often to redeploy aircraft/schedules to where the growth actually is.
UA can "cherry pick" all they want. At a certain point, if they don't have the flights and connections needed, UA is losing those of us still flying for business and personal travel. UA can buy all the planes they want - if they don't have the pilots and don't fly the routes that feed their moneymakers, the moneymakers will also shrink and their fortress hub mentality will crumble.
David
Jan 14, 2023, 11:01 am
#12
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Posts: 52,116
Jan 14, 2023, 11:20 am
#13
Join Date: Feb 2022
Location: LAX
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,529
Jan 15, 2023, 2:46 am
#15
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,447
Not as helpful in some cases, e.g., when trying to upgrade from discounted fare classes or accrue BIS miles toward MM status.
In any case, the schedule now shows UA metal LAX-HND starting on 3/25, at the start of the IATA S23 season. We'll see if that date actually sticks.
In any case, the schedule now shows UA metal LAX-HND starting on 3/25, at the start of the IATA S23 season. We'll see if that date actually sticks.
