September International Adds: LAX-SYD, ORD-HKG resume, ORD-TLV new service
 

Worthy of its own thread, IMO, is a new ORD-TLV service (no specifics) and resumption of ORD-HKG. Both reportedly cargo-driven, less-than-weekly flights.

I assume these are 787 flights. SFO-TLV is coming back this month, and EWR-TLV is going to 10x weekly this fall as well.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-h...-idUSKBN247314

I saw that ORD-HKG will only be once per week. They already fly ORD-HKG cargo as UA2865 daily on a 77W so once a week they make it passenger too I guess.

OP, I wrote about it before Reuters and included schedules! ;)

Schedule:

• OUTBOUND - Depart Chicago (ORD) 6:30PM - Arrive Tel Aviv (TLV) 1:45PM
• INBOUND - Depart Tel Aviv (TLV) 12:50AM - Arrive Chicago (ORD) 5:30AM

Flight runs on Monday, Wednesday, Saturday. 787-9.

More info (link to my blog)

ORD-HKG outbound is Sunday, return is Tuesday. 777-300ER.

Interesting on the ORD add.. hopefully it stays a few days a week once covid disapears, Polaris outboud + cathay return is the way to go.

My apologies... I would have linked to your blog if I saw it sooner!

ORD-TLV was a poorly-kept secret pre-COVID, but I am genuinely floored to see it launch in this environment, especially with such a quick run up. Possibly the shortest time ever (for a UA long haul route) from announcement to launch. Granted, the circumstances are highly unusual, but it is still noteworthy. I am also looking forward to seeing United Cargo revenue figures for 2Q.

Good scoop.

But it was first on my blog :o :p
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-tra...cago-tel-aviv/

Timing makes perfect sense and was likely accelerated due to COVID.
AA bailed on launching DFW-TLV this year, LY is being forced to downsize as a bailout condition and bailed on launching ORD-TLV this year, cargo rates to TLV are sky high and will climb as LY has suspended cargo now as well. And ORD-TLV has been talked about internally since the CO merger.

Is ORD-HKG timed to connect with HKG-SIN?

On second thought, I suppose it wouldn't be right to play favorites with so many posters here also running quality blogs! ;)

Possibly since it arrives at 6:40pm and HKG-SIN departs at 8:55pm. But whether it is bookable or not is another question, since HKG requires your connection to be on the same itinerary. Right now I can't find ORD-HKG on GF.

Regardless of the source, it's great to be getting some news about more instead of less.

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From HKIA website:
From 15 June 2020, passengers can use HKIA for transit/transfer on flights operated by different airlines under the same air ticket, provided that the passengers have checked through at the origin port with their boarding passes printed and baggage tagged-through to the final destination.

The announcement was just made today, so I'd wait a few days--possibly until this weekend--for the flights to be loaded for sale.

Looks like UA is trying to take advantage of LY’s desperate situation by grabbing market share. Smart move if things get back to normal soon-ish...

Im sure for now the TLV service is heavily cargo-based. but good to see United is leading the way to TLV.

Hopefully when all this is done we can get a polaris lounge in TLV.

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I thought IAA won't allow airlines not named LY to have their own?

But with 27 weekly departures they can certainly use one.

Who’s gonna be allowed to fly on these flights? Certainly not Americans.

Can UA make money flying without Americans or is it just a cargo play that they hope turns good next year with passenger traffic?

I doubt that. I don't think get a new Polaris lounge in TLV. Sorry! :(

I knows the flights are always full everyday. Very high demands. Very large Jewish population.

According to Lucky at OMAAT LAX-SYD (and SFO-SYD) are capped at 50 passengers per flight.

Interesting times we are in: ORD-HKG @ 1x/week and SYD flights @ 50 passengers.

Initially I thought the SYD restrictions were to enable full cargo loading in the regular bins and pax bags in the bulk pit but apparently Australia is limiting customs and immigration processing at SYD to 50 per flight and 450 (!) per day.

Crazy times indeed.

Not to mention the apparent requirement of a 14-day non-self quarantine.

Who is going to be on these flights now that Americans are persona non grata in most places around the world?

How the mighty have fallen

Some discussion of this in
Want to travel but will UA reduce schedule as “Americans” remain barred from EU entry

Let's not go OMNI / non-UA with this, those discussions belong elsewhere

Back in the CO days, Avi Friedman (one of the best in the business, IMO) once told me that they were stonewalled on every attempt to lease space for a Presidents Club at TLV, and as much as CO wanted one, and there was a clear business case for it, there probably would never be one. Since QAS/Dan Hotels has the concession for non-LY lounges at T3, I just assumed that they could be contracted to operate a UC/PL on behalf of United, like Sodexo in the USA and contractors do overseas, but for whatever reason it won't work at TLV.

That lounge in TLV is not all that great but it's not that bad, either. I've seen plenty worse such as the ORD C concourse UC.

Not exactly true. Cap only applies, at the moment, until July 16th. Lucky and Gary used a memo posted by Brian Sumers as a source -- his memo cut off/omitted key info.

I suspect it will be extended, but it is not beyond next week right now.

Well, nothing like a crisis to produce opportunities.. maybe Dan will go bankrupt in the current crisis...

ORD-TLV now on sale, full story on my blog:
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-tra...ing-explained/

Do we know yet if these additional passenger flights are an increase in the number of flights, or are they present cargo-only flights turned passnger flights?

ORD-TLV is all new. LAX-SYD and ORD-HKG are current cargo routes.