Last edit by: WineCountryUA
United Airlines Strengthens Global Network, Adding New Nonstops to Africa, India and Hawaii
United to operate first-ever nonstop service between the United States and Bangalore, India and new service between Chicago and New Delhi, India
Announces new nonstop service between U.S. East Coast and Accra, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria; and Johannesburg, South Africa
First-ever nonstop service between Chicago and Kona and between Newark/New York and Maui
CHICAGO, Sept. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines today announced plans to expand its global route network with new nonstop service to Africa, India and Hawaii. With these new routes, United will offer more nonstop service to India and South Africa than any other U.S. carrier and remains the largest carrier between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii.
Starting this December, United will fly daily between Chicago and New Delhi and, starting in spring 2021, United will become the only airline to operate between San Francisco and Bangalore, India and between Newark/New York and Johannesburg. United will also introduce new service between Washington, D.C., and Accra, Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria in late spring of 2021. In the summer of 2021, United will fly nonstops four times weekly between Chicago and Kona and between Newark/New York and Maui. And starting this week, United, the airline offering more nonstop service to Israel than any other U.S. carrier, begins new nonstop service between Chicago and Tel Aviv, the only carrier to offer this service.
United's newly announced international routes are subject to government approval and tickets will be available for purchase on united.com and the United app in the coming weeks.
"Now is the right time to take a bold step in evolving our global network to help our customers reconnect with friends, family and colleagues around the world," said Patrick Quayle, United's vice president of International Network and Alliances. "These new nonstop routes provide shorter travel times and convenient one-stop connections from across the United States, demonstrating United's continued innovative and forward-looking approach to rebuilding our network to meet the travel needs of our customers."
Offering nonstop service to three new destinations in Africa
United will become the only U.S. carrier serving Accra nonstop from Washington, D.C. and the only airline to serve Lagos nonstop from Washington, D.C., with three weekly flights to each destination beginning in late spring 2021. The Washington metropolitan area has the second-largest population of Ghanaians in the United States, and Lagos is the largest Western African destination from the United States. Now, with 65 different U.S. cities connecting through Washington Dulles, United will offer convenient one-stop connections to Western Africa.
United already provides seasonal, three-times-weekly service between Newark/New York and Cape Town. By adding new daily nonstop flights between Newark/New York and Johannesburg in spring 2021, the airline will operate more flights to South Africa than any other U.S. carrier, and will offer the only roundtrip, nonstop service from the United States to Johannesburg by a U.S carrier. These routes also offer easy connections for customers traveling to South Africa from more than 50 U.S. cities.
New nonstops to India from two U.S. cities
United has served India with nonstop service for 15 years and now builds on its existing service to New Delhi and Mumbai with two new routes. Beginning December 2020, United will introduce new nonstop service between Chicago and New Delhi and, for the first time ever, United customers will be able to travel nonstop between San Francisco and Bangalore starting spring 2021. Chicago has the second highest population of Indian-Americans in the United States, and customers from more than 130 U.S. cities can connect on United through O'Hare International Airport. Service from San Francisco to Bangalore connects two international technology hubs, broadening United's west coast service to India, which also includes San Francisco to New Delhi.
New nonstop service between Chicago and Tel Aviv
Beginning, Thursday, Sept. 10, United will start brand-new three-times-weekly nonstop service between Chicago and Tel Aviv. In addition to Chicago, United currently operates nonstop service between Tel Aviv and its hubs in Newark/New York and San Francisco and will resume service between Washington and Tel Aviv in October. The airline operates more nonstop service between the United States and Israel than any U.S. airline.
United expanding Hawaii service to the Midwest and East Coast
As customers look to resume leisure travel options, United will make it easier than ever to travel nonstop to Maui and Kona for the 2021 summer season. With the addition of new flights between both Newark/New York and Maui and Chicago and Kona, United will provide customers in the Midwest and U.S. East Coast with even faster and more convenient service to the Hawaiian Islands than any other airline.
United to operate first-ever nonstop service between the United States and Bangalore, India and new service between Chicago and New Delhi, India
Announces new nonstop service between U.S. East Coast and Accra, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria; and Johannesburg, South Africa
First-ever nonstop service between Chicago and Kona and between Newark/New York and Maui
CHICAGO, Sept. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines today announced plans to expand its global route network with new nonstop service to Africa, India and Hawaii. With these new routes, United will offer more nonstop service to India and South Africa than any other U.S. carrier and remains the largest carrier between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii.
Starting this December, United will fly daily between Chicago and New Delhi and, starting in spring 2021, United will become the only airline to operate between San Francisco and Bangalore, India and between Newark/New York and Johannesburg. United will also introduce new service between Washington, D.C., and Accra, Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria in late spring of 2021. In the summer of 2021, United will fly nonstops four times weekly between Chicago and Kona and between Newark/New York and Maui. And starting this week, United, the airline offering more nonstop service to Israel than any other U.S. carrier, begins new nonstop service between Chicago and Tel Aviv, the only carrier to offer this service.
United's newly announced international routes are subject to government approval and tickets will be available for purchase on united.com and the United app in the coming weeks.
"Now is the right time to take a bold step in evolving our global network to help our customers reconnect with friends, family and colleagues around the world," said Patrick Quayle, United's vice president of International Network and Alliances. "These new nonstop routes provide shorter travel times and convenient one-stop connections from across the United States, demonstrating United's continued innovative and forward-looking approach to rebuilding our network to meet the travel needs of our customers."
Offering nonstop service to three new destinations in Africa
United will become the only U.S. carrier serving Accra nonstop from Washington, D.C. and the only airline to serve Lagos nonstop from Washington, D.C., with three weekly flights to each destination beginning in late spring 2021. The Washington metropolitan area has the second-largest population of Ghanaians in the United States, and Lagos is the largest Western African destination from the United States. Now, with 65 different U.S. cities connecting through Washington Dulles, United will offer convenient one-stop connections to Western Africa.
United already provides seasonal, three-times-weekly service between Newark/New York and Cape Town. By adding new daily nonstop flights between Newark/New York and Johannesburg in spring 2021, the airline will operate more flights to South Africa than any other U.S. carrier, and will offer the only roundtrip, nonstop service from the United States to Johannesburg by a U.S carrier. These routes also offer easy connections for customers traveling to South Africa from more than 50 U.S. cities.
New nonstops to India from two U.S. cities
United has served India with nonstop service for 15 years and now builds on its existing service to New Delhi and Mumbai with two new routes. Beginning December 2020, United will introduce new nonstop service between Chicago and New Delhi and, for the first time ever, United customers will be able to travel nonstop between San Francisco and Bangalore starting spring 2021. Chicago has the second highest population of Indian-Americans in the United States, and customers from more than 130 U.S. cities can connect on United through O'Hare International Airport. Service from San Francisco to Bangalore connects two international technology hubs, broadening United's west coast service to India, which also includes San Francisco to New Delhi.
New nonstop service between Chicago and Tel Aviv
Beginning, Thursday, Sept. 10, United will start brand-new three-times-weekly nonstop service between Chicago and Tel Aviv. In addition to Chicago, United currently operates nonstop service between Tel Aviv and its hubs in Newark/New York and San Francisco and will resume service between Washington and Tel Aviv in October. The airline operates more nonstop service between the United States and Israel than any U.S. airline.
United expanding Hawaii service to the Midwest and East Coast
As customers look to resume leisure travel options, United will make it easier than ever to travel nonstop to Maui and Kona for the 2021 summer season. With the addition of new flights between both Newark/New York and Maui and Chicago and Kona, United will provide customers in the Midwest and U.S. East Coast with even faster and more convenient service to the Hawaiian Islands than any other airline.
New UA Routes SEP 2020 • EWR ↔ OGG/JNB • ORD ↔ KOA/DEL/TLV • IAD ↔ LOS/ACC • SFO↔BLR
#181
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Programs: United Gold
Posts: 2,047
There’s an interesting undercurrent here.
united (and other carriers’) recent strategy is to be conservative about loading fares in advance given delays and cancellations of service changes, which makes sense.
however they also just announced a bunch of new routes. You do that to generate interest in people actually booking them (SFO-BLR and EWR-OGG jump out here).
but if you don’t load those fares anytime soon, why bother with the press release? You make prospective customers consider the destination, and maybe some get interested, but then you leave them to book on other carriers.
I get that things have changed, but this just seems odd to me. The only plus I can see is the competitive strategy - ie to get AA doubting the viability of their SEA-BLR route that was previously announced. But even that seems thin..
united (and other carriers’) recent strategy is to be conservative about loading fares in advance given delays and cancellations of service changes, which makes sense.
however they also just announced a bunch of new routes. You do that to generate interest in people actually booking them (SFO-BLR and EWR-OGG jump out here).
but if you don’t load those fares anytime soon, why bother with the press release? You make prospective customers consider the destination, and maybe some get interested, but then you leave them to book on other carriers.
I get that things have changed, but this just seems odd to me. The only plus I can see is the competitive strategy - ie to get AA doubting the viability of their SEA-BLR route that was previously announced. But even that seems thin..
#182
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,413
AirlineRoute.net noted that it's been added to the schedule, along with ORD-KOA. Both effective June 3 through August 15, 2021, 4x weekly (Th/Fr/Sa/Su). ORD-TLV is also on the schedule, 3x weekly (M/Th/Sa departure; M/W/Sa 12:50 AM return), starting 3/27 and going to the end of the schedule.
I suspect the interested travelers are expected to wait until the service becomes available, especially for the routes that are being discussed here -- out of the whole set, I believe only IAD-ACC and ORD-TLV have nonstop competition.
I suspect the interested travelers are expected to wait until the service becomes available, especially for the routes that are being discussed here -- out of the whole set, I believe only IAD-ACC and ORD-TLV have nonstop competition.
#183
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: UA MM
Posts: 4,126
AirlineRoute.net noted that it's been added to the schedule, along with ORD-KOA. Both effective June 3 through August 15, 2021, 4x weekly (Th/Fr/Sa/Su). ORD-TLV is also on the schedule, 3x weekly (M/Th/Sa departure; M/W/Sa 12:50 AM return), starting 3/27 and going to the end of the schedule.
I suspect the interested travelers are expected to wait until the service becomes available, especially for the routes that are being discussed here -- out of the whole set, I believe only IAD-ACC and ORD-TLV have nonstop competition.
I suspect the interested travelers are expected to wait until the service becomes available, especially for the routes that are being discussed here -- out of the whole set, I believe only IAD-ACC and ORD-TLV have nonstop competition.
#184
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,413
#185
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,856
#186
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New York, NY
Programs: UA, AA, DL, Hertz, Avis, National, Hyatt, Hilton, SPG, Marriott
Posts: 9,452
Last weekend. Sunday, I grabbed a bunch of PZ on the inaugural for my family... hoping against hope it sticks!
Look for the flights mentioned in today's release to be bookable in the overnight hours tonight into Saturday.
Look for the flights mentioned in today's release to be bookable in the overnight hours tonight into Saturday.
#188
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,942
#189
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,856
Polar routes are not possible for cylindrical map projections such as Mercator projection,
#193
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: United 1K, AC 50K, Hyatt Globalist, Marriot Platinum
Posts: 684
Does anyone have any idea on Saver Award or PP upgrade space opening up in business on the JNB route? There is nothing now at all as far as I can tell and I have checked random dates in June and for several months ahead. I'm thinking of flying to either JNB or CPT in December and there are some decent fares in V class that I might book if I had some idea on upgrade probability. Thanks.
#194
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: None - previously UA
Posts: 4,866
Does anyone have any idea on Saver Award or PP upgrade space opening up in business on the JNB route? There is nothing now at all as far as I can tell and I have checked random dates in June and for several months ahead. I'm thinking of flying to either JNB or CPT in December and there are some decent fares in V class that I might book if I had some idea on upgrade probability. Thanks.
#195
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
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Post-COVID these all seem like no brainers, particularly another nonstop to India from SFO. Are any actually operating yet?
It is interesting that they moved the Lagos and Accra flight from IAH (which were discont. in 2015) to IAD. Apparently the beancounters see more money in government/NGO travel and perhaps the large expat community in the DC area than with oil business executives. Personally I try to avoid IAD but will take that any day over a tight FRA connection or (heaven forbid) ATL. JNB makes sense as SAA continues to go down the tubes and nobody sensible wants to connect thru ADD. Will be interesting to see if the Africa pie is big enough for DL and UA.
Service to TLV continues to expand with the tech business though query how soon that will be feasible with the COVID lockdowns (though Israel is farther along on vaccinations than anybody else).
It is interesting that they moved the Lagos and Accra flight from IAH (which were discont. in 2015) to IAD. Apparently the beancounters see more money in government/NGO travel and perhaps the large expat community in the DC area than with oil business executives. Personally I try to avoid IAD but will take that any day over a tight FRA connection or (heaven forbid) ATL. JNB makes sense as SAA continues to go down the tubes and nobody sensible wants to connect thru ADD. Will be interesting to see if the Africa pie is big enough for DL and UA.
Service to TLV continues to expand with the tech business though query how soon that will be feasible with the COVID lockdowns (though Israel is farther along on vaccinations than anybody else).