UA Announces BOS-LHR (started 14 April 2022) (ending 27 Oct 2023)
#46
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,490
For a mere 600 more miles and extra segment each way, the tradeoff being significantly longer travel time (vs. nonstop between SFO and LHR), and assuming same day return, not getting to SFO until around midnight.
#47
Join Date: Jan 2000
Programs: UA 1k, AA EXPLT, NZ GE, VA PLT Hyatt Diam, Marr Plat, HH Diam
Posts: 3,445
to 10
How so? You thinking they'll launch a late night BOS-SFO on a 763 (eg, 10pm)? Far too premium-heavy for that time of day considering all of the capacity--including on other carriers--at more decent times. Would expect instead they'll have a plane that came in from SFO at 7pm or so and then overnights going back to the West Coast in the AM. Ensures having a plane at BOS to protect the LHR flight when it goes IRROPS or gets delayed inbound from LHR. Most carriers do everything possible (eg, have another aircraft on the ground) to ensure on-time departures when serving premium-heavy LHR routes. Even more important when your company's flight is the last of the day!
#48
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,002
Combined with UA announcing SNA-HNL, and their suite of spoke-spoke routes to Florida this winter...it feels like a combination of retaliation vs. B6 and trying to figure out what might work. It feels/seems readily abundant that the pre-COVID playbook is basically never going to come back. EWR/ORD-LHR, and EWR/ORD-ZRH all on 46J planes? Not happening for years, if ever again...Zoom has stolen many of those dollars for good.
That said, I am glad UA is getting more creative on route planning, and I do hope that when things come back to a new 'normal', whatever that ends up being, that UA sticks to some things. Building out the Hawaii franchise (e.g. EWR-OGG, ORD-KOA and SNA-HNL) seems wise. I would not be surprised if Hawaii is a hotter-than-usual destination for domestic holiday traffic for several years to come.
That said, I am glad UA is getting more creative on route planning, and I do hope that when things come back to a new 'normal', whatever that ends up being, that UA sticks to some things. Building out the Hawaii franchise (e.g. EWR-OGG, ORD-KOA and SNA-HNL) seems wise. I would not be surprised if Hawaii is a hotter-than-usual destination for domestic holiday traffic for several years to come.
#49
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 4,771
This is insane. Such an ultra competitive route and way over-subscribed. Prior to the pandemic you could get quite low fares to LHR due to the massive competition. Clearly this is not meant to connect anywhere out of BOS and even then it have been a terminal change.
I cannot see how this can possible work for UA, in particular with a 763.
Don't get me wrong ... I love this ... but I think it will not last very long.
I cannot see how this can possible work for UA, in particular with a 763.
Don't get me wrong ... I love this ... but I think it will not last very long.
#50
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: BOS
Programs: Hyatt Glob/UA Gold
Posts: 612
VS CL at BOS is not impressive, at least from my perspective - it's small, and while I would rate it above UC in terms of offerings, it's pretty standard affair in terms of the food/drinks you can get in a lounge, same for SC; in other words, I would not rely on having a filling dinner there. Don't have experience with OW lounges at BOS.
Not only is a PL at BOS excessive and unnecessary, I don't think there are empty spaces under current schematics for UA to build one. From a customer POV, (outside of FT), I doubt there are many flying UA because of PL.
Not only is a PL at BOS excessive and unnecessary, I don't think there are empty spaces under current schematics for UA to build one. From a customer POV, (outside of FT), I doubt there are many flying UA because of PL.
The OW BA lounge in E is very nice, a slight step above the LH lounge IMO. It factors in (minimally) to my decision to switch my flying to AS/AA, on the assumption that AS MVP Gold/OW Sapphire will have access to this lounge on international OW flights.
#51
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: BOS
Programs: UA Gold, Amex Platinum
Posts: 92
I believe Massport is in the process of connecting terminals C and B airside, so in theory, once that's complete (slated for late 2021), one could use the LH lounge prior to the UA flight and at least not have to re-clear security when schlepping from Terminal E to B. So maybe timing works out here? Either way, will be nice to see a UA widebody at Terminal B again!
#52
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: UA GS, AA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 444
At the start of the COVID-19 shutdown, UA closed a transaction with Air New Zealand for its LHR slots (used LAX-LHR and v.v.), which was UA's 19th LHR pair. That was supposed to be a 7th daily EWR-LHR starting last summer (11pm eastbound, 2pm westbound), but of course that never came to fruition. UA's LHR schedule for this summer is unfinished and I wonder if we will see any other new routes, given the demand (if any) is likely to be leisure-oriented and business markets won't demand multiple-daily service. UA (and everyone else) won't be required to use their entire slot portfolios this summer, either (IIRC 50%).
Indeed, here is the relevant language from the UK Competition & Markets Authority's May 2020 decision:
https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/investi...ness-agreement
The interim measures which have been imposed effectively extend the terms of the 2010 Commitments for an additional 3 years until March 2024. Airlines currently operating slots on London to Boston, Dallas and Miami routes pursuant to the 2010 commitments will continue to operate these slots for an additional year, until March 2022.
A tender process will take place in March 2022 for these slots for the remaining two years. A tender process will be undertaken this autumn [Fall 2020] in relation to a second slot on the London to Boston route.
#53
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, UA Mileage Plus 1K, AA Executive Plat, Marriott Ambassador Elite
Posts: 2,344
Combined with UA announcing SNA-HNL, and their suite of spoke-spoke routes to Florida this winter...it feels like a combination of retaliation vs. B6 and trying to figure out what might work. It feels/seems readily abundant that the pre-COVID playbook is basically never going to come back. EWR/ORD-LHR, and EWR/ORD-ZRH all on 46J planes? Not happening for years, if ever again...Zoom has stolen many of those dollars for good.
That said, I am glad UA is getting more creative on route planning, and I do hope that when things come back to a new 'normal', whatever that ends up being, that UA sticks to some things. Building out the Hawaii franchise (e.g. EWR-OGG, ORD-KOA and SNA-HNL) seems wise. I would not be surprised if Hawaii is a hotter-than-usual destination for domestic holiday traffic for several years to come.
That said, I am glad UA is getting more creative on route planning, and I do hope that when things come back to a new 'normal', whatever that ends up being, that UA sticks to some things. Building out the Hawaii franchise (e.g. EWR-OGG, ORD-KOA and SNA-HNL) seems wise. I would not be surprised if Hawaii is a hotter-than-usual destination for domestic holiday traffic for several years to come.
I do wonder, would UA backtrack and reduce J again? Back to the lower density? Would PP expand at a cost of reduced J? I was only on the 46J once from LHR last year, it really was a great plane/layout, didn't feel like there were a million people in the gate area either.
#54
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,372
If this launches, UA will be either purchasing a new slot pair from another airline (probably not), or just utilizing an already existing LHR slot pair in its portfolio.
#55
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New York, NY
Programs: UA, AA, DL, Hertz, Avis, National, Hyatt, Hilton, SPG, Marriott
Posts: 9,447
I've heard from my friends at BA that the BOS-LHR route is a remedy slot unrelated to the ANZ transaction.
Indeed, here is the relevant language from the UK Competition & Markets Authority's May 2020 decision:
https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/investi...ness-agreement
The interim measures which have been imposed effectively extend the terms of the 2010 Commitments for an additional 3 years until March 2024. Airlines currently operating slots on London to Boston, Dallas and Miami routes pursuant to the 2010 commitments will continue to operate these slots for an additional year, until March 2022.
A tender process will take place in March 2022 for these slots for the remaining two years. A tender process will be undertaken this autumn [Fall 2020] in relation to a second slot on the London to Boston route.
Indeed, here is the relevant language from the UK Competition & Markets Authority's May 2020 decision:
https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/investi...ness-agreement
The interim measures which have been imposed effectively extend the terms of the 2010 Commitments for an additional 3 years until March 2024. Airlines currently operating slots on London to Boston, Dallas and Miami routes pursuant to the 2010 commitments will continue to operate these slots for an additional year, until March 2022.
A tender process will take place in March 2022 for these slots for the remaining two years. A tender process will be undertaken this autumn [Fall 2020] in relation to a second slot on the London to Boston route.
The uncertain start date, lack of a public application and somwhat-surprising announcement suggests to me this is just a deployment of one of UA's own slots. Now that Norwegian is exiting TATL (they held the other 2010 remedy slot with DL), it's almost a fait accompli that B6 will get at least one of the remedy slot pairs, so UA appears to be preempting JetBlue in this market as part of a broader competitive attack.
#56
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: UA GS, AA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 444
I've heard nothing about a UA application for any of the remedy slots, and as far as I know, a decision hasn't yet been rendered on allocation of the 2 LHR-BOS slots. Last I read, it was only B6 and DL applying.
The uncertain start date, lack of a public application and somwhat-surprising announcement suggests to me this is just a deployment of one of UA's own slots. Now that Norwegian is exiting TATL (they held the other 2010 remedy slot with DL), it's almost a fait accompli that B6 will get at least one of the remedy slot pairs, so UA appears to be preempting JetBlue in this market as part of a broader competitive attack.
The uncertain start date, lack of a public application and somwhat-surprising announcement suggests to me this is just a deployment of one of UA's own slots. Now that Norwegian is exiting TATL (they held the other 2010 remedy slot with DL), it's almost a fait accompli that B6 will get at least one of the remedy slot pairs, so UA appears to be preempting JetBlue in this market as part of a broader competitive attack.
The ANZ slot purchase you mentioned was used to make DEN-LHR year-round instead of seasonal.
At least, this is what I'm hearing from the people at BA who had to give up the slot.
#58
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,017
the announcement said 'later in 2021'. My guess is post Labor Day at the very earliest and with TATL demand still weak, in particular LHR demand ... might be later
#59
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,447
As things currently stand I would not expect this route to launch until spring 2022. That said, the wildcard here is B6 IMO: if they launch sometime in 2021, UA might be compelled or incentivized to follow or even one-up them.
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Usually in SAN or Central Europe.
Programs: AA:EXP/1MM. Accor/Radisson:Silver; HH:Gold; ICH:Plt Amb.
Posts: 22,307
Nope. B6 just announced a few days ago that BOS-LON service will not begin until 2022. As opposed to their planned start of this route in September.