Feb 25, 2024, 12:30 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
United Announces Daily Nonstop Flights Between Guam and Tokyo-Haneda
Photos(1)
New flights create a more direct link between Guam and Tokyo's city center
Service is scheduled to start on May 1 and tickets will go on sale tonight
CHICAGO, Feb. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines will launch daily nonstop flights between Guam and Tokyo Haneda International Airport on May 1*. Flights will operate year-round and create a more direct link between Guam and Japan's capital, given the Haneda airport's proximity to the city center. These new flights build on United's 32 weekly flights between Guam and Tokyo-Narita, and tickets will go on sale tonight.
"As we grow our global network, we're always looking for opportunities to give our customers more choice and strengthen links between countries. This route – connecting Tokyo's most convenient airport with our unique Guam hub – accomplishes just that. I appreciate the support of the Department of Transportation in recognizing the importance of this route to our customers and stakeholders," said Patrick Quayle, United's Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances.
United plans to operate a 737-800 on this route, which has room for 166 customers – including 16 business class seats. The flight is scheduled to depart Guam at 19:00 local time and arrive at Haneda at 22:00 on the same day. On the return, the flight will depart Haneda at 23:55 and arrive in Guam at 04:45 the next day.
United is the largest airline in Guam, offering more than 87 weekly flights to 14 destinations. United has operated in Guam for more than 55 years and is the only airline today flying between Guam and Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya in Japan, as well as islands in the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau.
With this addition, United will operate six daily flights from Haneda, with service to New York/Newark, Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and now Guam. United also operates 10 daily flights to Tokyo's Narita airport, with service to New York/Newark, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Guam, and Saipan. United offers more seats from the United States to Tokyo than any other U.S. airline.
*Subject to government approval.
Photos(1)
New flights create a more direct link between Guam and Tokyo's city center
Service is scheduled to start on May 1 and tickets will go on sale tonight
CHICAGO, Feb. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines will launch daily nonstop flights between Guam and Tokyo Haneda International Airport on May 1*. Flights will operate year-round and create a more direct link between Guam and Japan's capital, given the Haneda airport's proximity to the city center. These new flights build on United's 32 weekly flights between Guam and Tokyo-Narita, and tickets will go on sale tonight.
"As we grow our global network, we're always looking for opportunities to give our customers more choice and strengthen links between countries. This route – connecting Tokyo's most convenient airport with our unique Guam hub – accomplishes just that. I appreciate the support of the Department of Transportation in recognizing the importance of this route to our customers and stakeholders," said Patrick Quayle, United's Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances.
United plans to operate a 737-800 on this route, which has room for 166 customers – including 16 business class seats. The flight is scheduled to depart Guam at 19:00 local time and arrive at Haneda at 22:00 on the same day. On the return, the flight will depart Haneda at 23:55 and arrive in Guam at 04:45 the next day.
United is the largest airline in Guam, offering more than 87 weekly flights to 14 destinations. United has operated in Guam for more than 55 years and is the only airline today flying between Guam and Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya in Japan, as well as islands in the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau.
With this addition, United will operate six daily flights from Haneda, with service to New York/Newark, Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and now Guam. United also operates 10 daily flights to Tokyo's Narita airport, with service to New York/Newark, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Guam, and Saipan. United offers more seats from the United States to Tokyo than any other U.S. airline.
*Subject to government approval.
UA to start daily Nonstops between Guam (GUM) and Haneda (HND) starting 1 May 2024
Feb 14, 2024, 3:05 pm
#1
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UA to start daily Nonstops between Guam (GUM) and Haneda (HND) starting 1 May 2024
https://www.guampdn.com/news/direct-...61ad1aad6.html
This was in today's Pacific Daily News, one of Guam's newspapers. The strange part is that you would think they would want these flights to connect to the outgoing banks to the Mainland from HND and they would arrive too late for that. They would also arrive too late for many domestic connections. The same holds true for the HND-GUM traffic which would now become a redeye. Perhaps they expect the Japan to Guam tourism may push demand for these slots.
"United’s application to run five direct flights a week between Guam and Haneda was rejected by the Department of Transportation late last year because Hawaiian Airlines still had rights to the slots at the Japanese airport that United wanted to take over.
Guam flights to Japan are currently routed to Narita International Airport.
Despite plans to hold on to the night-time Haneda slots, Hawaiian Airlines has since returned the rights to DoT, pointing to limited demand for seats on the Japan to Hawaii route.
United is looking to move in once again, seeking the five night time flights it applied for last year, along with an additional two slots out of Haneda that Hawaiian has since dropped due to limited customer demand.
A proposed flight schedule from the airline has planes leaving Guam at around 7 p.m. and arriving at Haneda at 10 p.m. the same day.
Return flights would leave Haneda just before midnight, and arrive on Guam at around 4:40 a.m. the next day."
This was in today's Pacific Daily News, one of Guam's newspapers. The strange part is that you would think they would want these flights to connect to the outgoing banks to the Mainland from HND and they would arrive too late for that. They would also arrive too late for many domestic connections. The same holds true for the HND-GUM traffic which would now become a redeye. Perhaps they expect the Japan to Guam tourism may push demand for these slots.
"United’s application to run five direct flights a week between Guam and Haneda was rejected by the Department of Transportation late last year because Hawaiian Airlines still had rights to the slots at the Japanese airport that United wanted to take over.
Guam flights to Japan are currently routed to Narita International Airport.
Despite plans to hold on to the night-time Haneda slots, Hawaiian Airlines has since returned the rights to DoT, pointing to limited demand for seats on the Japan to Hawaii route.
United is looking to move in once again, seeking the five night time flights it applied for last year, along with an additional two slots out of Haneda that Hawaiian has since dropped due to limited customer demand.
A proposed flight schedule from the airline has planes leaving Guam at around 7 p.m. and arriving at Haneda at 10 p.m. the same day.
Return flights would leave Haneda just before midnight, and arrive on Guam at around 4:40 a.m. the next day."
Feb 14, 2024, 7:08 pm
#2
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This is indeed too late for GUM passengers to connect via HND to the U.S. mainland without an overnight.
Yet for more than a decade, NW sold flights from SPN to NRT that required a hotel stay. Indeed, NW paid for such overnights at the NRT Hilton.
I suppose I will need to look up hotels in or near HND (starting with Marriott and Hilton).
Yet for more than a decade, NW sold flights from SPN to NRT that required a hotel stay. Indeed, NW paid for such overnights at the NRT Hilton.
I suppose I will need to look up hotels in or near HND (starting with Marriott and Hilton).
Feb 14, 2024, 7:31 pm
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Feb 14, 2024, 7:49 pm
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The slots are indeed targeted at the local Tokyo-Guam market, which is large. There's most likely more than enough demand to make a single daily 737 successful.
The slots are night time restricted, meaning the flights must be scheduled to arrive after 10:00pm and depart before 6:55am. These hours are pretty much unsuitable for public transit in/out of HND and haven't done well to the mainland USA. UA, AA and DL converted night time slots to daytime as fast as the bilateral allowed. Hawaii is about the only US longhaul that works, but post-COVID that market has not really recovered.
The slots are night time restricted, meaning the flights must be scheduled to arrive after 10:00pm and depart before 6:55am. These hours are pretty much unsuitable for public transit in/out of HND and haven't done well to the mainland USA. UA, AA and DL converted night time slots to daytime as fast as the bilateral allowed. Hawaii is about the only US longhaul that works, but post-COVID that market has not really recovered.
Feb 14, 2024, 8:17 pm
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Feb 14, 2024, 8:23 pm
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That's what DL tried to do with their PDX slot and DOT did not like it.
Feb 15, 2024, 9:12 am
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As someone who flies from/to/through IAH fairly often for 2-3 Japan trips a year, I actually prefer having the NRT and HND option from IAH. If you had gotten the slot they already said NRT would likely get pulled meaning only one airport option, so I am not super bummed UA lost to AA on that. Now Japanese can move their flights without DOT permission so one never knows what ANA might do but the "insiders" all presumed IAH would then lose NRT. Just my dos centavos, of course.
As for Guam, always love more options since I normally go there piggybacked off my Japan trips. Would love to see Guam - Okinawa GUM-OKA from UA even if just a thrice or twice weekly.
Feb 15, 2024, 12:35 pm
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Feb 15, 2024, 12:54 pm
#12
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Yep back in the day. I wish it would return. I either have to go back to the big islands or took the rare military Space A flight doing it non-stop. Neither option is great for my time. One can wish!
Feb 15, 2024, 2:57 pm
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No other US carrier has asked for these night-time flight rights. A while back AA flew JFK-HND on a night-time slot but the timing was unpopular and they dropped it. HA then successfully bid for 5 of the 7 weekly night-time slots but have not been using them. I actually think this is ideal for DOT, AA gets the regular day-time slot for JFK-HND and the night-time slot works perfectly for UA's proposed GUM flight.
And UA still has two daily GUM-NRT flights for connections to the US or TYO bound traffic.
Feb 16, 2024, 10:14 am
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I personally am excited to see this come. At present, the latest flights out of Guam to Japan are 5:05 pm to NRT and 4:50 pm to KIX. Many times I finish work around 5 pm and am forced to wait until the next morning to leave. This flight will give me the option to get to HND and fly the ANA nonstop HND-LAX and get home at 6 pm Pacific time. Without this flight, I would be stuck in Guam until the next morning and fly via Japan or HNL and get home 12-18 hours later.
Feb 16, 2024, 2:11 pm
#15
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Per 'A' popular aviation forum site, UA was awarded the slot . I have not seen anything on the government sites yet. But it would seem this is coming to fruition.