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United Dreamliner Shift Spells Bad News for Houston Flyers

April 07, 2017
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2 min read
united 787
United Dreamliner Shift Spells Bad News for Houston Flyers
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United is ditching Houston in favor of Washington, D.C. — for its Dreamliners, that is. With the change coming this winter, the airline is closing its 787 pilot base at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), one of its largest hubs. Following this shift, Houston-based passengers who have enjoyed traveling on United's flashy new Dreamliners will be relegated to aging 777s and 767s, instead.

According to a FlightGlobal report, the new 787s at Washington's Dulles Airport (IAD) will begin operating some of the carrier's routes beginning October 29, 2017, including service to Beijing (PEK; currently operated by a 777-200), London (LHR), Paris (CDG) and Sao Paulo (GRU; currently operated by a 767-400ER). Beginning October 29, IAH-Frankfurt (FRA) will be operated by a 777-200 and IAH-Bueno Aires (EZE) will be operated by a 767-300ER.

United said that no routes will be discontinued as a result of the 787 pilot base being closed. The reasoning for the change is to get better utilization out of its fleet, which it believes it can do with the switch from IAH to IAD. In addition to the soon-to-be-defunct Dreamliner base in Houston, United also has 787 pilot bases in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

United currently has 12 787-8s in its fleet in addition to 20 787-9s, with more extended-length Dreamliners on the way this year and next.

H/T: FlightGlobal

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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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