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United Launching Nonstop Dreamliner Flights From Houston to Sydney

Sept. 07, 2017
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3 min read
United Launching Nonstop Dreamliner Flights From Houston to Sydney
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Update 9/7/17: United has added this flight to the schedule, and you can now book a ticket using cash and miles. Round-trip economy tickets currently start at $1,882 or 80,000 miles + $120. Business class will run you $7,275 and up, or 140,000 miles round-trip in business class. There's saver availability for both classes of service, with at least four seats available on some dates.

Come January 18, 2018, there will be a new addition to the list of the world's 10 longest flights. At 8,590 miles each way, United's latest route — Houston to Sydney — will unseat Qantas' Dallas-Sydney flight by a mere 10 miles. The flight will be operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the same aircraft United's planning to use for its ultra-long-haul Los Angeles-Singapore service, which launches next month.

The new flight will be the first nonstop option connecting Houston and Australia, and joins United's other Sydney flights — one from Los Angeles (LAX) and the second from San Francisco (SFO). The carrier also operates service from LAX to Melbourne (MEL). Including this launch, all of United's Australia flights will be operated by Boeing's Dreamliner.

A United 787-9 Dreamliner at LAX.

In a press release, United President Scott Kirby had this to say about the new flight:



Our Houston hub is stronger than ever and it continues to be an absolutely vital part of our industry-leading network. We are honored to have served this vibrant city for nearly half a century, and this exciting intercontinental flight is one more way we are demonstrating United's commitment to our customers who call Houston home as well as the millions of customers who connect through Houston each year. This new route will serve more than 70 cities across North America making one-stop service to Sydney faster and more convenient than ever before.

The new flight trims the one-stop travel distance for a handful of airports in Texas and the surrounding states, and eliminates the need to connect for passengers originating or terminating their travels in Houston. It also significantly increases capacity on United's flights to Australia, potentially boosting economy and business-class award and upgrade availability in the process.

Schedule (daily):

  • UA101 Houston (IAH) 8:00pm Departure ⇒ Sydney (SYD) 6:30am (+2) Arrival
  • UA100 Sydney (SYD) 11:50am Departure ⇒ Houston (IAH) 10:35am Arrival

United's 787-9 Dreamliner offers 48 Polaris business-class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration with 22 inches of width and 78 inches of pitch.

This 787 also has 88 Economy Plus seats with 17.3-inch width and 35 inches of pitch, and 116 regular coach seats with 17.3-inch width and 32 inches of pitch.

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While a bit more spacious than United's new 3-4-3 economy, regular coach may not be tremendously comfortable on such a long flight.

Also note that only United's 777-300ER currently offers the new Polaris business-class seats, so passengers traveling on this new flight will be flying the older lie-flat hard product with Polaris service, including bedding and upgraded meals. There are no confirmed plans to add the new seats to the 787-8 and 787-9.

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  • Intro Offer

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  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • 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.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • 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.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $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.
  • Terms Apply.