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United's Adding Flights From US to Iceland, Porto and More

Sept. 12, 2017
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4 min read
A rabelo boat cruises the Douro River at Porto
United's Adding Flights From US to Iceland, Porto and More
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Iceland is the latest European hotspot — at least when it comes to new nonstop routes from the US. Following a massive expansion from low-cost carrier WOW Air, the island nation now offers service from a surprising number of US gateways. New flights are planned from some of the country's smallest international markets, too, including Cincinnati (CVG), Cleveland (CLE) and St. Louis (STL), catapulting Keflavík International Airport (KEF) into the spotlight throughout the United States.

Many of KEF's passengers are simply passing through en-route to mainland Europe and beyond, but Delta has offered service to Iceland-bound travelers for years, with year-round service from New York (JFK) and seasonal flights from Minneapolis (MSP). Now, United Airlines plans to launch an Iceland flight of its own, joining WOW and Icelandair with daily summer service from Newark (EWR), from May 23 through October 3, 2018.

That's not all, though — next summer, United will also introduce service from EWR to Porto, Portugal (OPO), operating every day from May 4 through October 3, 2018. This new flight will join TAP's year-round Monday/Thursday service from Newark to Porto. Both of these Newark flights will be operated by the 757-200, with 16 lie-flat seats arranged in a 2-2 configuration in business class, 45 seats arranged 3-3 in Economy Plus and 108 seats in the coach cabin.

You can fly United's lie-flat 757 business class to Iceland.

While new destinations are typically most exciting, there are two other United additions that are not to be overlooked. The first is seasonal 787-8 Dreamliner service from San Francisco (SFO) to Zurich (ZRH), operating daily from June 7 through October 26. Additionally, United will add a seasonal 757 flight from Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Edinburgh (EDI), flying daily from May 23 through October 3.

To recap, United plans to add the following seasonal flights:

  • UA144 Newark (EWR) 9:45pm Departure ⇒ Porto (OPO) 9:50am (+1) Arrival
  • UA145 Porto (OPO) 12:35pm Departure ⇒ Newark (EWR) 1:35pm Arrival
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  • UA138 Newark (EWR) 10:30pm Departure ⇒ Reykjavik (KEF) 8:10am (+1) Arrival
  • UA139 Reykjavik (KEF) 11:55am Departure ⇒ Newark (EWR) 2:05pm Arrival
  • UA44 San Francisco (SFO) 2:10pm Departure ⇒ Zurich (ZRH) 10:10am (+1) Arrival
  • UA45 Zurich (ZRH) 9:50am Departure ⇒ San Francisco (SFO) 12:40pm Arrival
  • UA146 Washington, D.C. (IAD) 10:10pm Departure ⇒ Edinburgh (EDI) 10:25am (+1) Arrival
  • UA147 Edinburgh (EDI) 12:40pm Departure ⇒ Washington, D.C. (IAD) 3:40pm Arrival

Finally, some existing seasonal flights will be extended as follows:

  • Chicago to Edinburgh will run from May 4 through October 26
  • San Francisco to Munich will run from May 4 through October 26
  • Chicago to Dublin will run from April 9 through October 26
  • Washington, D.C. to Lisbon will run from April 9 through October 26

These new flights and increased frequencies join United's other recent route announcements, including Los Angeles (LAX) to Singapore (SIN), launching October 27, 2017, and Houston (IAH) to Sydney (SYD), launching January 18, 2018.

Personally, I'm most excited about the Porto flight — OPO has been near the top of my must-visit list for years, and I even had a trip booked last year until a TAP schedule change caused a conflict in my schedule. Iceland is also somewhere I've been dying to visit, though with $200 airfares regularly available through WOW, I'm less likely to redeem valuable MileagePlus miles to fly that route.

Featured image by Getty Images

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4XEarn 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.
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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • 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.