United adds a new US city after cutting 11 in back-to-back weeks
Small U.S. cities can breathe a (slight) sigh of relief this week.
After back-to-back weeks of major cuts from United, the Chicago-based carrier is adding a new pin to its route map on the border of Arkansas and Texas.
United Express regional affiliate CommutAir will commence service to Texarkana (TXK) on Feb. 13, 2022, operating once-daily flights from Houston (IAH) aboard the 50-seat Embraer 145, as first seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by the carrier.
Turns out, United didn't necessarily make the decision to enter Texarkana on its own volition. The local airport authority received $884,722 in grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Small Community Air Service Development Program to fund this new service.
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According to Paul Merlich, the Texarkana airport director, as quoted by KSLA News 12, United is entering into a one-year contract to see if the flights will work. The grant guarantees revenues for United to keep serving the airport during the first year, even if enplanements are low.
United's service will offer plenty of one-stop connections for the local community through its Houston hub. The airline will go up against American Airlines’ (up to) four daily flights to Dallas/Fort Worth, its largest hub.
While the local community might be celebrating the new flight, the national storyline is that United isn’t exclusively cutting small U.S. cities from its network. Over the past two weeks, the airline has revealed plans to exit 11 small U.S. cities that it primarily served from Chicago, Houston and Denver.
The airline blamed poor economics for the cuts, saying that the pandemic has wiped out much of the demand for flights to these cities. Interestingly, as part of United's latest round of cuts, Twin Falls, Idaho, received a similar grant from the government in February 2020, and United just recently announced plans to pull out of the market, roughly 21 months later.
Of course, the Texarkana flight is also aided by the government grant — so only time will tell if the airline actually continues the service beyond the one-year mark.
Either way, the move to add service to Texarkana stands in contrast to the outsized effect the pandemic has had on small cities without enough demand to warrant jet service.
Related: United Airlines is dropping 8 more US cities from its route map
For example, late last year, American Airlines suspended service to several smaller cities. Flights resumed at some of those airports, only to be cut again in places like Williamsport, Pennsylvania (IPT) — which lost airline service altogether as of Oct. 1. Recently, Delta filed plans to pull out of Durango, Colorado (DRO), while United made headlines for ending service to Rochester, Minnesota (RST).
If United's latest route-map addition is successful, perhaps the carrier will consider restoring service to some of the airports it's leaving, or adding new service to other regional airports nationwide, especially if there are financial guarantees available.
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Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees