United responds (again) to American in Chicago with 5-route expansion, bolstered flying on 80 routes
Less than a week ago, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby vowed to "draw a line in the sand" against American Airlines, its top competitor at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and one that's been adding flights at a fast pace since last summer at the Midwest hub.
The very next day, American added three more routes from the Windy City.
And United isn't standing by.
The Chicago-based carrier on Tuesday announced plans to fly its largest schedule ever from O'Hare in 2026, with 750 daily departures once the peak summer season arrives.
It's the latest in a series of "one-ups" by the two carriers, which have been going back and forth for months — throwing shade and adding flights.
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Included in United's latest ORD expansion are five new and returning routes to smaller Midwest cities: Lansing and Kalamazoo, Michigan; La Crosse, Wisconsin; and the Illinois metro areas of Champaign-Urbana and Bloomington-Normal.
Plus, United said it would add additional daily flights to 80 cities, nationally, that it already flies to from O'Hare.
"Places like Los Angeles, but also Lexington, Kentucky. Places like Dallas, Texas. But also places like Dayton Ohio," United's top network planner Patrick Quayle said on a call discussing the airline's plans.
O'Hare takes center stage in airline turf war
For months, O'Hare has been home to arguably the airline industry's most hotly-contested turf war.
United has clearly been the airport's top carrier, especially after the pandemic when American — which also has an O'Hare hub — was slow to ramp up its flight schedule (American instead opted to focus its attention on Sun Belt hubs like Dallas and Charlotte).
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But starting in mid-2025, American began quickly bolstering its capacity at ORD.
That's continuing into 2026: During the first half of this year, the Fort Worth-based carrier is set to grow its total seats out of the airport by nearly 23% versus a year ago, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
American also recently won access to several Chicago gates at United's expense.
No more, said Kirby, of United:
"We're going to add as many flights as are required to make sure that we keep our gate count the same in Chicago," he vowed last week on the company's earnings call.
United's 5-route Chicago expansion
United didn't wait long.
Here's the rundown of the five routes the carrier added to its O'Hare lineup — all regional service aboard United Express jets:
| Route | Launch date and frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|
ORD to Champaign-Urbana Airport (CMI) in Illinois | April 30, four daily roundtrips | Previously flown in 2018 |
ORD to Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (AZO) in Michigan | April 30, four daily roundtrips | Previously flown in 2021-22 |
ORD to Lansing Airport (LAN) in Michigan | May 7, four daily roundtrips | Previously flown in 2021-22 |
ORD to La Crosse Regional Airport (LSE) in Wisconsin | May 7, four daily roundtrips | |
ORD to Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal (CMI) | May 7, four daily roundtrips |
Perhaps not coincidentally, all of those are routes currently flown by American out of Chicago.
United had already been on track to grow its robust Chicago schedule in 2026; prior to Tuesday's announcement, the carrier's seats from O'Hare in the first half of this year were set to rise 12% over last year, per Cirium.
Kirby last week noted the airline does not plan to seek additional gates at the airport — but does intend to block its top Chicago competitor from winning any more at its expense.
Tuesday's expansion at the airport is clearly part of that push.
Big-picture
United has vociferously claimed it now holds a wide lead among Chicagoland consumers when it comes to airline preference.
"People are choosing to fly United," Quayle said, ahead of Tuesday's announcement. "And choosing to fly United's premium products at a much higher rate than that of American."
Last spring, Airports Council International ranked ORD as the fourth-busiest U.S. hub, based on 2024 passenger traffic.
But O'Hare had more scheduled departures last year than any other U.S. airport last year, according to Cirium data. That's thanks in large part to United and American's race to add flights at the hub.
Generally speaking, more competition is good for customers, since it means more flight options and often leads to lower fares, on average. Stiffer competition is generally less welcome, of course, inside airline C-suites.
Not lost in this Chicago showdown, of sorts: Southwest Airlines also has a major base in the region, at nearby Midway Airport (MDW).
Looking ahead
Expect American to have plenty to say about its own Chicago strategy on Tuesday morning, when the airline holds its latest earnings call.
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