United Airlines scraps plans to add a new pin to its route map
There's a regional airport that won't be happy about United's latest cut.
During the past the weekend, the Chicago-based carrier filed a sweeping schedule update that included bad news for Santa Maria, California: United is dropping its plan to serve the Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) airport, per Cirium schedules and later confirmed by the carrier.
Santa Maria would've been a new route-map pin for United, connecting the city to mainline service for the first time since October 2016, when United last served the airport.
United had originally planned to launch nonstop service from Santa Maria to three of its largest hubs — Denver (DEN), Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) — in June 2020. The carrier then delayed the start of service and adjusted schedules due to the pandemic. The latest plan was for flights to take off in October 2021.
In confirming the move to TPG, United cited the pandemic and market dynamics as the reason that SMX flights won't take off.
Throughout the pandemic, United has continued to evaluate and adapt its network to respond to the changing travel landscape. Due to the pandemic and changes in market conditions since our initial announcement, United has made the difficult decision to suspend its plan to operate nonstop service to Santa Maria, Calif. (SMX) from Denver and San Francisco. We will continue to serve the region and greater Central Coast community with service to Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) and San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (SBP).
Going forward, if residents of the Santa Maria area want to connect to mainline service, they'll need to drive nearly an hour or more to reach either Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo.
Santa Maria remains connected by just one airline, Allegiant, whose ultra-low-cost strategy might not appeal to everyone. The Summerlin, Nevada-based airline flies to three destinations from the California city, none of which are operated daily:
- Las Vegas (LAS)
- Phoenix/Mesa (AZA)
- Portland (PDX)
The move to drop plans to serve Santa Maria comes just a week after United announced new service to two brand-new destinations, including Eastern Sierra Regional Airport near Bishop, California (BIH), and Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport in Lewiston, Idaho (LWS).
Related: United bets big on winter travel in 39-route boost to the mountains
Along with tweaking its regional airport strategy, United also is beefing up service in anticipation of a busy winter travel season.
The carrier recently boosted 39 routes to the mountains just in time for the ski season. Additionally, just this week, the carrier upgauged eight Hawaii routes with its top-notch Polaris and Premium Plus products, to deliver an upgraded experience for those traveling to the Aloha State.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express 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.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees