United Airlines unveils 8 new long-haul routes for summer 2022
Despite the pandemic, United Airlines is gearing up for its largest-ever transatlantic expansion.
The Chicago-based carrier on Thursday unveiled a whopping eight new long-haul flights, including five new transatlantic pins to its route map. Additionally, the carrier is adding frequencies to two other international routes and will move forward with plans to launch seven international flights that were originally postponed due to the pandemic.
We'll recap the details below, but the storyline here is clear: United is making a big play for leisure flyers who are looking for convenient access to popular, and up and coming European cities.
“It’s more than a single moment in history," said Patrick Quayle, United's senior vice president of international network and alliance, during a media briefing about the announcement. "We are affirming our position as the flag carrier of the U.S. We want everyone to be jazzed up about traveling to these exciting destinations," he added.
All flights (except Amman) are available for purchase as of 8 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, Oct. 14.
5 new European destinations
Business travel is still down considerably compared to 2019 levels. Historically, when faced with a choice to grow the network, United might've just opted to add frequencies on some of its busiest corporate travel routes, like Newark to London.
But this expansion isn't about catering to the business traveler. As Quayle put it, United will fly to “new, unexpected places in the year to come," making United the ideal choice for a leisure traveler planning a summer adventure.
Amman, Jordan
United will add nonstop service between Washington/Dulles (IAD) and Amman, Jordan (AMM), beginning on May 5. Flights will operate three times weekly aboard a 243-seat Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
Adding flights to Jordan might have some industry observers scratching their heads. United will be the only U.S. carrier to fly there, joining flag carrier Royal Jordanian from New York, Chicago and Detroit. (Delta last flew there in 2011 and has since scrapped its flights, according to Cirium schedules.)
Quayle explained that the country has "a strong economy. They have natural ties to the U.S., and there are tons of tourism opportunities."
Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
While the Azores have plenty of beaches on offer, getting there has historically been challenging for Americans.
That's about to change on May 13, when United launches daily nonstop flights there from its Newark hub. At 2,576 miles, the airline will fly its fuel-efficient Boeing 737 MAX 8, the newest airplane in the fleet, for the six-hour flight.
Notably, this aircraft features United's new signature domestic interior with seat-back entertainment, Bluetooth connectivity and other improvements. The only thing missing is lie-flat pods in the business-class cabin.
Delta was the last U.S. carrier to fly to Ponta Delgada in September 2019, with daily seasonal flights from New York-JFK, while Azores Airlines continues to operate year-round service from Boston.
Bergen, Norway
Like the Azores, getting directly to Norway's fjords and natural landscape hasn't been easy for Americans. United's pulling out all the stops though with its new three times weekly flights from Newark to Bergen (BGO) launching on May 20.
Service will be available on the airline's 176-seat Boeing 757-200, with 16 lie-flat business-class pods and 160 coach seats.
Getting to Norway's capital (Oslo) has been much easier, with flights from various points nationwide aboard SAS and the now-downsized Norwegian Air Shuttle. In fact, United even served Oslo as recently as September 2016, according to Cirium schedules.
But Bergen hasn't seen direct flights from the U.S. since Norwegian's service from Stewart Airport (SWF) near New York in October 2018.
Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
United will fly three times weekly flights between Newark and Palma de Mallorca (PMI) starting on June 3. This will be the first and only flight between the U.S. and Mallorca and will add to United’s existing service to Madrid and Barcelona.
Service will be operated by one of United's "standard" Boeing 767-300ERs (as opposed to the premium "high-J" variant). During the media briefing, Quayle confirmed that all of these jets should be retrofitted with the lie-flat Polaris pods by the time this new route launches.
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
United is doubling down on Spanish leisure hotspots. In addition to new flights to Mallorca, the airline will also add a new route-map pin in the country's Canary Islands.
Three-times weekly service from Newark to Tenerife launches on June 9 aboard a Boeing 757-200.
5 new routes to existing cities
United isn't just adding pins to its route map; it's also boosting service to a handful of existing destinations, as follows:
New daily routes
- Denver (DEN) and Munich (MUC)
- Chicago (ORD) and Milan (MXP)
- Washington/Dulles (IAD) and Berlin (BER)
Additional frequencies
- Second daily flight between Newark (EWR) and Dublin (DUB)
- Second daily flight between Newark (EWR) and Rome (FCO)
Of these new flights, perhaps the most interesting are the ones to Germany and Italy.
Munich will be United's third transatlantic city served from Denver, joining London and Frankfurt. Interestingly, it'll join service to Munich by the airline's Star Alliance and transatlantic joint venture partner, Lufthansa. It remains to be seen if Lufthansa will continue operating its own Munich route, or if it'll cede the market to United.
Meanwhile, in Italy, the national flag carrier Alitalia is being replaced by a new airline, dubbed ITA. It remains to be seen if ITA will eventually pick up all of Alitalia's transatlantic service, but United is quickly picking up the slack created during the transition period.
7 route resumptions
Due to the pandemic, United had postponed plans to start some of its previously announced long-haul routes. Now that vaccination rates are growing worldwide and border restrictions are easing, the airline is ready to put them on sale once again.
The following seven routes will commence in early 2022, as follows:
- Los Angeles (LAX), Newark (EWR) and Washington/Dulles (IAD) to Tokyo-Haneda (HND) by March 26
- Chicago (ORD) and Zurich (ZRH) on April 23
- Newark (EWR) and Frankfurt (FRA) on April 23 (second daily flight)
- Newark (EWR) and Nice (NCE) on April 29
- San Francisco (SFO) and Bangalore, India (BLR) on May 26
The Northeast is the big winner
While there are many themes at play in United's big transatlantic push, the real winners, at least in the U.S., are the airline's Northeast hubs in Newark and Washington-Dulles.
These two airports are historically transatlantic gateways, and with an expansion across the Atlantic Ocean, they're the big winners in Thursday's announcement.
United will likely continue rebuilding its domestic network at Newark and Washington-Dulles for additional connectivity for the new flights.
On the flip side, United's West Coast presence in Los Angeles and San Francisco isn't faring as well. These hubs have traditionally been the airline's gateway to the Pacific, and with tight border restrictions still in place, they aren't getting nearly as much love as their East Coast rivals.
Bottom line
By adding nonstop flights to previously hard-to-reach destinations, United's seemingly banking on a continued strong recovery in its international network.
The summer 2022 routes are "opportunistic," as Quayle described it. With an eight-month lead time, it's anyone's guess how they'll fare, and whether any will return in the future.
One thing is certain, however, United hit some home runs this year with its last-minute additions to Croatia, Greece and Iceland, so the odds are in the airline's favor.
Editor's note: This post has been corrected to show United is adding eight new long-haul routes.
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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.