United adds cool new international route, cuts yet another US city
United Airlines is making two noteworthy changes to its network.
It starts with an interesting new international flight from its hub in Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM) in Guam to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) beginning on April 2, as first seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson.
United will operate its new 1,729-mile route from Guam to Taipei using a Boeing 737-800. Flights will depart Guam at 7 a.m. and land in Taipei at 9:25 a.m. The return service will depart at 10:30 a.m. and land at 4:20 p.m.
United will operate this flight twice a week.
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Interestingly, this route technically marks a service resumption for United. That's because Continental Micronesia flew the service until October 2005, about five years before United merged with Continental.
These days, China Airlines is the only carrier operating the Guam-to-Taipei route, so United will have an opportunity to capture the market, especially given its strong presence in Guam dating back to the Continental Micronesia days.
In addition to the new Guam service, United also flies to Taipei from San Francisco.
"The launch of the new Taipei-Guam service underscores United's commitment to Guam and the region by opening new routes that offer more ways for travelers to enjoy Guam and the Micronesia region. Opening the new market will support the island's tourism recovery efforts and plans to diversify its inbound markets. The new route provides convenient connections for travelers throughout Asia and a new direct and convenient destination for Guam travelers to enjoy Taiwan's exciting and unique cultural, culinary, natural, and historical experiences," said Sam Shinohara, United's managing director of airport operations for the Asia-Pacific region.
It'll be interesting to see how the new route fares, especially since United has recently invested in its Asia-Pacific network with other cool new routes, such as Tokyo to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and Tokyo to Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
While the airline is making big moves in Guam, United is cutting yet another domestic city back in the U.S.
This time, the carrier is dropping service to Lewiston, Idaho, effective Feb. 1.
Previously, United flew to Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport (LWS) from its hub in Denver. This route started in October 2021, and will now be cut just over three years later.
Once United leaves Lewiston, Delta will have a monopoly on service to the city with its nonstops from Salt Lake City and Seattle.
United originally started service to Lewiston thanks to funding provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), supplemented by subsidies from the city government, according to local Big Country News.
These subsidies have since run out, and airport officials weren't able to secure more funding to keep the route going.
"We thank United Airlines, Nez Perce County, and the City of Lewiston for trying this route during challenging economic times in the air transportation industry," said Lewiston airport director Mike Isaacs in a statement.
A United spokesperson shared in a short statement that "United will continue to serve Idaho with service to Boise (BOI), Idaho Falls (IDA) and Sun Valley (SUN). We're working with impacted customers to help them make alternative travel arrangements."
United has cut 41 U.S. cities since April 2020, according to data from aviation consulting firm Ailevon Pacific.
With most of the cuts, the airline cited the pilot shortage and low demand as the primary reasons for pulling out of so many markets. Nowadays, the industry has largely stabilized, and though some smaller markets might be coming back (such as Butte, Montana, and Eau Claire, Wisconsin), others, like Lewiston, might not make it.
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