United pushes back two major long-haul launches following low demand
This may not come as a tremendous surprise — especially following the news that the airline's New York-JFK relaunch has been pushed back a few weeks — but United has opted to delay two of its most notable 2021 launches. The airline is rescheduling its inaugural flights to Bangalore, India, and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Previously, United had planned to begin daily service from Newark (EWR) to Johannesburg (JNB) on March 27, 2021, with San Francisco (SFO) to Bangalore (BLR) — the carrier's new longest route — scheduled for daily service beginning May 6. Now, those launches have been pushed back to June 3 and May 27, respectively.
United began canceling impacted reservations last week, as I experienced with my own reservation to JNB:
It appears that the change had been initiated before President Biden announced an expansion of the U.S. travel ban, which now includes visitors from South Africa.
According to a United spokesperson:
As travel demand remains at historic lows due to the pandemic, we continue to be nimble and flexible with our network and schedules by making adjustments to our schedules as needed based on changing demand trends. In response to fluctuating demand, we are shifting the start dates for two new international routes this summer. Our new nonstop service between Newark and Johannesburg, South Africa is now scheduled to begin June 3, 2021 and new nonstop service between San Francisco and Bangalore, India will start on May 27, 2021. New service between Washington Dulles and Accra, Ghana is still planned to begin May 14 and new service between Washington Dulles and Lagos, Nigeria is also planned to begin this summer, subject to government approval. We will continue to monitor customer demand and government regulations and will make the appropriate adjustments to our schedule.
As of now, the airline's new nonstop from Washington (IAD) to Accra, Ghana (ACC), is still expected to operate three days a week beginning on May 14, though a launch date for service to Lagos, Nigeria (LOS), also from D.C., has not yet been confirmed.
It's also possible that the airline's Bangalore and Johannesburg flights could get pushed back again — the South Africa travel outlook is especially unclear, and I can't imagine United's service will begin until the new travel ban has come to an end.
While United isn't offering any saver award or upgrade availability for its BLR inaugural, cash fares are quite reasonable at the moment, at $480 one-way for economy, $845 for premium economy and $1,812 for business class.
On dates that do have saver availability, expect to redeem 42,500 miles for economy and 75,000 miles for business class. United is not currently offering saver awards for premium economy, which consistently requires 124,000 miles each way.
While I'm excited to fly United to Bangalore down the line, I don't plan to join this particular inaugural flight. I did decide to book a round-trip for the new flight to Johannesburg, though, including business class on the inaugural and economy on the return (which I upgraded to Polaris using 40 PlusPoints) for $2,128.
If you're only looking to lock in a seat on that inaugural flight, you can currently book a one-way ticket for $760 in economy. If you're looking for premium economy or business class, you'll want to opt for a round-trip, instead, with fares of $2,008 and $2,899, respectively.
Alternatively, you can book award seats starting at 40,000 miles for economy or 155,500 miles for business class. If you're looking to travel later in the year, there are select dates with saver business-class availability, priced at 70,000 miles each way.
Both of these flights are scheduled to be operated by United's retrofitted 787-9 Dreamliner, with "real" Polaris business-class seats — they'll consistently offer the new interior, since the airline's reconfigured planes have also undergone a software update to improve efficiency on these extra-long routes.
The airline's updated 787-9 represents a huge step up, especially in business class, with seats that offer far more personal space and privacy than the airline's dated 2-2-2 configuration found on a handful of Dreamliner planes.
On United's new long-hauls, passengers will find business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, plus a Premium Plus cabin with 2-3-2 seating, which we reviewed on a similar plane in 2019, along with coach and extra-legroom Economy Plus.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.