United's launching nonstop service from Boston to London Heathrow
Zach Honig is Editor-at-Large at TPG, with contributions ranging from articles digging deep on loyalty programs and credit cards to delivery flight coverage to drone photography and much more.
Feb. 19, 2021
•
2 min read
United's launching nonstop service from Boston to London Heathrow
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Can't say I saw this one coming! United Airlines just announced nonstop service between Boston's Logan Airport and London Heathrow. The flight will operate daily with a Boeing 767-300ER.
The airline has not yet committed to a launch date, but has confirmed that it plans to operate the flight with its "high-J" version of the 767, including 99 economy seats, 22 in Premium Plus and 46 Polaris seats in business class — one of which is reserved as a pilot crew rest.
As of now, United plans to launch service sometime later this year. "We will continue to monitor the demand recovery and travel restrictions as we finalize a start date for this service later in 2021," said Patrick Quayle, United's vice president of International Network and Alliances.
The airline confirmed that it plans to operate this new flight without impacting aircraft assignments on other routes. We also know that United intends to fly between Boston and London daily as mentioned above, with the following schedule:
| From | To | Depart | Arrive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | London | 10:00 p.m. | 9:35 a.m.+1 |
| London | Boston | 5:00 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. |
Interestingly, this route was announced with little fanfare. United didn't have a marketing push at the ready, and there's no mention of the new flight on the airline's social media accounts.
Notably, American Airlines and JetBlue announced a slew of new flights from the New York City area yesterday, including a handful from Newark Airport (EWR) — United's home turf. With JetBlue planning to launch its first long-haul service from Boston (BOS) to an unconfirmed airport in London later this year, featuring its new Mint business-class offering, this surprise United announcement could be seen as a response to JetBlue's massive Newark expansion.
Still, more options mean more competition on the fare front and there's no question that JetBlue plans to shake things up in the transatlantic market — including on especially lucrative East Coast routes.
Featured image by (Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
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- New: 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.
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- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
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- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees