United cuts its only non-hub long-haul route: Boston to London
United Airlines is retrenching in Boston, ending its sole international flight from its operation there.
The carrier will cease flying between Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) as of Oct. 27, as first seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson.
United's daily Boston flight began April 14, 2022, and it was operated by the airline's most premium wide-body jet, the "high-J" Boeing 767-300ER, which is outfitted with 99 economy seats, 22 seats in Premium Plus and 46 Polaris seats in business class.
Though Boston isn't a United hub, it is home to a spacious and modern United Club and a slew of domestic flights to each of the carrier's domestic hubs. The airline even flies lie-flat-equipped Boeing 757-200s on the premium transcontinental routes from Boston to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The airline added the Boston-to-London route during the pandemic, which might've initially puzzled some aviation observers. It's possible that the carrier added the route at least somewhat in response to JetBlue's new service between the two cities, which officially took off last August.
JetBlue, which fights neck and neck with Delta Air Lines for dominance in Boston, has been growing its transatlantic network in recent months, adding service from New York and Boston to Paris and Amsterdam.
This expansion might have United partly on edge, which could be one of the reasons the airline entered the Boston-to-London market in the first place.
Of course, getting access to slots — essentially takeoff and landing permissions — at Heathrow Airport is no easy feat, but United was able to acquire a "remedy slot" — one assigned temporarily to boost competition — that was assigned to the Boston-to-London route through 2026.
Over the years, permanent slots at Heathrow have gone for as much as $75 million — a sum United almost certainly wasn't willing to pay for this new Boston service.
Though the airline didn't comment on why it's abandoning this Boston-to-London route three years before the slot expires, carrier spokesperson Christine Salamone shared that "we're reaching out now to any impacted customers to help them make alternate plans — we regularly adjust our schedules due to things like demand and importantly, United will continue to fly 19 non-stops a day to London Heathrow this winter from our seven U.S. hubs."
Despite United's cut, the Boston-to-London market sees plenty of nonstop service on American Airlines, British Airways, Delta, JetBlue, Norse Atlantic Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
Interestingly, American also doesn't operate a hub in Boston, though it does offer a sole long-haul route from BOS.
American also flies to London from two other non-hub cities — Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, and Seattle (ending Oct. 27) — but these routes are largely supported by the airline's transatlantic joint venture partnership with British Airways, which offers plenty of connectivity beyond London to cities in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and beyond.
United, as a member of the Star Alliance, doesn't offer much onward connectivity beyond London, so it may have had a harder time filling the 167 seats on its daily route from Boston to London.
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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.