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United arrives in Ghana, new daily South Africa flight launches soon

May 17, 2021
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3 min read
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United arrives in Ghana, new daily South Africa flight launches soon
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United just added another popular African city to its long-haul route map!

On Friday, the carrier began year-round service between Washington, D.C. (IAD) and Accra, Ghana (ACC). United 996 departs IAD at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, returning at 11:45 p.m. as United 997 the following day.

It's the first of two routes the airline plans to launch this spring to fill a gap left by South African Airways, which has long struggled to turn a profit and was forced to begin scaling back its global operations even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

United vice president of international network planning and alliances Patrick Quayle was among the passengers on Friday's first flight to ACC, which was operated by a 787-8 Dreamliner with 28 Polaris business seats, 21 Premium Plus seats, 36 in Economy Plus and 158 seats in coach.

Polaris passengers received special ACC pajamas, as modeled by United's Patrick Quayle. (Photo courtesy of United)

The aircraft was met with a ceremonial water cannon salute after touching down just after 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning in Ghana.

United's 787-9 received a water cannon salute upon arrival at ACC. (Photo courtesy of United)

On June 3, United is scheduled to begin daily service between Newark (EWR) and Johannesburg (JNB), its second nonstop flight to South Africa from the New York City area. United began seasonal service to Cape Town (CPT) in December 2019 — as of now, that flight is scheduled to return on Oct. 31, 2021.

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United's Accra and Johannesburg flights are both guaranteed to be operated by the carrier's updated 787 Dreamliners, offering extra-private Polaris business-class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, along with dedicated Premium Plus cabins.

United's Polaris business cabin on the 787-9. (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)

While South African's exit is likely a disappointment to some, United acted quickly to help bridge a gap in service, offering a superior product, to boot.

United's business class represents a step up, even compared with South African's very best product, pictured here. (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)

There's more to come on the Africa front as well, with another IAD flight expected to begin later this year. United is scheduled to fly between Washington, D.C. and Lagos, Nigeria (LOS) sometime in 2021, though the airline has yet to begin selling seats, or confirm a launch date.

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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  • 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.
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  • 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.
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  • $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.
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