United shuffles schedule, suspends long-haul Hawaii route and adds Florida connections
Airlines have been busy adjusting their route maps throughout the pandemic.
One of the latest moves comes from United, which recently filed a major schedule change for February and beyond.
To start, the Chicago-based carrier is temporarily suspending one of its flagship Hawaii routes from Newark (EWR) to Honolulu (HNL).
According to Cirium schedules and confirmed by the carrier, United is dropping this route for the entire month of February. (Newark to HNL has been suspended since the end of the festive season on Jan. 4.) Additionally, the ten-month suspension of Washington/Dulles (IAD) to HNL flights will continue through February 2021.
Current plans indicate a restart in March, but — as with everything during the pandemic — plans could change. United says that "we look forward to resuming EWR, IAD flights as demand for travel to Hawaii continues to recover."
These long-haul domestic flights have been quite popular with Northeast-based flyers looking to visit Hawaii as conveniently as possible. Unsurprisingly, finding award or upgrade space on two of United's most premier Hawaii flights has long been notoriously difficult.
The suspensions of those routes come despite the fact that Hawaii remains open to tourists without a quarantine upon presentation of a negative COVID test taken no more than 72 hours prior to the scheduled departure time of the final leg to Hawaii.
Instead of flying directly from the East Coast, United will offer flyers a myriad of one-stop connecting itineraries through cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco to Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. Cirium schedules show that the carrier plans to fly 1,046 Hawaii flights in February 2021, down from nearly 1,800 one year prior.
United's Hawaii shuffle comes as other carriers are doing the same.
American Airlines will launch a new long-haul Hawaii route come May 6 from Charlotte (CLT) to Honolulu (HNL), representing the first time the carrier has flown the route since 2010 when it last flew — unsuccessfully — with the US Airways livery.
Hawaiian Airlines is also starting a new long-haul domestic route on March 11, when it launches non-stop Honolulu (HNL) to Orlando (MCO) service. Hawaiian will also launch service to Austin and Ontario, California, as well.
For its part, United will add two new Hawaii nonstops starting in June 2021: the first between Chicago (ORD) and Kona (KOA) and the second between Newark (EWR) and Kahului (OGG).
More: Here’s everything visitors to Hawaii need to know
While United is suspending some Hawaii flying, it’s boosting flights to another warm-weather destination — Florida.
The carrier confirmed that it's adding two new routes to the Sunshine State, one from Washington/Dulles (IAD) to Panama City (ECP) and another from Houston (IAH) to Sarasota/Bradenton (SRQ).
The 758-mile Panama City service begins on March 4. The daily flight is slated to be operated by United Express partner CommutAir on a 50-seat Embraer 145 regional jet.
United Express partner Mesa Airlines will fly the 796-mile Sarasota route using a 70-seat Embraer 175 regional jet. Daily service is slated to begin on Feb. 11.
These join two other new "sun-and-fun" routes to Florida — Washington/Dulles (IAD) to Pensacola (PNS) and Houston (IAH) to Key West (EYW) — which were added to the schedule in recent weeks.
More: Airlines are flying some unexpected routes during the pandemic. Will they stick around?
Boosting Florida flights has been a popular strategy among U.S. carriers during the pandemic.
For United, the carrier launched a new nonstop from Washington/Dulles to Key West in November, part of an addition that included more than 17 new point-to-point flights to the state from cities like Cleveland (CLE) and Boston (BOS).
Other carriers, including American and JetBlue, have also boosted Florida flights. Fort Worth-based American will add service to Boston (BOS), Los Angeles (LAX) and New York-JFK from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) beginning on April 2. JetBlue is doubling down on South Florida, too, adding Miami and Key West to its route map on Feb. 11.
All in all, United dropped over 20,000 flights in this week's schedule update. The carrier is planning to fly roughly 49% fewer flights in February 2021 compared to February 2019, according to Cirium schedules and confirmed by the carrier. This represents a two-point increase compared to January 2021.
The carrier cites "the recent spike in COVID-19 cases" which has caused a "slight reduction in bookings." For now, February's domestic and international capacity will be down 45% and 57% compared to two years prior, respectively.
This post has been updated to reflect United's ten-month suspension of IAD-HNL and the two new June 2021 nonstop flights to Hawaii.
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| 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. |
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Why We Chose It
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.