United’s newest Hawaii flagship just got a big schedule boost
United has seemingly found a winner with its newest Hawaii route.
The carrier's 4,903-mile, 11-hour hop from Newark (EWR) to Kahului/Maui (OGG) was first announced back in September 2020 as a seasonal summer service lasting just two and a half months.
Fast forward seven months later, and United appears to be turning it into a year-round route. Over the weekend, the carrier filed a notable schedule update for its Newark to Maui route, filling in the gaps from its previous plan.
The newly added flights are as follows, per Cirium timetables.
| Date range | Schedule update |
|---|---|
Sept. 11, 2021 — Dec. 11, 2021 | Once-weekly Saturday flights |
Jan. 8, 2022 — Feb. 5, 2022 | Once-weekly Saturday flights |
Feb. 11, 2022 — Feb. 13, 2022 | Three weekly flights |
Feb. 17, 2022, through the end of the schedule | Four weekly flights on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays |
Though the new flights are now bookable at united.com, saver business-class award space is essentially non-existent.
For now, you're looking at 95,000 MileagePlus miles for a one-way award, though it's possible that United could release saver space in the coming weeks. Upgrade availability is also quite limited, with a few days available for instant confirmation for invite-only Global Services members.
Before the weekend schedule update, United was planning to serve the Newark to Maui route during the summer season, with five weekly frequencies from June 3 through Sept. 6, as well as daily service during the busy winter holiday period from Dec. 17, 2021, through Jan. 3, 2022, with no flights during the fall or late winter/early spring.
Now, United will offer at least one daily frequency throughout the year, giving the route its latest major upgrade.
In late February and early March, United extended the route's summer season by three weeks and added a fifth weekly frequency on Mondays.
Additionally, United recently upgauged the Newark to Maui flight with its swankiest jet, the "high-J" Boeing 767 that features a whopping 46 Polaris business-class pods. This plane also sports a dedicated Premium Plus cabin, and the airline is now selling separate premium economy fares starting at $719 in each direction.
The Maui route will be the carrier's second Hawaii service from Newark. The carrier's existing Honolulu nonstop resumed during the December holidays and will see daily service returning on June 3.
Related: United puts its swankiest jet on new flagship Hawaii route
The carrier also upgraded another long-haul Hawaii route in its weekend schedule update.
Cirium schedules show that United will now fly its Washington/Dulles (IAD) to Honolulu (HNL) route four times weekly between Sept. 9 and Dec. 16, up from the original plan of just Saturday-only service during that timeframe. This 4,817-mile hop is slated to resume on May 6, after a more than year-long suspension due to the pandemic.
United's confidence in Hawaii flying is seemingly at a pandemic-era high. With an accelerated vaccine rollout, UA is seeing pandemic-weary travelers beginning to plan trips. Hawaii has been open to tourists (who participate in the Safe Travels program) sans quarantine since late 2020, and demand to travel to the Aloha State appears to be growing, especially while many international destinations remain closed to American tourists.
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