United will send its poshest plane on a new flight to Italy
If you're looking to arrive at the Amalfi Coast in style, United Airlines has a new option for you.
The Chicago-based carrier will add a second daily flight from its hub in Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Naples, Italy, just in time for the peak summer season.
The additional service will run from June 23 through Sept. 7, as first seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson.
United has flown seasonally to Naples since 2019. However, this second daily flight will mark the first time the airline has ever deployed its fanciest jet on the route.
That's right, United's new frequency to Naples will be operated by the 167-seat Boeing 767-300, which is the airline's most premium plane.
Related: How to plan a trip to Italy's Amalfi Coast without breaking the bank
Originally created for the airline's busiest business routes (such as New York and Chicago to London), the "high J" Boeing 767 features a whopping 46 Polaris business-class pods spread across 16 rows. The jet also includes a 22-seat Premium Plus cabin.
There are just 99 economy seats on the plane, 43 of which are in an extra-legroom Economy Plus configuration.
United's other flight to Naples will operate from May 6 to Oct. 28 using the "standard" Boeing 767-300, which is outfitted with 30 Polaris business-class seats. Of course, aircraft assignments are always subject to change, but this is United's current plan.
"We expect another busy summer for international travel in 2023 and are delighted to be able to offer our customers in southern Italy even greater travel choice with the possibility to connect via our New York/Newark hub to over 90 destinations across the Americas," Walter Cianciusi, United's sales manager for Italy, said in a statement.
Naples is the third-most-populous metro area in Italy and is a popular tourist destination for Americans looking to explore the city and its surroundings, which include the nearby islands of Capri and Ischia, as well as the Amalfi Coast and towns like Sorrento.
United is currently the only airline flying from North America to Naples. Given the airline's success, it's possible that Delta might consider launching its own seasonal service from New York in the coming years, especially as airlines look to capitalize on premium leisure traffic in a post-pandemic world.
Of course, with corporate demand still somewhat depressed — especially during the peak summer period — it's not surprising to see United give the Naples route a shot with its fanciest jet.
It's a move the airline popularized earlier in the pandemic when it launched a new route from Newark to Maui, also operated by the high-J Boeing 767.
United's transatlantic growth has been nothing short of impressive in recent summers, as the airline has added new destinations and boosted existing flights in many markets.
For 2023, United is planning one all-new European destination — Malaga, Spain — along with a handful of additional long-haul flights, including:
- EWR to Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN).
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO).
- O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Shannon Airport (SNN).
- Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER).
- ORD to Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN).
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Heathrow Airport (LHR).
- IAD to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
Additionally, last summer, United added five new pins to its route map, and four of them (Amman, Jordan; Azores, Portugal; Palma de Mallorca, Spain; and Tenerife, Spain) will return for another season. The only one that will be dropped is Bergen, Norway, which did not meet the airline's benchmarks.
With a slew of additional premium seats in the market, it might be easier than ever to score an upgrade or find a saver award ticket on routes to Naples.
Unfortunately, the carrier hasn't released much, if any, availability yet, but that could change as summer draws nearer.
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