United upgrades 8 Hawaii routes with more lie-flats, larger wide-body jets
If you're headed to Hawaii this summer, United has a (plane) upgrade for you.
Over the weekend, the Chicago-based carrier upgauged eight Hawaii routes with larger wide-body jets outfitted with lie-flat Polaris pods and some with premium economy recliners as well.
You'll find the full list below of adjustments below, per Cirium timetables. Five routes to Honolulu (HNL) are getting larger jets, as well as one each to Lihue (LIH), Maui (OGG) and Kona (KOA). Note, of course, that schedules are always subject to change, especially as we've seen a plethora of last-minute adjustments during the pandemic.
| Origin | Destination | Adjustment(s) |
|---|---|---|
EWR | HNL | 1x daily Boeing 767-400ER replaces 767-300ER in August |
IAD | HNL | 1x daily Boeing 767-400ER replaces 767-300ER in August, with daily service in July and August |
LAX | HNL | 2x daily Boeing 777-300ER in July; 1x daily Boeing 777-300ER in August |
ORD | HNL | 1x daily Boeing 777-300ER from July 1 through Sept. 7 |
SFO | HNL | Up to 4x daily Boeing 777-300ER in July and 1x daily in August; 1x daily Boeing 767-300ER in July, and 1x Boeing 777-200ER every other day in July and 2x daily in August |
SFO | LIH | 1x daily Boeing 767-300ER from July 1 through Sept. 7 |
SFO | OGG | 1x daily Boeing 777-200ER in July |
SFO | KOA | 1x daily Boeing 767-300 from July 1 through Sept. 7 |
Several routes will see United's largest jet — the Boeing 777-300ER. This plane has 350 seats spread across three cabins: 60 lie-flat Polaris pods, 24 Premium Plus recliners and 266 coach seats, 62 of which are configured in an extra-legroom Economy Plus arrangement.
You can confirm that your flight is scheduled to be operated by a 777-300ER by taking a look at the seat map. If the Polaris cabin goes up to row 18, then you're slated to fly the largest jet in United's fleet.
Both the Newark (EWR) and Washington Dulles (IAD) routes to Honolulu (HNL) will be operated by the larger Boeing 767-400ER, replacing the -300ER that was originally on the schedule for August. None of United's 767-400s have received the Polaris retrofit yet, so you'll be flying in the dated Collins Diamond biz pods if you're seated up front.
United recently brought the Boeing 767-400ER back from long-term storage to backfill for its Pratt & Whitney-powered Boeing 777-200s that are currently grounded following an uncontained engine failure on Feb. 20, and a subsequent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness directive requiring further engine inspections.
Elsewhere, United's routes from San Francisco (SFO) to Kona (KOA) and Lihue (LIH) haven't seen wide-body service in years. UA last flew a Boeing 777 between SFO and KOA in March 2018, while the route to LIH was last operated by a Boeing 767 wide-body in August 2012, per Cirium schedules.
That'll change this summer when both routes will get one daily Boeing 767-300ER from July 1 through Sept. 7. The majority of the carrier's Boeing 767-300s are outfitted with its latest cabins, including 30 lie-flat Polaris business-class pods and 184 coach seats.
The move to upgrade the equipment on a slew of Hawaii routes comes as long-haul travel is still a fraction of where it was before the pandemic. Despite some countries reopening to vaccinated travelers — and United adding new service there — the carrier still has a surplus of wide-body jets to either deploy domestically or park in storage.
Instead of grounding them, the carrier is scheduling them on high-demand frequencies to Hawaii, as well as select flights within the mainland, like Newark (EWR) to Las Vegas (LAS) and Chicago (ORD) to Orlando (MCO).
In fact, this latest capacity boost underscores that United seems to believe that there’s no shortage of demand for Hawaii flights. With a widespread vaccine rollout and recent relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, UA is likely betting that pandemic-weary travelers are gearing up for a summer of adventure.
Hawaii has been open to tourists sans quarantine since late 2020, and demand to travel to the Aloha State only appears to be growing. There are even reports that Hawaii could soon announce a system for travelers vaccinated outside of the state to travel to and around Hawaii without any quarantine or pre-departure testing.
All in, United plans 21 routes to Hawaii this summer, including brand-new service between Orange County, California (SNA) and HNL, as well as long-haul flights from Chicago (ORD) to Kona (KOA) and from Newark (EWR) to Maui (OGG).
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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.