Airlines

United unveils 3 ‘new’ locations, 6 extra transatlantic flights for summer season 2023

Though the leaves are simply beginning to change colours, United Airways is already gearing up for summer season 2023.

The Chicago-based provider introduced on Wednesday its transatlantic schedule for subsequent summer season, which consists of an enormous enlargement in present markets, in addition to just a few “new” traces for its route map.

United’s massive transatlantic enlargement announcement has was an annual custom, with the airline teasing the brand new markets on its social media channels to drum up pleasure for the flights.

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This yr’s iteration would not really feel almost as thrilling because it did final yr — there are fewer new markets and the airline appears to be boosting “bread-and-butter” routes which have traditionally been common earlier than the pandemic.

That mentioned, the airline is rising total transatlantic capability by 10% relative to 2022, in keeping with the provider’s senior vp of worldwide community planning and alliances, Patrick Quayle, so there’s undoubtedly some notable progress.

“Right now’s announcement affirms our place because the flag provider of the USA and our dedication to giving prospects extra entry to extra locations,” Quayle mentioned in a briefing name with reporters.

3 new(ish) locations

United’s “new” locations COURTESY CIRIUM

United is including three “new” locations — Malaga, Spain; Stockholm; and Dubai — to its transatlantic community subsequent summer season. Whereas all three markets are “new” in keeping with Quayle’s definition (whether or not or not they have been flown final yr), each Stockholm and Dubai technically mark resumptions for the airline.

Listed below are the main points.

Malaga, Spain

United will add a brand new route-map pin subsequent summer season: Malaga, Spain. This common spot on Spain’s Mediterranean coast shall be linked with Newark on a three-times-weekly foundation starting on Could 31, 2023.

The airline will deploy a Boeing 757-200 on the route, which options 16 lie-flat Polaris business-class pods, 45 extra-legroom Financial system Plus seats and 108 normal financial system seats. This single-aisle jet doesn’t function a Premium Plus cabin, nor does it function direct aisle entry in enterprise class.

Delta Air Traces has traditionally flown summer season seasonal service between New York and Malaga, although that flight has been suspended since summer season 2019 with no plans (but) to renew. With out Delta’s presence, United seemingly believes there’s an untapped alternative to serve this metropolis.

It will be fascinating to observe how United fares out there, and whether or not Delta responds by defending the route with a relaunch of its personal service.

Stockholm, Sweden

United’s hoping for higher luck with its second attempt at flying to Stockholm because the pandemic.

Final yr, the provider was gearing as much as resume flights to the Swedish capital in Could 2021, however that route was abruptly reduce from the schedule simply weeks earlier than the primary flight as a result of plane shortages. The provider pulled all flights to Stockholm and did not know when it might resume flights there.

Effectively, the provider has now reaffirmed that it will begin flights from Newark to Stockholm on Could 27 aboard a Boeing 757.

United final flew to Stockholm in September 2019, and these flights for summer season 2023 have already been on sale for just a few weeks, regardless of United labeling them as “new” in its splashy press launch.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

This one should not come as a lot of a shock to aviation observers.

As a part of United’s new strategic partnership with Emirates, which was introduced in September, United will as soon as once more join the U.S. with Dubai with each day year-round service starting on March 25.

This route was already introduced in September and final operated in January 2016. United will deploy a Boeing 777-200 on its Newark to Dubai nonstop.

The flight’s success is probably going depending on what number of connections United can promote together with Emirates and Flydubai for vacationers headed past Dubai to and from smaller markets in India, Africa and past.

4 new routes to present locations

United’s new transatlantic routes to present locations for summer season 2023 COURTESY CIRIUM

Along with the markets listed above, United is including 4 new flights to cities it already flies to in Europe.

San Francisco to Rome

United will add its seventh European vacation spot from its San Francisco hub starting Could 25, when the provider commences each day seasonal service to Rome.

Rome is the biggest unserved transatlantic market from San Francisco, in keeping with Quayle.

West Coast-based flyers will now be capable to join with handy one-stop service to Rome by way of San Francisco. United serves 4 gateways in Italy from the U.S. — Rome, Milan, Venice and Naples — greater than another airline.

In fact, Italy is a well-liked summer season vacation spot for People, and added service from San Francisco comes because the provider predicts “very robust” demand for flights to Europe subsequent yr.

Chicago to Shannon

Eire is one other common vacation spot for People headed to Europe in the summertime, and United goes to spice up its Chicago O’Hare hub with two extra transatlantic routes.

The primary is to Shannon, Eire, which can begin Could 25 with seasonal each day service aboard a Boeing 757-200.

This one can also be technically a resumption for United, because the airline final linked Chicago with Shannon again in September 2017, in keeping with Cirium schedules.

Chicago to Barcelona

Barcelona may even be a part of United’s enlargement from Chicago, the place it hopes to supply a “best-in-class” community, in keeping with Quayle.

This new each day flight begins Could 25 aboard a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which options 28 Polaris pods, 21 Premium Plus recliners, 36 extra-legroom Financial system Plus seats and 158 normal financial system seats.

Chicago service to Barcelona will complement present routes from Newark and Washington Dulles. This new route will give prospects based mostly west of Chicago extra one-stop alternatives to move to this common Spanish metropolis.

Washington, D.C., to Berlin

This capital-to-capital service was one other route that was speculated to launch final summer season however will now (hopefully) take off in summer season 2023.

Earlier this yr, the provider cited “demand, prices and sources” as causes to not begin flying this 4,203-mile route, however these considerations now appear to have been resolved for subsequent yr.

United will grow to be the one provider flying this route when it launches each day Could 25 aboard a Boeing 767-400ER.

United is simply getting began on a year-long retrofit venture for this 767-400ER fleet, and it expects to have a considerable variety of these jets transformed to the Polaris and Premium Plus configuration by subsequent summer season.

Doubling down on London, Paris

United’s boosted transatlantic frequencies for summer season 2023 COURTESY CIRIUM

Two of the largest European markets from the U.S. are London and Paris, and United is answering that decision with expanded service to each capitals.

L.A. to London

United will launch a second each day flight between Los Angeles and London Heathrow on March 25.

This flight shall be operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which options 48 Polaris pods, 21 Premium Plus recliners, 39 extra-legroom Financial system Plus seats and 149 normal financial system seats.

“London is a very vital marketplace for us,” mentioned Quayle, who finds it “type of catchy” that United will provide 23 each day flights to London in summer season 2023. (In summer season 2022, United provided 22 each day flights to London, with notable expansions from Newark, San Francisco and Denver, in addition to new flights from Boston.)

All London flights shall be operated by wide-body jets outfitted with Polaris and Premium Plus cabins in summer season 2023, changing any of the Boeing 757-200 service that the airline has traditionally operated there from Washington Dulles.

United is utilizing a brand new slot pair to fly the extra L.A. to London service, however the provider did not point out the place it acquired the slots from — or how a lot it price to get them.

Curiously, the transfer to double down on service to London from Southern California comes simply weeks after Delta introduced its personal plans to renew flying this 5,456-mile route subsequent summer season.

Maybe United now feels the aggressive strain to outdo Delta with extra flights to the U.Ok. capital now that its rival is getting into the market as soon as once more.

D.C. to Paris

One other market that’ll get a second each day flight is Washington Dulles to Paris. This extra frequency launches June 2 and shall be operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner seasonally throughout the summer season.

The expanded Paris service joins present United flights to the Metropolis of Gentle from Chicago, Newark and San Francisco.

Recap of United’s new and resuming routes

Final summer season, United added 5 new pins to its route map, and 4 of them (Amman, Jordan; Azores, Portugal; Palma de Mallorca, Spain and Tenerife, Spain) will return for one more season.

The one one which shall be dropped is Bergen, Norway, which “didn’t meet our thresholds and so it will not be coming again,” mentioned Quayle.

You will discover a full recap of United’s newly introduced service within the chart under.

Origin Vacation spot Begin date Frequency Plane New/resuming
Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) Málaga Airport (AGP) Could 31, 2023 3x weekly Boeing 757-200 New
EWR Dubai Worldwide Airport (DXB) March 25, 2023 Every day Boeing 777-200 Resuming
EWR Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) Could 27, 2023 Every day Boeing 757-200 Resuming
San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) Could 25, 2023 Every day Boeing 777-200 New
O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD) Shannon Airport (SNN) Could 25, 2023 Every day Boeing 757-200 Resuming
Dulles Worldwide Airport (IAD) Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) Could 25, 2023 Every day Boeing 767-400ER New (postponed from final summer season)
ORD Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) Could 25, 2023 Every day Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner New
Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) Heathrow Airport (LHR) March 25, 2023 Every day Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Extra frequency
IAD Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) June 2, 2023 Every day Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner Extra frequency



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