Tag Archives: United Airlines

United Airlines adds new flights to Croatia, Greece and Iceland

United Airlines is adding three new flights to its international network, giving travelers more options for summer travel by flying direct to countries that are starting to reopen to vaccinated visitors. Starting in July, United will offer new direct flights from Newark Liberty International Airport to Dubrovnik, Croatia, from Washington Dulles International Airport to Athens, Greece and from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Reykjavik, Iceland, all subject to government approval.

Croatia
United plans to add the only nonstop service between the U.S. and Croatia on July 8, with service to Dubrovnik on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast. The airline will operate three weekly flights between Newark and Dubrovnik through October 3 on a Boeing 767-300ER with 30 United Polaris business class seats. Flights will operate Monday, Thursday, and Saturday from Newark and on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday from Dubrovnik and will be timed to connect in Newark to over 65 cities in North America.

Greece
United will expand its service to Athens with daily flights from Washington Dulles beginning July 1 and operating through October 3. This new route marks the first time daily nonstop flights have been available between Washington D.C. and Athens. The schedule is timed for connections in Washington Dulles to over 95 cities in North America and will be operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with all-aisle-access Polaris business and United Premium Plus seats. This builds on United’s existing daily summer service to Athens from Newark Liberty International Airport, which resumes on June 3.

Iceland
United is expanding its service to Iceland with the first U.S. carrier service from Chicago to Reykjavik, beginning July 1 and running daily through October 3. The schedule is timed for connections in Chicago O’Hare to over 100 cities in North America and will be operated by a Boeing 757-200 with 16 lie flat business class seats in the Polaris cabin. This new service builds upon United’s existing service to Reykjavik from Newark, with daily flights resuming June 3 and operating through October 29.

These new routes are just the latest adjustments United is making to its international schedule in response to increased demand. In addition:

United is adding three new markets in Africa*, with service three times weekly to Accra, Ghana from Washington Dulles beginning May 14, three times weekly service to Lagos, Nigeria from Washington Dulles set to begin later this year and daily service to Johannesburg, South Africa from Newark beginning June 3 (*subject to government approval).
United is expanding its India portfolio to 5 daily flights with new service from San Francisco to Bangalore beginning May 27
United is growing service to Tel Aviv as Israel prepares to welcome back group tourists, with Chicago service resuming three times weekly on May 7 and expansion of San Francisco to daily service on June 3, for a total of 24 weekly frequencies.
In May, United will resume service from Newark to Rome and Milan, and from Chicago to Munich, Amsterdam, and Tokyo Haneda
In June, United will resume flights between San Francisco and Tahiti.

Vaccinated travelers may still be subject to local country restrictions related to quarantines, testing, curfews and other requirements.

Top Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 757-224 WL N14106 (msn 27296) (Her Art Here) MIA (Ken Petersen). Image: 948858.

United Airlines aircraft slide show (Boeing):

United Airlines to lead industry switch to sustainable aviation fuel with global corporations, customers

United Airlines has made this announcement:

United Airlines continues to lead the industry towards a more sustainable future with the launch of the first-of-its-kind Eco-Skies Alliance^SMprogram. Working with the airline, more than a dozen leading global corporations will collectively contribute towards the purchase of approximately 3.4 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) this year. With its nearly 80% emissions reductions on a lifecycle basis compared to conventional jet fuel, this is enough SAF to eliminate approximately 31,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, or enough to fly passengers over 220 million miles.

As inaugural participants, the following companies are taking a lead within their respective industries, reducing their aviation-related impact on the environment at the source, and creating demand for more SAF production.

Autodesk
Boston Consulting Group
CEVA Logistics
Deloitte
DHL Global Forwarding
DSV Panalpina
HP Inc.
Nike
Palantir
Siemens
Takeda Pharmaceuticals

“While we’ve partnered with companies for years to help them offset their flight emissions, we applaud those participating in the Eco-Skies Alliance for recognizing the need to go beyond carbon offsets and support SAF-powered flying, which will lead to more affordable supply and ultimately, lower emissions,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. “This is just the beginning. Our goal is to add more companies to the Eco-Skies Alliance program, purchase more SAF and work across industries to find other innovative paths towards decarbonization.”

United has made the airline industry’s single largest investment in SAF and has purchased more SAF than any other airline in the world. World Energy, a long-term partner of United, will supply the SAF to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which makes it conveniently accessible to United’s operations.

Customers traveling with United can now purchase SAF

In addition to the Eco-Skies Alliance program, United is giving customers the ability to contribute funds for additional SAF purchase or for use on initiatives United believes will help decarbonize aviation – the first of any U.S. airline to do so. Understanding there is a growing interest among customers for real, lasting solutions, this new capability will be available starting immediately via portal on united.com/ecoskiesalliance.

Advocating for sustainable travel, together with United

Strong federal and state policy leadership will be essential to reducing the climate impacts of air travel, so starting immediately United will help individuals connect with elected representatives to advocate for policies that would make air travel more sustainable for the long term. United will be the first airline in the world to connect customers directly with policy makers to voice the support that is needed to advance and accelerate permanent, scalable solutions that hold the potential to decarbonize the air transportation industry – and not just offset emissions.

“We know there is a growing demand from a wide range of our customers including corporations, cargo shippers and individuals who share the same concern we do – that climate change is the most pressing issue of our generation,” Kirby said.

United’s 100% Green Commitment

At United, we believe the airline industry needs to be bolder when it comes to making decisions that confront the climate crisis. That’s why we’ve committed to become 100% green and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions 100% by 2050 by taking the harder, better path of reducing emissions from flying, rather than relying on traditional carbon offsets.

Here are some of the ways we’re making sustainability the new standard in flight:

In February 2021, we announced an agreement to work with Archer Aviation to accelerate the development and production of their electric aircraft – an urban mobility solution that has the potential to serve as an ‘air taxi,’ giving United customers another opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint before they even board a United flight.
In 2020, we became the first airline to announce a commitment to invest in carbon capture and sequestration by committing to a multimillion-dollar investment in 1PointFive, a joint venture between Oxy Low Carbon Ventures and Rusheen Capital that plans to build the first industrial-sized Direct Air Capture plant in the United States. A single plant is expected to capture and permanently sequester one million tons of CO₂ each year, the equivalent of the work of 40 million trees, but covering a land area about 3,000 times smaller.
In 2019, we committed $40 million toward an investment initiative focused on accelerating the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other decarbonization technologies. That same year, we operated the Flight for the Planet, which represented the most-eco-friendly commercial flight of its kind in the history of commercial aviation.
In 2018, we became the first U.S. airline to commit to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions—50% by 2050.
In 2016, we became the first airline globally to use SAF in regular operations on a continuous basis with SAF from World Energy.
In 2015, we invested $30 million in Fulcrum BioEnergy, a SAF producer that converts trash to low-carbon jet fuel, the largest investment by any airline in a SAF producer. Through the associated purchase agreement, United has nearly half the global airline industry’s publicly announced commitments for SAF.

95 years really *flies* by. 🥳🎉

We were founded on this day in 1926. pic.twitter.com/pOf4uMZsoZ

— United Airlines (@united) April 6, 2021

United’s Award-Winning Eco-Skies Program

United’s award-winning Eco-Skies® program represents the company’s commitment to the environment and the actions taken every day to create a more sustainable future. The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) named United as the only airline globally to its 2020 Climate ‘A List’ for the airline’s actions to cut emissions, mitigate climate risks and develop the low-carbon economy, marking the seventh consecutive year that United had the highest CDP score among U.S. airlines.

In 2017, Air Transport World magazine named United its Eco-Airline of the Year for the second time since the airline launched the Eco-Skies program. Additionally, United ranked No. 1 among global carriers inNewsweek’s2017 Global 500 Green Rankings, one of the most recognized environmental performance assessments of the world’s largest publicly traded companies. For more information on United’s commitment to environmental sustainability, visit united.com/sustainability.

GoJet Airlines joins United Airlines’ aviate pilot development program

GoJet Airlines today announced it is joining Aviate, United Airlines’ innovative pilot development program. Aviate provides those who aspire to a career as a United captain with the most direct route to achieving that goal.

Your United Express Aviate Partner options expand in 3…2…1… GOJET!

We are thrilled to join the Aviate Program giving our pilots the opportunity to receive vital training and the most direct path to a @United flight deck – https://t.co/q9XjFkwFgm

Go far with GoJet! pic.twitter.com/efKmzKxTwO

— GoJet Airlines (@GoJet_Airlines) April 13, 2021

GoJet is proud to be a part of this innovative and transformative program for so many aspiring and current aviation professionals. GoJet plans to expand pilot hiring in 2021 to support the growth of its fleet and the carrier is thrilled to have this avenue for current and prospective pilots to advance in their careers.

The Aviate program will allow GoJet pilots a direct path towards flying for United after successfully applying to the program, maintaining high performance standards, meeting the airline’s requirements and flying 2000 hours and 24 months with GoJet, a United Express carrier. Aviate also provides support and coaching for pilots to develop into leaders who exemplify the professionalism, level of excellence and commitment to providing safe, caring, dependable and efficient service that United expects from its pilots.

With GoJet rapidly growing its fleet of CRJ550’s, this program provides a great opportunity for pilots and first officers to move forward in their career paths.

Boeing recommends operators of some 737 MAX airplanes temporarily remove them from service to address a potential electrical issue

Boeing has issued a recommendation to 16 customers (including American, Southwest and United) to remove and inspect certain Boeing 737 MAX aircraft due to a “potential electrical issue”. This is apparently due to a production issue when the aircraft were built.

The FAA issued this statement:

Boeing recommends operators of some 737 MAX airplanes temporarily remove them from service to address a potential electrical issue. The FAA will ensure the issue is addressed. Passengers should contact airlines about possible flight delays and cancellations.

Boeing issued this statement:

Boeing has recommended to 16 customers that they address a potential electrical issue in a specific group of 737 MAX airplanes prior to further operations. The recommendation is being made to allow for verification that a sufficient ground path exists for a component of the electrical power system.

We are working closely with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on this production issue. We are also informing our customers of specific tail numbers affected and we will provide direction on appropriate corrective actions.

American Airlines has grounded 17 MAX aircraft.

Above Copyright Photo: American Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 N378SC (msn 44471) BFI (Joe G. Walker). Image: 952213.

Southwest Airlines has removed 30 of its 58 MAX aircraft for inspections.

Above Copyright Photo: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 N8701Q (msn 42554) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 953439.

United Airlines has grounded 16 of its 30 MAX aircraft according to USA Today.

Above Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX 9 N1780B (N27520) (msn 64499) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 951068.

United returns to New York JFK with coast-to-coast Boeing 767-300 flights

United Airlines is back at John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK), now operating direct service to the airline’s West Coast hubs – Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) from New York City. The airline will use its Boeing 767-300ER aircraft which features 46 business class all-aisle-access seating, and 22 United Premium Plus® seats.

The airline operates the most premium seats between the New York City area and Los Angeles and San Francisco combined.

United is currently flying one round-trip flight, five days a week to each West Coast airport, with plans to double the number of flights as demand grows. The carrier is back at JFK following a five-year hiatus and now offers service from all three major airports in the New York City area.

United’s premium cabin features flat-bed seats on all flights similar to the current Newark–Los Angeles and Newark–San Francisco offerings, providing a consistent and comprehensive NYC-West Coast product. This includes the signature cooling gel pillow along with the Saks Fifth Avenue day blanket and pillow. The routes offer seasonal menus crafted by renowned chefs and distinctive amenities. This includes both travelers in United Business and United Premium Plus sections who enjoy a complimentary hot entrée, mixed nuts, salad and dessert, as well as complimentary alcoholic beverages. The Economy Plus® and Economy sections feature the United all-in-one snack bag as well as the airline’s buy on board program, which returns on April 12. Eligible customers will have access to the United Club^SM location at either LAX or SFO.

United’s operations at JFK’s Terminal 7 will provide seamless access for customers. The lobby area offers self-service kiosks, along with eight podiums which are conveniently located steps away from the TSA check point. Just a short walk from security screening, travelers will find the United-operated gates. Customers will also benefit from easy connections to more than a dozen Star Alliance partners at JFK, including access to 15 destinations in 14 countries as of March 2021.

United to add 26 new nonstop routes to popular vacation destinations, will also resume 20 domestic routes

United Airlines has made this announcement:

As more travelers begin to plan long-awaited getaways with family and friends, United Airlines is kicking off summer vacation season with a robust May schedule that includes the addition of 26 new nonstop routes between Midwest cities such as Cleveland, Cincinnati and Milwaukee and popular vacation destinations such as Hilton Head, S.C.; Pensacola, Fla.; and Portland, Maine. The airline also plans to resume more than 20 domestic routes and will start new service between Orange County, Calif., and Honolulu.

Internationally, in May United will fly more than 100% of its pre-pandemic schedule to Latin America compared to what it operated in 2019, including more flights to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America. The airline also plans to resume flights between Chicago and Tokyo Haneda, resume passenger flights between Newark and Milan and Rome, and restart service between Chicago and Amsterdam.

In total, United plans to operate 52% of its overall schedule compared to May 2019, whereas in May 2020 United operated 14% of its overall schedule compared to May 2019.

“In the past few weeks, we have seen the strongest flight bookings since the start of the pandemic,” said Ankit Gupta, vice president of United’s domestic network planning and scheduling. “As we rebuild our schedule to meet that demand, adding in seasonal point-to-point flying is just one of the ways we are finding opportunities to add new and exciting service. And as we have done throughout the entire pandemic, we will continue being nimble and strategic with our network to add the right service to the destinations our customers want to visit.”

Domestic May Schedule

Starting May 27, United will begin point-to-point service to Charleston, S.C.; Hilton Head, S.C.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Pensacola, Fla. and Portland, Maine from seven cities including Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; St. Louis, Mo.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Milwaukee, Wis. and Indianapolis, Ind. United plans to operate these point-to-point routes through Labor Day weekend. Most customers on these flights will experience United’s new Bombardier CRJ550 – the world’s first 50-seater aircraft with two cabins. The spacious CRJ550 is equipped with 10 first class seats, 20 Economy Plus seats, 20 standard economy seats, Wi-Fi, more legroom and enough overhead bin space for every customer to bring a roller bag on board.

United also continues to be a leading airline to Hawaii, offering more than 200 weekly flights, including new service between Orange County and Honolulu. In May, United will begin offering United Premium Plus® service on select Hawaii routes, which includes a bigger, more comfortable seat and a complimentary meal. United Premium Plus will be available for customers traveling to Honolulu and Maui from Chicago and Denver and will be expanded in June to flights between Chicago and Kona, Houston and Honolulu, and New York/Newark and Maui. United allows customers with valid negative COVID-19 tests to pre-clear before departing to Hawaii so they can save time and skip document screening lines upon arrival in the islands.

In addition to the new point-to-point service, United will resume 20 domestic flights to popular destinations and introduce three new domestic routes. This new nonstop service includes flights between Houston and Kalispell, Mont.; Washington, D.C. and Bozeman, Mont.; and between Chicago and Nantucket, Mass. Overall, United plans to operate 58% of its domestic schedule compared to May 2019.

International May Schedule

United will fly 46% of its international schedule compared to its May 2019 schedule. As customers continue to travel to warm beach destinations, United will operate more flights to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America than the carrier flew in 2019, providing more options to travel to Central America than any other U.S. carrier. Across the Pacific, United will resume flights between Chicago and Tokyo’s Haneda airport and increase service from Los Angeles to Sydney and Tokyo Narita. Across the Atlantic, United will resume service between Newark and Milan and Rome as well as between Chicago and Amsterdam, Munich and Tel Aviv.

New Summer Point-to-Point Frequencies

	Service from Cleveland to:
	Destination	Frequency
	Charleston, S.C.	3x weekly
	Hilton Head, S.C.	3x weekly
	Myrtle Beach, S.C.	3x weekly
	Pensacola, Fla.	3x weekly
	Portland, Maine	3x weekly

	Service from Cincinnati to:
	Charleston, S.C.	3x weekly
	Hilton Head, S.C.	3x weekly
	Pensacola, Fla.	3x weekly
	Portland, Maine	3x weekly

	Service from Columbus to:
	Charleston, S.C.	4x weekly
	Hilton Head, S.C.	3x weekly
	Portland, Maine	4x weekly

	Service from Indianapolis to:
	Charleston, S.C.	3x weekly
	Hilton Head, S.C.	4x weekly
	Portland, Maine	4x weekly

	Service from Milwaukee to:
	Charleston, S.C.	2x weekly
	Myrtle Beach, S.C.	2x weekly
	Pensacola, Fla.	2x weekly
	Portland, Maine	2x weekly
	Savannah, Ga.	2x weekly

	Service from St. Louis to:
	Hilton Head, S.C.	3x weekly
	Myrtle Beach, S.C.	3x weekly

	Service from Pittsburgh to:
	Charleston, S.C.	3x weekly
	Hilton Head, S.C.	3x weekly
	Pensacola, Fla.	3x weekly
	Portland, Maine	3x weekly

Reuters: United Airlines CEO says will halt cash burn in March

United Airlines says they will stop burning through their cash reserves in March.

From Reuters:

“United Airlines expects to halt its cash burn in March and going forward, the first U.S. airline to meet such a milestone, Chief Executive Scott Kirby said at a conference on Monday.”

United, like other carriers, is banking on their traditional vacation destinations will boost traffic this summer. One example is Hawaii:

Hawaii vibes only. 😎🌴🌺

This summer we'll have 20+ nonstops to four different islands, including these new routes:

Orange County – Honolulu
Chicago – Kona
New York/Newark – Mauihttps://t.co/X01EQtq78h pic.twitter.com/b3xpX1kadi

— United Airlines (@united) March 5, 2021

United adds 25 more 737 MAX aircraft to its order, total now 180

United Airlines announced today it is adding another 25 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to its order.

The total is now 180. The breakdown of specific variants was not announced.

The airline is also expediting the delivery timeline in order to retire less-efficient types as traffic returns.

United said it has moved up delivery of 40 previously ordered MAX aircraft to 2022 and 5 to 2023. It will now have 94 new MAX aircraft in its fleet by 2023.

Video:

United and Landline to offer bus service from DEN to Breckenridge and Fort Collins

United Airlines announced today that it is making it easier for customers to travel to Breckenridge and Fort Collins, Colorado with convenient year-round ground transportation service connecting through its Denver hub. This is the first time Breckenridge has ever been served by an airline and will be Fort Collins’ first global network carrier service in 25 years.

Beginning March 11, United will start daily service to Breckenridge (QKB) and on April 1, will start four-times daily service to Fort Collins (FNL). The airline is teaming up with Landline – a premium ground transportation company – to offer connecting service to these popular destinations through Denver International Airport (DEN). Customers can book their travel on united.com starting today, selecting Breckenridge or Fort Collins as their destination.

“United’s new service from Denver to Breckenridge and Fort Collins is just one example of how we are identifying opportunities to innovate our route network to get people where they want to go with ease and convenience,” said Ankit Gupta, United’s vice president of Domestic Network Planning and Scheduling. “Our customers tell us that national parks and ski destinations are important to them and we are proud to partner with Landline to offer a unique, seamless way to help them get there.”

“With this new service, customers can start their day anywhere in United’s global network and arrive slope side in Breckenridge minutes from the main gondola,” said Landline’s co-founder & CEO David Sunde. “At the same time, in Fort Collins we are creating global connectivity for the first time in 25 years. These new routes exemplify our mission to redefine the airport by making it mobile and multimodal. We could not be more thrilled to have United’s commitment to innovation and passion for customer service backing this new endeavor.”

Added Landline co-founder & President Ben Munson, “We have worked closely with the United team to create a stress-free connecting experience in Denver. Customers will love our spacious leather seating, onboard streaming entertainment and free Wi-Fi.”

Customers connecting to Breckenridge or Fort Collins at Denver will transfer to the Landline service from an assigned gate in Concourse A, remaining within the secure airside area of the terminal. Checked-in baggage will be transferred directly from the plane to the bus. Customers originating in Breckenridge or Fort Collins will be required to pass through security on transit in DEN.

Keeping customer wellbeing at the forefront, United and Landline will be implementing a wide variety of cleaning and safety measures as part of the new service, all of which have been reviewed by the Cleveland Clinic. These measures include:

Back-to-front boarding;
Reducing seat capacity on Landline’s service to enable social distancing onboard;
Requiring mandatory use of masks onboard for customers aged two and over;
Electrostatically spraying ahead of each departure and sanitizing high touch areas;
Implementing a UV disinfection air filtration system launched by OEM (Prevost) on all vehicles;
Providing United CleanPlus^SM sanitizing wipes to each customer; and
Requiring customers to complete a ‘Ready to Fly’ checklist at check-in, acknowledging they don’t have symptoms for COVID-19 and agreeing to follow our policies.

In addition, United MileagePlus ® members will be able to accrue Premier qualifying points (PQP) and redeemable miles on services to both destinations.

Denver remains one of United’s fastest growing hubs with daily departures around 80% of 2019 levels – the highest among United hubs. United currently serves more than 160 destinations from Denver and operates more than 360 flights per day – the most comprehensive route network of any carrier in Denver – and offers more flights to more Colorado destinations than any other airline.

United service to Breckenridge
From	To	Depart	Arrive	Frequency	Effective
Denver	Breckenridge	11:15 a.m. 11:15 a.m. 11:15 a.m.	1:45 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 1:35 p.m.	Mon-Thurs, Sat Fri Sun	March 11
Breckenridge	Denver	2:15 p.m. 2:25 p.m. 1:55 p.m.	4:45 p.m. 4:45 p.m. 4:45 p.m.	Mon-Thurs, Sat Fri Sun	March 11
Schedule subject to change

United service to Fort Collins
From	To	Depart	Arrive	Frequency	Effective
Denver	Fort Collins	9:45 a.m. 1:25 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 7:25 p.m.	11:00 a.m. 2:40 p.m. 7:15 p.m. 8:40 p.m.	4x daily	April 1
Fort Collins	Denver	7:30 a.m. 9:10 a.m. 11:20 a.m. 5:15 p.m.	8:45 a.m. 10:25 a.m. 12:35 p.m. 6:30 p.m.	4x daily	April 1
Schedule subject to change

United to start Boston – London Heathrow service

United Airlines has announced plans to expand its global route network with new, nonstop service between Boston Logan International Airport and London Heathrow. This new service builds upon United’s growing presence in London and provides customers on the East Coast with another convenient option to get to London. United plans to operate its premium Boeing 767-300ER aircraft on the route.

Boston – London Schedule
From	To	Depart	Arrive	Frequency	Aircraft
Boston	London	10:00 p.m.	9:35 a.m.⁺¹	Daily	767-300ER
London	Boston	5:00 p.m.	7:30 p.m.	Daily	767-300ER
Schedule subject to change

8️⃣.8️⃣ million – that's how many square feet of surfaces we're disinfecting in our airports. Learn more about how our advanced cleaning protocols are making flying safer: https://t.co/9n7MAv53x8 pic.twitter.com/HTwOPBcswj

— United Airlines (@united) February 20, 2021