Tag Archives: United Airlines

United Airlines starts customer COVID-19 testing program at San Francisco International Airport

United Airlines made this announcement:

Today, customers traveling on United from San Francisco International Airport to Hawaii were the first to experience the airline’s COVID-19 pilot testing program, allowing customers who return a negative result to bypass the state’s mandatory quarantine requirements and enjoy their time on the islands sooner. In collaboration with San Francisco International Airport, customers now have the option to take a same-day, pre-flight rapid test at the airport or a conveniently-located drive-through test at United’s San Francisco Maintenance Center ahead of their trip. United has been approved by the Hawaii Department of Health as a trusted testing and travel partner and was the first U.S. carrier to announce its plans to make COVID-19 tests available to customers.

“There’s no doubt that COVID-19 has changed the travel experience, and United is committed to innovating to help customers continue to travel where they want to go in a way that is safe,” said Toby Enqvist, Chief Customer Officer at United. “In partnership with the San Francisco Airport, we look forward to helping re-open the Hawaiian economy, and look forward to making testing options more broadly available to our customers so we can continue to connect people and unite the world.”

“Protecting the health and safety of our passengers is our highest priority, and we are proud to partner with United Airlines and their health providers to offer onsite rapid and drive-through testing for United’s passengers to Hawaii,” said SFO Airport Director Ivar C. Satero. “This collaboration of airlines, airports, and health providers truly creates a model for air travel that gives passengers a new level of confidence. My thanks go out to the entire team who helped us to take this important step forward.”

Preflight testing for customers traveling to Hawaii

United, working alongside with San Francisco International Airport, will make two tests available to customers traveling to Hawaii: a rapid test option taken at the airport on the day of travel or a drive-through test conducted at the airport 48-72 hours before departure. Customers who produce a negative test result through either option will be exempt from quarantine requirements in Lihue, Maui and Honolulu. Customers traveling to Kona will be required to take a second complimentary test when they arrive to the island to avoid quarantining.

The rapid Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 test – administered by GoHealth Urgent Care and their partner Dignity Health – is available at an onsite testing facility located in SFO’s international terminal prior to security. Customers based in San Francisco can schedule their visits online and will receive their results in approximately 15 minutes. The onsite testing facility will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT daily and customers are advised to make an appointment at least three hours before their flight, as no walk-in appointments will be available.

Customers taking the drive-through test option – administered by Color – can schedule an appointment in advance online and should make the appointment for 48-72 hours before their flight departs. Walk in appointments will not be available. Once a customer takes the test, they will receive an electronic copy of their results in 24-48 hours. The testing facility is located at United’s San Francisco Maintenance Center parking lot at 800 S Airport Blvd – a short drive away from the airport. Customers must take the test within 72 hours of their flight’s departure and will receive their results electronically.

Halfway to Hawaii

As the state of Hawaii begins to reopen, United is also resuming its popular Halfway to Hawaiigame. Customers will calculate the point when their flight is midway to the islands and those who guess correctly will receive a Hawaiian-themed amenity kit^*. United is bringing the game back today on flights from Chicago O’Hare to Honolulu and on flights from San Francisco to Honolulu, Maui and Kona, and will expand to all other Hawaii bound flights in the coming weeks.

United currently offers more flights to Hawaii than any other carrier including daily service between San Francisco and Honolulu (HNL), Maui (OGG) and Kona (KOA). Today, the airline also resumed service to Lihue (LIH).

United Airlines shifts from surviving the COVID-19 crisis to positioning to lead the rebound

United Airlines made this announcement:

United Airlines (UAL) today announced third-quarter 2020 financial results. Since the beginning of the crisis, the company has been at the forefront of the industry in delivering on its three-pillar strategy of building and maintaining liquidity, minimizing cash burn and variabilizing its cost structure. Achieving these objectives has supported the airline’s ability to manage the crisis as well as or better than its competitors and positions United to lead the industry when demand for air travel returns.

In addition, United expects that third-quarter revenue performance will be the best, even in a historically difficult environment, among our large network competitors – once they have all reported their quarterly results. By almost any revenue measure, the company expects on a year-over-year basis, with our total unit revenue of down 26 percent, passenger unit revenue of down 47 percent, cargo revenue of up 50 percent and loyalty revenue of down 45 percent to be stronger results than those that will be achieved by each of our legacy competitors.

“Having successfully executed our initial crisis strategy, we’re ready to turn the page on seven months that have been dedicated to developing and implementing extraordinary and often painful measures, like furloughing 13,000 team members, to survive the worst financial crisis in aviation history,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. “Even though the negative impact of COVID-19 will persist in the near term, we are now focused on positioning the airline for a strong recovery that will allow United to bring our furloughed employees back to work and emerge as the global leader in aviation.”

United CleanPlus: Keeping Our Customers and Employees Safe

Partnered with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to study how effectively the unique airflow configuration on board an aircraft can prevent the spread of aerosolized particles among passengers and crew.
Only airline maximizing ventilation systems by running the auxiliary power on mainline aircraft during the entire boarding and deplaning process, so our customers and crew get the important safety benefits provided by high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration systems.
First U.S. airline to announce the launch of a COVID-19 pilot testing program for customers traveling on United from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Hawaii.
Added Zoono Microbe Shield, an EPA-registered antimicrobial coating that forms a long-lasting bond with surfaces and inhibits the growth of microbes, to the airline’s already rigorous safety and cleaning procedures and expects to add the coating to the entire mainline and express fleet before the end of the year.
Since COVID-19 began, first major U.S. airline to require flight attendants to wear masks onboard, and among first to require all customers to wear masks onboard. In the third quarter, extended mask requirements to require customers to wear a face covering in the more than 360 airports where United operates around the world, including United customer service counters and kiosks, United Club locations, United’s gates, and baggage claim areas.
Launched the United Automated Assistant, a new chat function that gives customers a contactless option to receive immediate access to information about cleaning and safety procedures put in place due to COVID-19.
Began cleaning pilot flight decks with Ultraviolet C (UVC) lighting technology on most aircraft at hub airports to disinfect the flight deck interior and continue providing pilots with a sanitary work environment.

Pillar 1 – Raising and Maintaining Liquidity

Since March, the company has raised over $22 billion through commercial debt offerings, stock issuances and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) Payroll Support Program grant and loan, among other items.
The company’s total available liquidity¹ at the end of the third quarter 2020 was approximately $19.4 billion.
Entered into the first-of-its-kind loyalty backed transaction, borrowing $6.8 billion secured against MileagePlus Holdings in the form of a $3.8 billion bond and a $3.0 billion term loan.
Secured the ability to borrow $5.2 billion with the U.S. Treasury under the CARES Act loan program between now and March 2021 and expects to have the ability to increase the borrowing capacity up to $7.5 billion, subject to government approval.
Entered into an agreement with CDB Aviation to finance, via a sale leaseback transaction, two Boeing 787-9 and ten Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that are currently subject to purchase agreements between United and The Boeing Company.

Pillar 2 – Minimizing Cash Burn

Reduced total operating costs by 59 percent versus the third quarter of 2019. Excluding special charges², reduced operating costs by 48 percent versus the third quarter of 2019.
Achieved target average daily cash burn³ during the third quarter of $21 million plus $4 million of average debt principal payments and severance payments per day, compared to second-quarter average daily cash burn of $37 million plus $3 million of debt principal payments and severance payments per day.

Pillar 3 – Variabilizing Cost Structure

Reduced non-labor operating expenses, excluding special charges and depreciation, by 63 percent in the third quarter, against a capacity reduction of 70 percent.
Restructured and significantly reduced our management and administrative functions. These reductions are expected to be largely permanent, even as demand recovers.
Reached a landmark agreement with its pilot group that avoids furloughs by securing flexibility in work hours, while also reaching agreements to provide a path to early retirement and reduce expense through voluntary leave of absence programs. These agreements position the company to rebound quickly when demand returns.
Created a program with the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) that reduced 3,300 flight attendant furloughs while allowing the company to react more quickly to network changes.
Reduced furloughs of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) represented employees through an agreement that incentivizes employees to take a leave of absence.
Worked with the union representing dispatchers to reduce furloughs and create staffing flexibility as demand returns through an agreement that allows dispatchers to voluntarily reduce their work schedules.
Offered employees comprehensive voluntary separation packages, retirement packages and/or extended leaves of absence with approximately 9,000 employees opting to participate.

Third-Quarter Financial Results

The company had a net loss of $1.8 billion, and an adjusted net loss⁴of $2.4 billion.
Total operating revenues were down 78 percent year-over-year, on a 70 percent decrease in capacity year-over-year.
Passenger revenue was down 84 percent year-over-year.

Expanding Customer Benefits

First among U.S. global airlines to permanently eliminate change fees on all standard economy and premium cabin tickets for travel within the U.S., and starting January 1, 2021, any United customer can fly standby for free on a flight departing the day of their travel regardless of the type of ticket or class of service.
First U.S. airline to introduce the Destination Travel Guide, a new interactive map tool on united.com and the United mobile app that allows customers to filter and view destinations’ COVID-19 related travel restrictions.
First U.S. airline to introduce an interactive map feature for customers on united.com, powered by Google Flight Search Enterprise Technology, to easily compare and shop for flights based on departure city, budget and location type. Customers can simultaneously compare travel to various destinations in a single search.
Announced plan to continue installing Polaris Business Class on Boeing 787 fleet.

Reimagining Our Route Network

Announced 28 new domestic routes and 9 new international routes.
Resumed nonstop service on 146 domestic routes.
Resumed and/or launched service on 78 international routes to 33 destinations in 18 countries around the world, including: Aruba, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Polynesia (Tahiti), Guatemala, Honduras, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Switzerland.
Compared to June, United had nonstop service in 127 more domestic and 29 more international markets in July, 157 more domestic and 57 more international markets in August, and 151 more domestic and 80 more international markets in September.
Announced increased service to China from two to four weekly flights between San Francisco and Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport. Once service resumes, United will be the only U.S. airline flying to mainland China directly.
Announced plans to expand global route network with new nonstop service to Ghana, Hawaii, India, Nigeria, and South Africa. With these new routes, United will offer more nonstop service to India and South Africa than any other U.S. carrier and remain the largest carrier between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii.
Announced plans to add up to 28 daily nonstop flights this winter connecting customers in Boston, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, New York/LaGuardia, Pittsburgh, and Columbus, Ohio to four popular Florida destinations.
Announced plans to fly roughly 40 percent of its full schedule in October 2020 compared to October of last year.
Increased cargo revenue by 50 percent by leveraging international flying and deploying strategic international cargo-only missions.

Doing Our Part to Help Fight COVID-19 Since Crisis Began

Booked over 2,900 free flights for medical professionals to support COVID-19 response in New Jersey/New York and California.
More than 19.2 million miles donated by MileagePlus members and 7.6 million miles matched by United to help organizations providing relief during COVID-19.
Donated nearly 1.2 million pounds of food from United Polaris lounges, United Club locations, and catering kitchens to local food banks and charities.
Over 7,500 face masks were made from upcycled unused employee uniforms.
More than 800 gallons of hand sanitizer produced by United employees in San Francisco for use by United employees.
Donated 15,000 pillows, 2,800 amenity kits, and 5,000 self-care products to charities and homeless shelters.
More than 2.2 million pounds of food and household goods were processed by United employees at the Houston Food Bank.
Flew more than 146.8 million pounds of medical equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) and 3.1 million pounds of supplies to support military troops.
More than 2,400 United employees worldwide have volunteered, with over 33,400 hours served.
United began flying a portion of its Boeing 777 and 787 fleet as dedicated cargo charter aircraft, as of March 19, to transfer freight to and from U.S. hubs and key international business locations. Since then, we have operated over 6,500 cargo-only flights and moved over 223 million pounds of a variety of goods.
Through a combination of cargo-only flights and passenger flights, United has transported more than 401 million pounds of freight, which includes 154 million pounds of vital shipments, such as medical kits, PPE, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, and more than 3 million pounds of military mail and packages.

United Airlines resumes nonstop service between San Francisco and Shanghai

United Airlines has announced it will start nonstop service to China four-times weekly between San Francisco and Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport. Beginning Oct. 21, 2020, United will operate four weekly nonstop flights with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from San Francisco to Shanghai on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Customers traveling from Shanghai will return to San Francisco on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Tickets are available for purchase on united.com and the United mobile app.

United will continue operating four weekly flights between San Francisco and Shanghai and beginning October 21, will no longer be required to stop in Seoul. United offered more service to China than any other U.S. carrier prior to suspending service in February due to COVID-19. In 2019, United operated five daily flights between Shanghai and its hubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York/Newark.

United service to Shanghai*
Flight	Depart	Day	Time	Arrive	Time
UA 857	San Francisco	Weds., Fri., Sat., Sun.	11:50 a.m.	Shanghai	4:30 p.m.^{+1 day}
UA 858	Shanghai	Mon., Tues., Fri., Sun.	1:30 p.m.	San Francisco	9:30 a.m.

*Schedule times subject to change

United Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

United Airlines plans to increase service on more than 40 Caribbean and Mexican Beach routes in November

United Airlines today announced it plans to resume service on nearly 30 international routes in November, including flights to cities in Asia, Europe, and South America. Additionally, the airline continues to strategically rebuild its domestic and international network by offering customers service to popular leisure destinations in the Caribbean, Hawaii, Central America and Mexico. Even with these additions, United’s November schedule is still less than half of what it was this time last year. The airline plans to fly 44% of its schedule in November compared to 2019, and a 4-point increase compared to October 2020.

“For the month of November, we have adjusted our capacity to add flying for leisure travel to warm weather and beach destinations in Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean, along with ‘visiting friends and relatives’ travel across the globe,” said Patrick Quayle, United’s vice president of International Network and Alliances. “We’re also pleased to announce that beginning this weekend, customers can purchase tickets for United’s new nonstop flights between Chicago and New Delhi, New York/Newark and Johannesburg, and between San Francisco and Bangalore.”

U.S. Domestic

Domestically, United intends to fly 49% of its schedule compared to November 2019. Beginning this November, United plans to offer up to 16 daily, nonstop flights connecting customers in Boston, Cleveland and New York/LaGuardia to popular Florida destinations including Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando and Tampa. In addition to United’s new flights to Florida, the airline plans to add up to 14 daily flights on 12 routes to Boise, Idaho; Palm Springs, California; and Bend, Oregon.

Starting new service between Washington Dulles and Key West, Florida
Resuming service between San Francisco and Tampa, Florida
Resuming service between Denver and Miami
Increasing service between Los Angeles and Maui to daily

International

Internationally, United intends to fly 38% of its schedule compared to November 2019, which is a 6-point increase compared to October 2020. The airline intends to resume 29 international routes to cities in Asia, Europe and Latin America, including:

Atlantic

Resuming service between Denver and Frankfurt, three times weekly
Increasing service between Houston and Frankfurt to five times weekly

In September, United announced plans to expand its global route network with new, nonstop service between New York/Newark and Johannesburg, South Africa; between San Francisco and Bangalore, India; and between Chicago and New Delhi, India.

Beginning Saturday, October 3, tickets for the following new, nonstop flights will be available for purchase on united.com.*

From	To	Depart	Arrive	Start Date
Chicago	New Delhi	6:25 p.m.	8:10 p.m. ⁺¹	Dec.10, 2020
New Delhi	Chicago	1:55 a.m.	6:15 a.m.	Dec.12, 2020

San Francisco	Bangalore	6:55 p.m.	12:50 a.m. ⁺²	May 6, 2021
Bangalore	San Francisco	3:55 a.m.	8:30 a.m.	May 8, 2021

New York/Newark	Johannesburg	8:45 p.m.	5:45 p.m. ⁺¹	March 27, 2021
Johannesburg	New York/Newark	8:00 p.m.	5:45 a.m. ⁺¹	March 28, 2021

*Subject to government approval, schedule subject to change

Pacific

Across the Pacific, United is converting its current cargo-only flights with nonstop passenger service to Taipei, Taiwan and Seoul, South Korea.

Resuming nonstop service three times weekly between San Francisco and Taipei.
Increasing service between San Francisco and Seoul to five times weekly.

Latin America/Caribbean

Throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, United is adding 26 new routes for November, including:

Restarting service between Houston and Santiago, Chile, three times weekly.
Restarting service between Houston and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, three times weekly.
Resuming service to seven Caribbean and Central American destinations, including Antigua, Curacao, Grand Cayman, Managua, Nassau, St. Lucia and Roatan.
Expanding service on over 20 routes to popular beach destinations throughout Mexico, including new sew service to Acapulco and Zihuatanejo and expanded service to Cancun, Cozumel, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta.

Since the start of the pandemic, United has been a leader in enacting new policies and innovations designed to keep employees and passengers safer when traveling. It was the first U.S. airline to mandate masks for flight attendants, quickly following with customers and employees. United was also among the first U.S. carriers to announce it will not permit customers who refuse to comply with the airline’s mandatory mask policy to fly with them while the face mask policy is in place. United was also the first U.S. airline to roll out touchless check-in for customers with bags, and the first to require passengers take an online health assessment before traveling. The airline also recently announced it plans to apply Zoono Microbe Shield, an EPA-registered antimicrobial coating that forms a long-lasting bond with surfaces and inhibits the growth of microbes, to its entire mainline and express fleet before the end of the year.

United Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

CNN: American and United cutting 32,000 jobs as federal aid plans stall

From CNN Business:

“American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said late Wednesday that the airline has no choice but to cut 19,000 jobs after attempts to get more federal money failed. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the decision to cut 13,000 jobs marked “a very sad day for all of us here at United.”

United Airlines becomes first U.S. carrier to make COVID-19 tests available to customers

United Airlines today became the first U.S. airline to launch a COVID-19 pilot testing program for travelers that could make it easier for them to manage quarantine requirements and entry conditions of popular destinations around the world. Starting on October 15, customers traveling on United from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Hawaii will have the option to take a rapid test at the airport or a self-collected, mail-in test ahead of their trip.

The rapid Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 test – administered by GoHealth Urgent Care and their partner Dignity Health – provides results in approximately 15 minutes and will be available to United customers on the same day as their flight departing from SFO. The mail-in test option will be administered by Color and it is recommended that customers initiate testing at least 10 days prior to their trip and provide their sample within 72 hours of their trip.

The airline worked closely with Hawaii officials to ensure that any United customer – both visitors and Hawaiian residents returning home – who tests negative on either test would not be subjected to the state’s current 14-day quarantine requirement. United currently offers more flights to Hawaii than any other major network carrier including daily service between San Francisco and Honolulu (HNL), Maui(OGG) and Kona (KOA). The carrier plans to increase service to Hawaii on October 15, including the resumption of service between San Francisco and Lihue (LIH) and additional flights between San Francisco and Maui and Kona.

“Our new COVID testing program is another way we are helping customers meet their destinations’ entry requirements, safely and conveniently,” said Toby Enqvist, Chief Customer Officer at United. “We’ll look to quickly expand customer testing to other destinations and U.S. airports later this year to complement our state-of-the-art cleaning and safety measures that include a mandatory mask policy, antimicrobial and electrostatic spraying and our hospital-grade HEPA air filtration systems.”

GoHealth Urgent Care Rapid Test

United first partnered with GoHealth Urgent Care in July to test its international flight crews at SFO. United now plans to expand that testing infrastructure to include customers who wish to be tested for COVID-19 pre-flight. Customers can schedule their visits online in advance for the on-site testing facility that is located at the international terminal and will receive their results in approximately 15 minutes. GoHealth Urgent Care’s dedicated COVID-19 testing area will be available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT daily.

“We are excited about expanding our partnership with United and continuing to support their proactive safety measures,” said Todd Latz, CEO of GoHealth Urgent Care. “Our on-site, real-time testing for passengers is yet another example of GoHealth’s nationwide efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19 and ensure a safer return to normal activities and business operations.”

Color Physician-Ordered Self-Collection Test

United is working with Color to offer self-collected, mail-in tests for customers traveling to Hawaii. United will email customers traveling from San Francisco to Hawaii an invitation to purchase their physician-ordered Color self-collection kit at least 10 days ahead of their departure, collect their own samples at home 72 hours prior to their departure and return their test via overnight mail or to a drop box at SFO.

Color then processes those tests at their local, CLIA-certified COVID-19 testing laboratory and returns results via text and/or email within 24-48 hours. Color’s self-collection kit includes a plastic collection tube, a non-invasive nasal swab and instructions on how to properly collect a specimen.

“Convenient, widespread COVID-19 testing with fast and reliable results is critical to a return to normalcy and to accelerate the economic recovery,” said Caroline Savello, Chief Commercial Officer at Color. “We are proud to partner with United to support the safe and responsible return of travelers to the skies.”

United launches online ‘Map Search’ feature, a first among U.S. airlines

United Airlines made this announcement:

Let’s say you live in Chicago, have $250 to spend on a flight and are looking to go somewhere warm for the holidays. Or you’re on the east coast and want to head west for a last-minute getaway to visit a national park. Now, instead of doing multiple, time-consuming searches online, United Airlines has launched a quick and easy way to see all your travel options in one place.

United today announced that it is the first U.S. airline to introduce an interactive map feature powered by Google Flight Search Enterprise Technology. Customers can access Map Search on United.com to easily compare and shop for flights, based on departure city, budget and location type, including popular national park, skiing and cultural destinations. This new digital tool displays fares in a map view, allowing customers to simultaneously compare travel to a variety of destinations in a single search.

“We’ve reinvented the way people search for flights and introduced something new for our customers that is simpler, provides better results and is easy to use,” said Linda Jojo, Executive Vice President for Technology and Chief Digital Officer. “Leveraging the power of Google’s Flight Search technology, we are able to provide an all-in-one solution that streamlines the search process and allows our customers to more easily find the flights that work best for them.”

Customers can apply over a dozen filters to their map search, including viewing non-stop only flights, specific or flexible dates, and one-way or round-trip options. Additionally, customers can set their preferred departure city and maximum price preference, and filter options based on the type of destination they’re looking to visit. The feature currently offers filters to view destinations that are popular for the following offerings:

National Parks
Beaches
Beer & Breweries
Culture
Food & Drink
Hiking
Outdoors
Romantic
Skiing & Snowboarding
Snorkeling and Scuba

The ‘national park’ filter was a more recent addition to United’s map search feature given the increased interest we’ve received from customers over the past few months for flights to destinations where they can more easily recreate responsibly. These Map Search filters were designed to highlight the destination types that are most popular with today’s traveler, including the top national park destinations served by United. The airline operates more flights to more national park destinations than any other U.S. carrier.

In addition to the filter options available on Map Search, MileagePlus members can also use the tool to view all of their past travels with United. With the “Where I’ve Been” feature, the map will highlight all the destinations a customer has traveled to with United.

This tool was developed in direct response to customer feedback and United and Google are continuing to collaborate on enhancing this innovative map search capability. Map Search follows a number of recent innovations introduced by United to streamline the travel process. Earlier this month, United debuted its Destination Travel Guide, which allows customers to filter and view destinations’ COVID-19 related travel restrictions. Additionally, as part of its United CleanPlus^SM program, the airline recently introduced touchless check-in, text alerts for passengers on standby and upgrade lists to reduce person-to-person interaction, and a new chat function to give customers a contactless option to receive immediate access to information about cleaning and safety procedures.

United Airlines adds new nonstops to Africa, India and Hawaii

United Airlines today announced plans to expand its global route network with new nonstop service to Africa, India and Hawaii. With these new routes, United will offer more nonstop service to India and South Africa than any other U.S. carrier and remains the largest carrier between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii.

Starting this December, United will fly daily between Chicago and Delhi and, starting in spring 2021, United will become the only airline to operate between San Francisco and Bangalore, India and between Newark and Johannesburg. United will also introduce new service between Washington, D.C. (Dulles), and Accra, Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria in late spring of 2021.

In the summer of 2021, United will fly nonstops four times weekly between Chicago and Kona and between Newark and Maui. And starting this week, United, the airline offering more nonstop service to Israel than any other U.S. carrier, begins new nonstop service between Chicago and Tel Aviv, the only carrier to offer this service.

United’s newly announced international routes are subject to government approval and tickets will be available for purchase on united.com and the United app in the coming weeks.

Offering nonstop service to three new destinations in Africa

United will become the only U.S. carrier serving Accra nonstop from Washington, D.C. and the only airline to serve Lagos nonstop from Washington, D.C., with three weekly flights to each destination beginning in late spring 2021. The Washington metropolitan area has the second-largest population of Ghanaians in the United States, and Lagos is the largest Western African destination from the United States. Now, with 65 different U.S. cities connecting through Washington Dulles, United will offer convenient one-stop connections to Western Africa.

United already provides seasonal, three-times-weekly service between Newark and Cape Town. By adding new daily nonstop flights between Newark and Johannesburg in spring 2021, the airline will operate more flights to South Africa than any other U.S. carrier, and will offer the only roundtrip, nonstop service from the United States to Johannesburg by a U.S carrier. These routes also offer easy connections for customers traveling to South Africa from more than 50 U.S. cities.

New nonstops to India from two U.S. cities

United has served India with nonstop service for 15 years and now builds on its existing service to Delhi and Mumbai with two new routes. Beginning December 2020, United will introduce new nonstop service between Chicago (O’Hare) and New Delhi and, for the first time ever, United customers will be able to travel nonstop between San Francisco and Bangalore starting spring 2021. Chicago has the second highest population of Indian-Americans in the United States, and customers from more than 130 U.S. cities can connect on United through O’Hare International Airport. Service from San Francisco to Bangalore connects two international technology hubs, broadening United’s west coast service to India, which also includes San Francisco to New Delhi.

New nonstop service between Chicago and Tel Aviv

Beginning, Thursday, Sept. 10, United will start brand-new three-times-weekly nonstop service between Chicago (O’Hare) and Tel Aviv. In addition to Chicago, United currently operates nonstop service between Tel Aviv and its hubs in Newark and San Francisco and will resume service between Washington (Dulles) and Tel Aviv in October. The airline operates more nonstop service between the United States and Israel than any U.S. airline.

United expanding Hawaii service to the Midwest and East Coast

As customers look to resume leisure travel options, United will make it easier than ever to travel nonstop to Maui and Kona for the 2021 summer season. With the addition of new flights between both Newark and Maui and Chicago and Kona, United will provide customers in the Midwest and U.S. East Coast with even faster and more convenient service to the Hawaiian Islands than any other airline.

United’s New Flights

	Destination	UA Hub	Service	Season Start
Africa	Accra, Ghana	IAD	3x/week, 787-8	Spring 2021
	Lagos, Nigeria	IAD	3x/week, 787-8	Spring 2021
	Johannesburg, South Africa	EWR	Daily, 787-9	Spring 2021

India	Bangalore, India	SFO	Daily, 787-9	Spring 2021
India	New Delhi, India	ORD	Daily, 787-9	Winter 2020

Hawaii	Kahului, Maui	EWR	4x/week, 767-300ER	Summer 2021
Hawaii	Kona, Hawaii	ORD	4x/week, 787-8	Summer 2021

United strategically adds limited capacity to October cchedule

United Airlines made this announcement:

United Airlines today announced it plans to fly 40% of its full schedule in October 2020 compared to October of last year. In September, United expects to fly 34% of its full schedule.

Domestically, United plans to fly 46% of its full schedule in October 2020 compared to October of last year, compared to the 38% schedule it plans to fly domestically in September 2020. The airline also plans to resume eight routes to Hawaii, pending approval of the state’s pre-arrival COVID testing program.

Internationally, United expects to fly 33% of its schedule compared to October of 2019, which is up compared to the 29% schedule it plans to fly in September. United continues to respond to the growth in leisure travel demand by adding flights to cities in Mexico, Central America and South America.

“We continue to be data-driven and realistic in our approach to rebuilding our network,” said Ankit Gupta, United’s vice president of Domestic Network Planning. “Because October is typically a slower month for leisure travel, we’re adjusting our schedules to reflect these seasonal changes in customer demand while resuming service or adding capacity on routes where we’re seeing increased customer demand for travel.”

United is even realigning its schedule patterns with the customer in mind to match the current demand for leisure travel. In October, the airline plans to add more flights on days popular with leisure travelers looking to get a head start on long weekend getaways and will schedule fewer flights on days where demand is traditionally lower.

Domestic

Resuming or starting new service on nearly 50 routes, including 37 routes from United’s Chicago, Denver and Houston hubs.
Resuming additional service to Florida including Washington-Dulles to Sarasota and Miami, and Denver to Fort Myers.
Resuming service between Los Angeles and Eugene, Medford and Redmond/Bend in Oregon.

International

Resuming service to 14 international destinations including Bogota, Colombia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Lima, Peru and Panama City, Panama.
Increasing to twice daily service between New York/Newark and Tel Aviv and resuming three-times weekly service between Washington, D.C. and Tel Aviv on October 25.
Resuming or increasing service to Cancun, Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico from its hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, New York/Newark and Washington, D.C.

United Helps Customers Navigate Travel Restrictions with New Online, Interactive Map

United Airlines today introduces a new interactive map tool on united.com and the United mobile app that allows customers to filter and view destinations’ COVID-19 related travel restrictions. The Destination Travel Guide, a first among U.S. airlines, provides an interactive, color coded map to highlight if a destination is closed, partially open or fully open for travel, and will also note if any tests or self-quarantining is required for travel. Customers can easily filter destinations to view local regulations, such as social distancing and mask enforcement, as well as to see if hotels, restaurants and other leisure outlets are open to the public.

“We know it’s a challenge to keep up with the ever-changing list of travel restrictions, policies and regulations so we are offering a simple, easy tool that helps customers decide where to travel next,” said Linda Jojo, Executive Vice President for Technology and Chief Digital Officer. “By providing the most up-to-date information on the destinations we serve, customers can compare and shop for travel with greater confidence and help them find the destinations that best fit their preferences.”

The Destination Travel Guide currently highlights travel restrictions and leisure offerings in the U.S. by state, and will expand to include all international destinations the airline serves in the coming weeks. Customers viewing the color-coded map can click on each state to view local regulations and travel guidances. There is also the option to filter the map by state to view specific information on each destination, including:

Medical certificate needed (such as negative COVID test)
Non-essential shops open
Tourism accommodation open
Restaurants open
Bars and cafes open
Museum and heritage sites open
Mask in public required
Physical distancing required

The new map feature follows several recent innovations from United that were designed to enhance the travel experience. As part of its United CleanPlus program, the airline recently introduced touchless check-in, text alerts for passengers on standby and upgrade lists to reduce person-to-person interaction, and a new chat function to give customers a contactless option to receive immediate access to information about cleaning and safety procedures.

Committed to Ensuring a Safe Journey
Through the United CleanPlus program, the airline is committed to putting health and safety at the forefront of every customer’s journey, with the goal of delivering an industry-leading standard of cleanliness. United has teamed up with Clorox and Cleveland Clinic to redefine cleaning and health safety procedures from check-in to landing and has implemented more than a dozen new policies, protocols and innovations designed with the safety of customers and employees in mind, including:

Requiring all travelers – including crew members – to wear face coverings and potentially revoking travel privileges for customers who do not follow these requirements, as underscored in a recent video from United CEO Scott Kirby.
Using state-of-the-art high-efficiency (HEPA) filters on most United mainline aircraft to circulate air and remove up to 99.97% of airborne particles.
Using electrostatic spraying before departure for enhanced cabin sanitation.
Adding a step to the check-in process, based on a recommendation from the Cleveland Clinic, requiring customers to acknowledge they do not have symptoms for COVID-19 and agree to follow our policies, including wearing a mask on board.
Offering customers a touchless baggage check-in experience at more than 200 airports across the United States; United is the first U.S. airline to make this technology available.