United Airlines has announced details of its busiest-ever winter flying program, with a focus on destinations in Africa, Europe, and Latin America, as well as enhanced services to airports located close to the main US skiing resorts. In all, the carrier will operate almost 4,600 flights per day during the northern Winter 2024/25 peak season.
The airline is embarking on this extensive growth in its flying program in response to growing global demand for air travel. During winter, the Chicago-based airline will serve over 140 US airports, in addition to initiating new services to four international destinations.
The new winter schedule, commencing on October 24, 2024, will see United begin a new nonstop three-times-weekly service from New York-Newark (EWR) to Marrakesh, Morocco, to be operated by Boeing 767-300ERs.
However, it is not only Marrakech-Medina Airport (RAK) that will see United aircraft on the ground across Africa during the upcoming winter. United’s expansion elsewhere in Africa will be significant. Starting on October 24, 2024, the carrier will operate the most extensive African network in its history. Alongside the Marrakech flights, the airline is also increasing its weekly flights from Washington-Dulles Airport (IAD) to Accra in Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria. Meanwhile, flights between Washington Dulles and Dakar, Senegal are due to launch in May 2025.
Away from the African continent, in response to a huge surge in summer travel to Europe, United will be extending services to popular European destinations located in Greece, Spain, Italy, and Portugal during Winter 2024/25. The airline will also be extending the operating period of certain seasonal routes, including nonstop services to Milan and Rome from Chicago O’Hare Airport (ORD), and Madrid from Washington Dulles.
From October 27, 2024, United will be the only US carrier flying to the island of Cebu in the Philippines, with daily flights from Tokyo-Narita Airport. According to the carrier, this service will “allow easy, one-stop connections for US customers from five hubs in the Continental US”.
The airline is to increase its flights between Los Angeles and Shanghai, with daily Boeing 787-9 flights starting on October 26, 2024. It is also making its second daily service between San Francisco and Seoul-Incheon (ICN) year-round and will add a second daily flight between Los Angeles and Hong Kong, providing flights and connections in both the morning and evening.
South America and the Caribbean
In Latin America, United’s presence is set to expand by nearly 10% as compared to last year. On November 13, 2024, United will grow its presence in Colombia with a new year-round service to Medellin from Houston, complementing the airline’s existing routes to Bogota from New York-Newark and Houston. Starting February 15, 2025, the carrier will be the only carrier connecting the Northeast US to Dominica, operating a weekly nonstop service on a Boeing 737-700 aircraft.
United is expanding its Latin America offerings from San Francisco with new, year-round flights to Monterrey, Mexico, operated by United Express partner SkyWest up to twice daily, and with new seasonal, weekly service to Belize City, Belize.
In the Caribbean, United begins service from New York-Newark to St. Kitts with weekly nonstop flights starting in November 2024, operating on a Boeing 737-900ER.
Furthermore, the airline will extend its service between New York-Newark and Bermuda into the winter season, making the route year-round. It will add daily service between New York-Newark and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago for the peak holiday and Carnival periods.
United is also planning additional expansion of services from Chicago, Houston, Washington, and Los Angeles to cities such as Buenos Aires (Argentina), Guatemala City (Guatemala), Morelia (Mexico), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and San Salvador (El Salvador).
Within the US
On the domestic front, United’s domestic schedule from January to March 2025 will be the largest in its history, with an increase of nearly 13% more seats over 2023 to warm weather destinations including Phoenix, Palm Springs, and San Diego. The airline will also continue its growth in Florida with 20 additional departures from its hub airports to cities such as Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Palm Beach.
Rounding off the announcement for Winter 2024/25, United stated that it will continue to offer more service to top ski markets than any other US carrier, with “nearly triple the average daily flights of different airlines and nonstop service to 11 ski markets in 2024”. For the upcoming winter, the airline will introduce larger aircraft on services to Aspen, Colorado, and Bishop/Mammoth, California, as well as increasing the number of flights between United hub airports and other popular ski destinations.