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A few months ago, I wrote about United Airlines canceling their Los Angeles to Singapore flight to add a second daily flight from San Francisco. I felt that this added flight would only increase competition between two Star Alliance partners. Well, it looks like United has added more flights to/from San Francisco. In a press release posted earlier today, United announced the following route additions:
- Toronto, Canada (daily) beginning March 31, 2019
- Melbourne, Australia (daily) beginning March 30, 2019
- New Delhi, India (seasonal) beginning December 5, 2019
- Seoul, South Korea (twice daily) beginning April 1, 2019
- Amsterdam, Netherlands (year round) beginning March 30, 2019
- Auckland, New Zealand (year round) beginning March 30, 2019
- Tahiti, French Polynesia (year round) beginning March 30, 2019
Oscar Munoz, United Airlines’ CEO stated, “This route expansion solidifies United’s position at San Francisco as the gateway airline serving destinations across the Pacific, the continental United States, as well as to Europe and beyond. It serves as a fitting capstone to all our efforts that made 2018 a breakthrough year for United, from delivering strong financial performance to currently leading in on-time departures for the second year in a row.”
United’s twice daily flight to Toronto, operated by a Boeing 737-800, will offer a convenient connection from the west coast. United currently has a nonstop to Melbourne from Los Angeles. The San Francisco to Melbourne flight, also operated by a Boeing 787-9, will give customers more options to fly down under.
The New Delhi route, operated by a 787-9, allows customers direct access to the U.S. West Coast. The Seoul route, operated by a Boeing 777-200, will give customers some flexibility when scheduling their trip.
The Amsterdam route, operated by a Boeing 787-9, will make United the first U.S. carrier to fly between California and Amsterdam. The Tahiti route, operated by a 787-8, will move from seasonal to a year round flight. Lastly, the Auckland route, operated by a 777-200, will move the seasonal service to year round as well.
Final Word
United is definitely showing everyone that San Francisco is their west coast hub. I do not know how Star Alliance partners will react to the expansion and frankly, I do not think that United cares.
That French Polynesia trip looks about right Roberto. Amazing. Always dreamed of seeing that part of the world.