United Airlines is adding 22 new domestic routes in 2019 as it continues its robust domestic expansion. At the same time, it is retreating from a pair of routes from Los Angeles that face fierce competition plus a surprising international route.
I’ve written before about United’s push to recapture its “natural share” of the domestic market. I’ve also written about United’s plan to funnel connecting traffic through Washington Dulles and focus on origin-destination traffic out of Newark.
To that end, United will add the following new flights in 2019:
- Chicago O’Hare
- Hilton Head (twice weekly, begins 06 April 2019, E170)
- Los Angeles
- Eugene (twice daily, begins 31 March 2019, CRJ700/E175)
- Madison (daily, begins 31 March 2019, E175)
- Pasco, WA (daily, begins 31 March 2019, E175)
- Newark
- Hilton Head (Saturday, begins 06 April 2019, E170)
- Pensacola (daily, begins 06 June 2019, E170)
- San Francisco
- Columbus (daily, begins 06 June 2019, A319)
- Washington Dulles
- Asheville (twice daily, begins 14 February 2019, CRJ200)
- Elmira (twice daily, begins 31 March 2019, CRJ200)
- Hilton Head (twice daily, 31 March 2019, E175)
- Lexington, KY (twice daily, 14 February 2019, CRJ200/CRJ700)
You can see that all but one of these new routes will be operated by regional jets, but most are larger regional jets with first class and Economy Plus that are arguably just as comfortable (if not more) than mainline.
Cutbacks + The Los Angeles Dilemma
Although Los Angeles will see new service to Eugene, Madison, and Pasco, it will lose service to both Dallas/Fort Worth and Albuquerque.
Perhaps United President Scott Kirby is just being smart with the resources he has. United competes with American, Delta, Southwest, and Spirit on this route. This route is an easy upgrade and fares are consistently dirt cheap. United also competes with American, Delta, and Southwest on the Albuquerque route. I don’t like to see United give up on serving larger cities from LA, but United refused to ever go all-in. Both routes were operated by regional jets. We’ll see if United new service to Madison, Wisconsin can make it.
In total, route cutbacks will include:
- Los Angeles
- Albuquerque
- Dallas/Fort Worth
- Newark
- Elmira
- Hamburg, Germany
- Lexington
- Manchester, NH
- South Bend, IN
- Washington Dulles
- Philadephia
- Charleston, WV
I’m particularly bummed that United will end service altogether to Hamburg, Germany. Hamburg is one of my favorite cities in Europe and United had no competition on the route. The service was cut from year-around to seasonal but upguaged from a 757-200 to a 767-300. It appears the route could not sustain itself.
I’m also surprised to see United cut its flight between Washington Dulles and Philadelphia. I used to be on that flight almost every week while a law school student in Philadelphia. United also cut Philadelphia to Newark and has suspended nonstop service between Los Angeles and Philadelphia. I hate to see United just give up Philadelphia to American.
> Read More: United Considers Significant Expansion To Washington Dulles Hub
> Read More: United Cuts International Routes, Will Focus on Domestic Travel
CONCLUSION
No huge surprises and it is nice to see more additions than subtractions. I think United’s plan to concentrate connecting traffic via Washington Dulles is a smart one. Now United must continue to further CEO Oscar Munoz’s ambitious goal of making people fall in love with it again.
> Read More: Wow, United Airlines’ CEO Actually Gets It…
image: United
So United wants to be a major power in LAX, but tells any loyal customers to fly to DFW via a connection? Low fares or not, that makes zero sense. Sometimes you just have to run a loss leader to retain market share and keep your customer base. United already screwed up massively in LA by dropping JFK.
I 100% agree on both DFW and JFK. United realizes the JFK mistake and will likely realize the DFW mistake.
What do you do when you have a parking lot full of regional jets with no place to go…..
I like that Ashville and Lexington are now direct flights from Dulles. I will likely use them occasionally. I realize they are mostly for connections, but will be nonstop for me. I am sad to see the Charleston, WV route dropped as I am from West Virginia and there are no major airports close to Charleston. I wonder if not having prop planes just made the route not feasible.
Asherville?
I use to be a regular on the DFW run. It was a guaranteed upgrade, which I of course loved, but I guess means nobody was paying for. Allegiance aside, J on the daily 787 AA flies is easily the most comfortable way between the two cities.
Matt, any hope of which you’re aware that United would ever restore LAX-PHL? Dramatic loss in terms of competition and connectivity when this was cut (made worse when USAir left *A).
United started Madison – San Francisco flights earlier this year. I don’t know how that route is doing, but success might have pushed them to offer a Los Angeles flight as well.
Do you believe the Amtrak service between Washington and Philadelphia is taking traffic away from the IAD flight? If you are in the city, it’s a pain to get to IAD vs. to Amtrak
Probably. I have taken the train once in awhile.
either sUA or sCO could handle PHL from northeast because they didn’t have any alternatives, so it was a must server regardless. But post merger, you have DC which is 1:40 on Acela and NYC which is 1:15 Acela, essentially guaranteeing a very poor showing on O&D.
And it’s not like AA is actually “feeding” LGA-PHL or DCA-PHL by any stretch. jamming the NE airspace with a bunch of 50-seaters isn’t feeding. That’s LGA/DCA slot squatting.
What about Denver the fastest growing United hub? Charleston, Eureka, and Fairbanks are new adds. But they add new routes all the time
And who the hell flies from DC to Philly?
people who need to get to DC and Philly numb nut! not everybody wants to drive 2 1/2 hrs and amtrak doesn’t go to dulles airport. how else would they get to either city?
sad to see united cut LAX to Dallas, very united operation, afraid of competition, United also no direct flight to ATL either. Where is LAX business for United? DL and AA offer most of the flights. should call a focus a city not a hub!
UA’s decline at LAX is so disappointing!
Its going to be weird to see another airline at the small one gate Hilton Head Airport..Will be interesting.
From three hubs!
Hamburg flight is a loss. Never flown it, but have seen the plane on the ground when in Hamburg. Surprised they couldn’t make it work even with the LH codeshare on the flight.
Also, this sentence is unclear: “United competes with American, Delta, Southwest, and Spirit on this route.” What is “this route”? (I know you mean LAX-DFW.)
Agreed — big loss. I used to live in HH and this flight was a favorite of mine when returning home.
United is attempting to a grow a major corporate contract in Madison and take over some of DL’s dominance in the market, explaining SFO and LAX. Big tech market there with high business travel demand and not nearly enough seats, which regularly drives last-minute business travelers to MKE and ORD. They’ve upgauged MSN-ORD and MSN-DEN from CRJs to A319/20s and 737s over the last couple years, and just swapped EWR from an E145 to an E175–something tells me they’ll make the California routes work.
I live in Philly and fly United. Any route I fly to the Southeastern part of the US is always through DC. Orlando, Atlanta, Miami — all connect through IAD.
Now, I have to drive to Newark to get to my destination which is such an annoying thing.
Philadelphia to Dulles is an absolute must !!! Reinstate