United Airlines will offer more flights to Florida this winter than it ever has, with a 20% increase over last year and even a return of some non-hub routes. For snow seekers, more ski routes have been added as well.
More Service To Key West, Other Key Florida Destinations
United shares that Miami and Orlando are two of the top five most-searched domestic destinations for travel this winter (Honolulu, Cancun and Las Vegas round out the top five most-searched destinations for travel from November 1 to March 31) on united.com. In response, United is adding service to both markets and adding a whole lot more seats to a market that for years has been operated exclusively by regional jets.
United will upgrade service to Key West for the first time in company history from regional to mainline, with “nearly double the capacity” from:
- Chicago (ORD)
- Houston (IAH)
- Newark (EWR)
- Washington (IAD)
Mainline service begins on November 28, 2023 and all routes will be operated by a Boeing 737-700.
Furthermore, United will operate its new Airbus A321neo to:
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
- Fort Myers (RSW)
- Orlando (MCO)
United will also run a Boeing 777 between Chicago and Orlando.
More Service From Cleveland To Florida
While Cleveland (CLE) is no longer a United hub, the carrier maintains a number of so-called “point-to-point” flights to non-hub cities. This winter, United will increase service to three destinations and restart service to Tampa:
- Increasing frequency of flights from Cleveland from one flight per day to Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers and Orlando to two daily, nonstop flights
- Reintroducing daily nonstop service to Tampa, utilizing a Boeing 737-900ER
The new flights are bookable on united.com.
United emphasizes it is offering seats from basic economy to first class, a subtle hint that these routes will compete not only for premium traffic, but also against the ultra low-cost carriers like Frontier and Spirit who are also adding many Florida routes this winter.
Added Service From Newark To Popular Ski Destinations
From Newark, United will offer more nonstop seats to a number of ski destinations, including:
- Bozeman/Big Sky, Montana (BZN)
- Eagle/Vail, Colorado (EGE)
- Hayden/Steamboat, Colorado (HAY)
- Jackson Hole, Wyoming (JAC)
- Montrose/Telluride, Colorado (MTR)
CONCLUSION
United Airlines plans a 20% increase in seats to Florida this year over last year and even increase service on non-hub routes from Cleveland. Furthermore, for East Coast travelers looking for snow instead of sun, it will bolster service to several ski destinations from Newark.
Will you travel with United to Florida this winter?
image: United Airlines
looks like a DL cue card.
Florida is a growing market, and for some airports like MIA, UA need to offer more daily flights connect to her hubs in order to be competitive.