Starting this autumn, United Airlines will be the first US airline to launch nonstop service to Manila from the US mainland. It will also relaunch two routes from Los Angeles including Hong Kong and Tokyo Narita and double service to Taipei.
United Airlines Adds Daily San Francisco – Manila Service
United is currently the only carrier currently serving Manila (MNL) via its Guam (GUM) hub and via Palau (ROR). Starting October 29, 2023, United Airlines will add new daily service from San Francisco (SFO) to Manila utilizing a Boeing 777-300ER jet. This is United’s largest jet and includes:
- 60 seats in Polaris (business class)
- 24 seats in Premium Plus (premium economy)
- 266 seats in economy class
- including 62 seats in EconomyPlus
Speaking to Live And Let’s Fly, Patrick Quayle, United’s Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances shared that United has been attempting for years to add service to the Philippines but has faced resistance from the Philippines government (which we covered here). But those issues have been resolved.
“Thank you, US government. They really went to bat for US companies.”
> Read More: United Airlines Exchanges Terse Words With Philippine Airlines
> Read More: American And United Spar Over Philippine Airlines
Tickets will be on sale later today.
United Airlines Restores Los Angeles – Hong Kong Service
With the inability to utilize Russian airspace making service between Newark (EWR) and Hong Kong (HKG) unviable at this time, United will bring back a historic route from Los Angeles (LAX) to Hong Kong.
Starting on October 28, 2023, United will offer daily service between LAX and HKG using a Boeing 787-9 jet. This is on top of United’s twice-daily service from San Francisco. The 787-9 includes:
- 48 seats in Polaris (business class)
- 21 seats in Premium Plus (premium economy)
- 188 seats in economy class
- including 39 seats in EconomyPlus
United Restores Los Angeles – Tokyo Narita Service
As promised, now that Japan has fully re-opened, United Airlines is bringing back its nonstop service from Los Angeles to Tokyo Narita (NRT) to augment its service to Tokyo Haneda (HND). Both flights will operate daily.
The service will operate daily beginning on October 28, 2023 utilizing a Boeing 787-10 jet, with:
- 44 seats in Polaris (business class)
- 21 seats in Premium Plus (premium economy)
- 253 seats in economy class
- including 54 seats in EconomyPlus
Can LAX really sustain twice-daily service to Tokyo on United as well as twice-daily service on ANA, its joint venture partners? Quayle said, “Tokyo really went gangbusters when it opened in the spring.” With high demand on the route, United believes it will have no trouble filling both flights at sustainable fares.
Taipei – San Francisco Will Go Double Daily
United will double service to Taipei (TPE) from its San Francisco hub, going double daily starting on October 29, 2013. The second flight will be operated with a Boeing 777-200 jet, featuring:
- 50 seats in Polaris (business class)
- 24 seats in Premium Plus (premium economy)
- 202 seats in economy class
- including 46 seats in EconomyPlus
United Wants To Add Service To Mainland China
These new routes come on top of United’s earlier announced expansion to the South Pacific. All of those routes will proceed as scheduled: there are no cutbacks to make room for the new routes above.
United claims that excluding China, its transpacific service is 50% larger than other US carriers combined.
On the subject of China, Quayle explained that United is eager to expand service, but current bilateral flight restrictions have made this impossible. On that matter, Quayle explained:
“We are working closely with US government, with the [Department of Transportation], and DOT is working with China to increase capacity. We are committed to that process, but I think that is going to be a longer process that the US government is handling.”
This does not mark the end of United’s expansion, but aircraft delivery delays by both Boeing and Airbus have slowed growth down. Quayle lamented, “It’s a little frustrating, to be candid.” Stay tuned for more routes as United continues to grow its widebody fleet.
CONCLUSION
Quayle notes, “We have to be super nimble and creative. We must adapt to challenges that we face,” and that mindset has marked his tenure at United Airlines. United has staked its future in longhaul flying and today’s route announcement represents United’s vision of continued global expansion.
Fantastic news on the MNL route!
Matthew must be happy, what is this the 3rd straight announcement with a new LAX intl flight?
I was under the impression that MNL is mainly low yield VFR loads. 60 Polaris seats and 24 Premium Plus are a lot to fill.
The new treaty and defense agreement with Philippines is going to see a number of U.S. Govt workers, military, and contract employees going back and forth. I imagine the noted U.S. pressure to have this route approved was exactly for this reason. When I was last at The Pen in January in MNL it was packed with U.S. contract workers.
This fiscal year there is no US government contract between DC and Manila. In the past Delta had it. Quite possible UA makes a bid for it starting October.
It’s too bad that United didn’t launch San Francisco-Guam-Manilla.
I’ll hand it to United. They own the Pacific.
Where’s Delta? You sure don’t hear anything about Delta and China Eastern anymore.
I’m surprised that UA’s SF hub didn’t have direct flights to literal Filipino hubs (first Jollibee in the US is in the Bay Area lol). There really isn’t real competition with *A if flights to Asia is your focus. Too dominant, with some of the best airlines AND more UA availability.
They also appear to have shifted the inaugural SFO-CHC flight from 01 Dec to 08 Dec
Good eye – that’s interesting they pushed that. Assume it wasn’t booking very well the first week but is an extra week really going to make much of a difference?
Well given Americas obesity issue I think it’s obvious that it ‘continues to grow its widebody feet’ problem. Though thankfully United helps it’s Polaris passenger by making their food so disgusting they are forced to diet.
Have to agree with you. There are only so many ways to dress up the “premium cabin pig”.. onboard international soft product is below every other U. S. based major carrier (i.e., DL, AA). Everyone seems to be impressed by their 7am press releases, meanwhile UAL can’t get the basics done.
Honestly I was just making a joke about Matthews’s spelling error, ‘feet’ instead of fleet. Just ran with it, by adding the joke about UA’s catering.
I flew to MNL via DOH in May and would still prefer that to a nonstop on a US Carrier
If living on the east coast I agree. I often use Qatar or Etihad to MNL from DC. However, for a vast part of the country, especially West Coast, this flight is a godsend in avoiding 1-2 connections – or to avoid Philippine Airlines.
@Matthew why is EWR to HKG unviable? EVA and China Airlines are both doing JFK-TPE without use of Russian air space. And Singapore is doing JFK/EWR to SIN. So why can’t United do EWR to HKG with a 777 or 787?
Routes from NY to Hong Kong and Mainland need russian airspace, but routes from NY to Taipei and Singapore don’t.
For those complaining about narrow economy seats on their Dreamliners and 777s, PAL’s future A350s will have even narrower seats
I recently fly PAL and the experience is not good! From check in to boarding is chaos. The staff does not have a good process for boarding passengers. Lines are all over the place. Passengers crowd the line, no solid line is just not smooth boarding like other airlines I flew. My TV was broken, was not able to watch movie. My husband table for food was also broken. The meal was ok but utensils are plastic! We flew a lot to Philippines and used Cathay, ANA, Korean airlines and has never used a plastic silverware! Was hard to cut meat with plastic silverware. My first time to fly PAL as it is a direct flight but will never fly PAL again. I’m glad United Airlines will now have a nonstop service to Manila. Definitely will use UA.
I recently fly PAL and the experience is not good! From check in to boarding is chaos. The staff does not have a good process for boarding passengers. Lines are all over the place. Passengers crowd the line, no solid line is just not smooth boarding like other airlines I flew. My TV was broken, was not able to watch movie. My husband table for food was also broken. The meal was ok but utensils are plastic! We flew a lot to Philippines and used Cathay, ANA, Korean airlines and has never used a plastic silverware! Was hard to cut meat with plastic silverware. My first time to fly PAL as it is a direct flight but will never fly PAL again. I’m glad United Airlines will now have a nonstop service to Manila. Definitely will use UA.