In April, United Airlines will suspend service on 13 routes and reduce service on 170 more as coronavirus fears continue to depress travel demand.
Last week, I wrote that United planned to cut April international capacity by 20% and domestic capacity by 10% versus the same period last year. In addition to Asian route suspensions I have already discussed, we now have great visibility in what United will cut.
Here are the cuts:
- Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
- Eugene (EUG)
- Jackson, Mississippi (JAN)
- Wilmington, North Carolina (ILM)
- Zurich (ZRH)
- Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH)
- Akron/Canton, Ohio (CAK)
- Edmonton (YEG)
- Reno (RNO)
- Vancouver (YVR)
- Newark Liberty (EWR)
- Palm Springs (PSP)
- Salt Lake City (SLC)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Fayetteville/Northwest Arkansas (XNA)
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
- New Orleans (MSY)
- Washington Dulles (IAD)
- Geneva (GVA)
In a note to employees, incoming CEO Scott Kirby noted all route suspensions have “alternative travel options via other United hubs.”
> Read More: United Airlines Responds To Coronavirus
> Read More: United Airlines Reduces Service Across Asian Network
It is not yet clear to what extent United will trim other routes. Don’t expect any route cuts at New York La Guardia (LGA) or Washington National (DCA), where “use-it-or-lose-it” rules still require an 80% utilization of slots in order to keep them.
If your travel plan are affected (or you just don’t feel like traveling anymore), you can cancel any ticket for travel through April 30th and have up to one year from the date you originally booked it to use the value of the ticket. In most cases, you will only be offered a refund if your flight is canceled and United cannot re-schedule you within 25 hours of your original departure time.
> Read More: American and United Match Delta’s More Flexible Change Fee Waiver
CONCLUSION
Keep an eye on your itineraries for continued schedule changes. For those on any of the suspended routes above, United will automatically rebook you on a new itinerary. If you do not like it, you can call United to discuss options or may be able to make them yourself on united.com or the mobile app.
(H/T: Edward Russell)
They are not dropping prices though. Neither is delta. I looked at the seat map and on the international routes the planes are flying empty in economy. The prices are low but not screaming bargains.
I think they are expecting a bailout. Like genuine capitalists that are a bunch of lying, begging, thieving jerks they will get handouts and then in a couple of years they will talk about how they survived through hard work and pull up by the bootstraps. Maybe in the future they might run for president. And other people will believe it because he looks like themselves.
A few months ago, there were a very few (handful) of readers in this forum applauded the way UA implemented for pax to qualify for 1K, Platinum.. this year. They proudly stated that with the new policy, UA will “clean and sweep” those existing 1K’s for the newcomers who can give UA $24,000 a year. Well, let’s see how many of those new qualified 1K’s stand up and show loyalty to UA in this difficult time. And even if they did, let’s see how it really helps UA. Look what you did Luc Bondra.
This will be a memory when we get a vaccine around Q2 or Q3 then back to the usual travel schedule. Takes 4 months to hit $24k max if you really travel. Don’t buy into the hype. Deadly, yes. Vaccine on the way, yes. Media want to report on it, no. That means people would stop watching (or reading).
FAA just suspended the “use it or lose it” rule, at least for now. Let’s see how that effects route cuts.
I am disappointed in UA in the new refund policy (25 hrs instead of 2 hrs time for UA to reschedule).
What happens if you are stuck on your second “leg” of your trip. Is UA will pay for your hotel if your rescheduled flight is let’s say 10 hours away.?
What are they going to do about the 4 TLV flights, given this morning’s announcement that everyone entering Israel will be subject to a 14 day quarantine, regardless of nationality or origin?
Probably follow Delta in suspending them…
ONT>DEN cut to once daily
DAY>DEN cut to once daily
Supposedly the slotted airport rule is being suspended until May. So they may cut dca and lga.