by How does a long weekend in Palma de Mallorca or Tenerife in Spain sound?
With United Airlines, getting to these popular summer destinations – and many more – from the United States is easier than ever. This is thanks to the new nonstop service launched during the pandemic that has helped the Chicago-based carrier become the largest US airline in the transatlantic market.
This year, the airline launched its largest transatlantic expansion ever, which included five new destinations, along with five new routes to existing cities.
From capital-to-capital service to Jordan to Boeing 737 MAX flights to the Portuguese Azores to a flashy new route to Mallorca, United’s schedule has been loaded with many exciting routes that complement traditional transatlantic markets, such as Paris and Rome.
United’s transatlantic expansion in 2022, coupled with what’s set to be a busy 2023 schedule, is so exciting that it won TPG’s Editors’ Choice for Best New Routes at this year’s TPG Awards.
In fact, United’s new flights in 2022 have been so popular that all but one will be returning for another season.
The only one that will be dropped is Bergen, Norway, which has not met the airline’s performance thresholds. Amman, Jordan; Azores, Portugal; Palma de Mallorca, Spain; and Tenerife, Spain are making a comeback.
In addition to return service, United will add flights to three new destinations next year: Malaga, Spain; Stockholm; and Dubai, the latter of which will be operated under the new link with Emirates.
The airline will also add four new routes to existing destinations:
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- San Francisco in Rome.
- From Chicago to Shannon, Ireland.
- Chicago to Barcelona.
- Washington to Berlin.
Finally, the airline will expand service from the United States to the two largest European markets: London and Paris. The airline will add a second daily flight between Los Angeles and London on March 25 and a second daily flight between Washington and Paris on June 2.
While the exciting news is all about United’s new service, the carrier is going to great lengths to make these new flights even more special.
Over the years, United has turned its big transatlantic program announcement into an annual tradition, with the airline teasing new markets on its social media channels to build buzz for the flights. The airline’s network planning team even stars in a promotional video teaser.
Ahead of the service’s launch, United is promoting new markets in airport signage and across its inflight entertainment system.
And, of course, the airline knows how to celebrate when launch day rolls around.
From commemorative Polaris pajamas to kits and special meals, aviation enthusiasts should definitely experience a United opening. Various executives typically join in on the fun, and cabin crew are usually super excited about the new service.
You might even catch a great post-flight party, like pictured below from the Mallorca unveiling last June.
With this massive transatlantic expansion, United is fulfilling its mission to become “the flag carrier of the United States,” a statement that was first shared during the Emirates partnership unveiling in September and has been echoed by executives ever since. during recent media calls.
Whether or not United is America’s “flag carrier,” one thing is certain: The airline now serves far more transatlantic destinations than any of its U.S. competitors.
