United unveils a distinctive global expansion for summer, adding 8 cities and 13 routes

United Airlines is preparing for its largest and potentially most thrilling summer season yet.

On Thursday, the Chicago-based airline announced a remarkable expansion featuring eight new international destinations and 13 new routes.

In recent years, United (along with its rivals) has turned summer expansions into major events, featuring social media teasers leading up to the big announcement, followed by eye-catching press releases detailing all the exciting new destinations.

However, this announcement — United's most significant international expansion to date — stands out among recent moves by major U.S. airlines. It features a range of unique, off-the-beaten-path locations that are sure to impress, provided you can find them on a map. (For instance, I wasn't even familiar with some of the airport codes for United's new destinations.)

Here's all the information you need to start planning your summer getaway. If you're ready to book, the new flights are already available for purchase (with the exception of Nuuk, Greenland, and Dakar, Senegal — those will be available soon).

United introduces 8 new destinations

Starting in May 2025, United will incorporate eight new destinations into its network. The complete list can be found below.

Out of the eight new destinations, seven will be exclusive to U.S. airlines, with Delta Air Lines offering flights to Dakar from New York's JFK airport.

In addition, Delta will soon operate flights from New York to Sicily, favoring Catania as its main Sicilian hub, while United will serve Palermo instead.

It's fascinating that we're moving from having no direct flights from the U.S. to Sicily to suddenly two options available next summer — a change likely to delight fans of "The White Lotus".

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Interestingly, this announcement of new routes differs significantly from recent updates from United, as there are no new flights to popular destinations like London, Paris, Rome, or Athens — places that regularly attract large numbers of American tourists each summer.

While United already serves many popular European destinations (with two new transatlantic routes launching next summer, as outlined below), it's intriguing to contrast their announcement with the recent expansions from American Airlines and Delta.

American and Delta remain committed to the pre-pandemic strategy of enhancing service to favored European cities like Athens, Rome, and Edinburgh, Scotland.

In contrast, United, under the direction of Patrick Quayle and its network planning team, is pursuing its own unique path. They are focusing on adding routes to more remote destinations that might prompt a "where's that?" response upon announcement.

The effectiveness of each strategy over the long haul remains uncertain. After all, not every new route from United proves successful.

This year, the airline has labeled Faro as a new destination, although it had initially announced flights there in 2023 before cancelling the launch shortly before they were set to begin. Additionally, while United added new flights to Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands in 2022, these didn't perform as anticipated during the summer, leading the airline to attempt winter-only operations to gauge demand.

That being said, several of United's recent new routes are likely to be major successes. For example, the services to Cape Town and Johannesburg, which Quayle mentioned multiple times during his briefing with reporters on Wednesday before the announcement. These routes were groundbreaking when they launched in 2019 and 2021, respectively, and now they consistently rank among the best in United's international network.

Only time will reveal how well United's new destinations perform, but the airline is optimistic about their potential success.

"People look to United for guidance on where to travel. ... These are distinctive destinations that are hidden treasures. United has become a one-stop destination for all unique travel needs, whether for business, leisure, or honeymoons. Regardless of the purpose, travelers are turning to United," Quayle stated. (Even though United's network chief has just begun his own professional Instagram account, he still views "routes" as his true "content.")

Interestingly, four out of the five new flights from Newark will be serviced by narrow-body aircraft. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 does not offer lie-flat seats in the premium section (only standard domestic recliners), indicating that these routes are clearly aimed at leisure travelers.

Among the new transatlantic routes, only one will operate during daytime in both directions: the service to Nuuk in Greenland. Flights will depart Newark at 11:30 a.m. and arrive at 6:45 p.m. local time. The aircraft will stay overnight in Nuuk, departing the next morning at 8 a.m. and returning to Newark by 9:30 a.m.

Although the primary attention is on transatlantic routes, United has also been expanding its footprint at Tokyo's Narita International Airport (NRT), effectively transforming it into a hub for the broader region. The airline recently announced new flights from Tokyo to Cebu in the Philippines starting later this month, along with three additional short-haul regional routes from the airport.

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The latest announcement features new routes from Tokyo to Mongolia and Taiwan.

United states that its joint venture with All Nippon Airways will facilitate the success of these new routes. Additionally, these flights will cater to travelers seeking one-stop connections from the U.S.

"We're approaching Tokyo with a fresh perspective compared to how it has been viewed previously. I believe Tokyo is a significant asset for us. ... Analyzing the data, we found that much of the traffic used to connect through Beijing, but that's no longer the case. This is our opportunity to facilitate connections through Tokyo," Quayle clarified.

United introduces 13 new routes

Alongside the new destinations, United is also launching additional routes to existing locations for next summer. These include:

The two new routes from Dulles certainly align with a classic European expansion. While Nice and Venice may not attract as many tourists as London or Paris, many Americans still seek flights to these cities each summer, and United's new services are likely to fill up quickly.

Given that the airline already operates flights to these cities from Newark, it has a solid understanding of demand. Moreover, establishing a new gateway will provide travelers with additional connecting options from various locations across the U.S.

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Regarding the Tokyo-to-Koror route, United states that these flights will enhance its presence in Tokyo. The airline already services Koror from Guam and Manila in the Philippines.

United expands its short-haul international network

While there’s considerable attention on the new long-haul routes, United is not becoming complacent. The airline is also introducing several new short-haul international flights set to launch next year.

Kicking things off, a new weekly service from Houston to Puerto Escondido, Mexico, will begin on April 5, 2025. United will be the first and only airline to provide this connection. The flight will be operated by United's regional partner, Mesa Airlines, using an Embraer 175 aircraft.

Additionally, starting May 22, 2025, United will launch a daily flight from San Francisco to San Jose, Costa Rica, utilizing the Boeing 737 MAX 8. Once this service begins, United will provide flights to San Jose from all seven of its mainland U.S. hubs, making it the largest U.S. airline serving Costa Rica.

Although not mentioned in this announcement, United will also initiate flights from Newark to Dominica in the Caribbean on February 15, 2025, as previously reported by TPG.

United expands its existing portfolio

In addition, the airline will extend the operating season and upgrade certain aircraft on key European routes next year.

From Newark, the airline will restart flights to Athens on March 6, 2025; to Venice on March 29, 2025; and to Dubrovnik, Croatia, on May 1. Dubrovnik flights will shift to a daily schedule, while services to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, will increase to four times a week.

Moreover, on May 1, United will resume flights from San Francisco to Barcelona and from Chicago to Athens. The Athens route will be serviced by a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner, offering greater capacity than previously available.

Final thoughts

Ultimately, United will provide an impressive 800 daily flights to and from 147 international destinations, including 40 nonstop routes that no other major U.S. airline offers.

This expansion solidifies United's status as the largest international airline in the U.S. From exploring new opportunities in Greenland to increasing services to Italy, United aims to cater to all travelers next summer.

For the airline, initiatives like these bolster its overall value proposition.

"What we observe is that more unique offerings lead to better credit card sign-ups. The more distinctive our offerings, the more we set ourselves apart from competitors," Quayle noted.

While the airline has finalized its summer plans, Quayle and the network team are not slowing down. There are ongoing speculations that the airline will soon introduce flights to Bangkok and possibly Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Although those flights weren't part of Thursday's announcement, Quayle did hint at them during his comments.

"We may introduce additional West Coast flights later this year, so keep an eye out for updates," he mentioned.