United adds more international routes this summer due to strong demand
United said international bookings in March are already up 15% compared with a year ago
Travel expert says now is a ‘great time’ for the industry to spark excitement: Melanie Lieberman
Melanie Lieberman, senior travel editor at The Points Guy, breaks down airlines’ most enticing offers for consumers looking to save on their next vacation.
United Airlines is adding nearly two dozen new routes this summer in order to meet "soaring overseas travel demand."
The Chicago-based carrier announced Thursday that it's flying to 114 international cities this summer – including nearly 25 new routes – and expanding its flying by 25% compared with 2022 as demand for travel outside the U.S. continues to surge.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAL | UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS INC. | 94.01 | -0.62 | -0.66% |
International bookings on United are already up 15% in March compared with the same period in 2022, according to the carrier's booking data.
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Among the changes, United will add new service to Malaga, Dubai, and Stockholm. The carrier will have almost two dozen daily flights to London's Heathrow Airport and also provide service to Amman, the Azores, Palma de Mallorca and Tenerife.
Passengers wait for their luggage after arriving United Airlines flights at O'Hare International Airport on December 13, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Scott Olson/Getty Images / Getty Images)
There will also be additional flights to Rome, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Shannon, Edinburgh and Naples. United also noted that there will be additional flights to Australia, twice daily flights from San Francisco to Seoul, service from San Francisco to Hong Kong and 10 daily transpacific flights to Tokyo-Haneda, Tokyo-Narita and Osaka.
The news comes after United and Delta said they project record profit margins from the transatlantic market during the summer, according to Reuters.
STATE DEPARTMENT WARNS PASSPORT PROCESSING DELAYED AMID 'UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND'
Although cost pressures haven't eased for the travel industry, Americans have proven they are willing to travel no matter the cost.
United Airlines Boeing 777-222 takes off at Los Angeles international Airport on September 15, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. ((Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
According to travel app Hopper, "airlines and hotels alike have reported continued, surging demand for travel even despite increasing economic concerns and inflation."
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On top of that, the State Department recently announced that its experiencing "unprecedented demand" in American applications for passports, which is causing a backlog.
The federal agency warned that it could take more than four months to receive a passport given that it's receiving roughly 500,000 passport applications a week – a 30% to 40% increase from last year.