United Airlines Announces New Routes from San Francisco and Los Angeles Hubs

CHICAGO, Oct. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines will begin new nonstop service from its two West Coast hubs on April 1, 2014, with twice-daily flights between San Francisco and Atlanta and between Los Angeles and Minneapolis.

"We're looking forward to giving travelers in Atlanta convenient access to this country's best and broadest trans-Pacific network at United's San Francisco hub, and to providing Minneapolis travelers with nonstop service to all eight of our North American hubs," said Jim Compton, United's executive vice president and chief revenue officer. "These new routes will provide customers nonstop access to two vibrant markets for business and leisure travel, and offer connecting service to western U.S. and Pacific destinations that no U.S. airline can match."

The daily schedules are as follows:

United will operate the Atlanta flights using Boeing 737-800 aircraft, and SkyWest Airlines will operate the United Express service to Minneapolis using CRJ700 regional jet aircraft. The aircraft for both routes will be outfitted with United First, United Economy Plus and United Economy seating.

Additionally, on April 1, 2014, United will add a new flight between San Francisco and Seattle and will convert all of its existing service on the route to mainline aircraft. This will bring the total number of departures each way to 11, and increase the number of United's seats available on the route by more than 50 percent.

United's San Francisco Hub

From San Francisco International Airport, United and the United Express carriers operate more than 300 flights each day to more than 90 cities in North America, Asia, Australia and Europe – more than any other carrier. With nonstop service from San Francisco to Beijing, Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo – and beginning next year to Taipei and Chengdu, subject to government approval – United's San Francisco hub serves more destinations across the Pacific with more nonstop flights from the United States than any other airline – nearly twice as many as any other airline from the West Coast.

United's Los Angeles Hub

United and the United Express carriers operate almost 200 daily flights from Los Angeles International Airport to nearly 55 airports across the United States and more than 10 international destinations in Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America and Canada, including service to London, Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo.

United's Modern Fleet Serves West Coast Hubs

In 2013, United introduced the modern new Boeing 787 Dreamliner on international routes from Los Angeles with flights to Shanghai and Tokyo. The airline intends to offer 787 service on routes from San Francisco, including the proposed Chengdu route, next year. With their smaller size, greater range, increased fuel efficiency and more customer-friendly features, the 787 gives United additional flexibility to serve international markets, such as Chengdu, which have never had nonstop service to the U.S. before, or to offer more frequent flights.

All of United's long-haul international aircraft offer a superior level of comfort and service. United Global First and United BusinessFirst cabins offer flat-bed seats with 180-degree recline and on-demand entertainment systems, as well as multi-course meals with complimentary premium wines and spirits. United is the only U.S. airline to offer flat-bed comfort in every premium-cabin seat on scheduled, long-haul flights from the continental United States.

United Economy Plus seats offer up to five inches of extra legroom, and both Economy Plus and United Economy seats feature adjustable headrests and personal seat-back monitors delivering a multi-channel inflight entertainment system on demand.

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate an average of 5,341 flights a day to more than 360 airports across six continents. In 2012, United and United Express carried more passenger traffic than any other airline in the world and operated nearly two million flights carrying 140 million customers. United is investing in upgrading its onboard products and now offers more flat-bed seats in its premium cabins and more extra-legroom economy-class seating than any airline in North America. In 2013, United became the first U.S.-based international carrier to offer satellite-based Wi-Fi on long-haul overseas routes. The airline also features DIRECTV® on 200 aircraft, offering customers more live television access than any other airline in the world. United operates nearly 700 mainline aircraft and has made large-scale investments in its fleet. In 2013, United will continue to modernize its fleet by taking delivery of more than two dozen new Boeing aircraft. The company expanded its industry-leading global route network in 2012, launching nine new international and 18 new domestic routes. Business Traveler magazine awarded United Best Airline for North American Travel for 2012, and readers of Global Traveler magazine have voted United's MileagePlus program the best frequent flyer program for nine consecutive years. According to the 4^th annual Switchfly Reward Seat Availability Survey published by IdeaWorksCompany in May 2013, United has the most saver-style award-seat availability among the largest U.S. global airlines. United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 195 countries via 28 member airlines. More than 85,000 United employees reside in every U.S. state and in countries around the world. For more information, visit united.com or follow United on Twitter and Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol UAL.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130404/MM89155LOGO)

SOURCE United Airlines