United Airlines Takes Big Step Toward Returning July Flying to Pre-Pandemic Levels

United to add 400 flights to July's schedule compared to June and operate 80% of pre-pandemic U.S. schedule

As international demand increases, United moves up service and adds fourth weekly flight to Dubrovnik, Croatia plus more seats to Athens, Greece

United remains the only U.S. carrier that makes it easy for customers to search, book and upload COVID-19 tests and vaccination records through its mobile app and website

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United Airlines

May 17, 2021, 07:00 ET

CHICAGO, May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines is announcing today more options for customers to take long-awaited summer vacations by adding more than 400 daily flights to its July schedule and increasing service to reopened European destinations. This is United's largest monthly schedule since before the pandemic - United plans to fly 80% of its U.S. schedule compared to July of 2019 – and bookings for summer travel are up 214% compared to 2020 levels.

In the U.S., United will add new routes to Bozeman, MT; Orange County, CA; Raleigh, N.C and Yellowstone/Cody, WY. The airline is also adjusting its flight times at its hubs at Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport to provide more convenient options for customers. Internationally, United is giving travelers more options to visit Europe from New York/Newark by adding an additional weekly flight to Dubrovnik, Croatia and operating a larger aircraft to Athens, Greece.

As customers travel internationally, United's mobile app and website provide a comprehensive list of entry requirements for destinations around the world and United remains the only U.S. carrier that makes it easy for customers to search, book and upload COVID-19 tests and vaccination records through its own digital platforms. The airline also was the first to set up an easy way for international travelers to bring a CDC-approved test with them, self-administer while abroad, and return home through an innovative collaboration with Abbott. To see how it works click here.

July Domestic Schedule

"This July we're taking a big step toward flying at pre-pandemic levels for our domestic network," said Ankit Gupta, vice president of domestic network planning and scheduling at United. "By adjusting our bank structures at two key hub airports, we're able to offer our customers easy connections to destinations across the U.S. so they can start their vacations at times convenient for them."

United is resuming and adding new routes and increasing its domestic network by 17% compared to its June schedule. United is adding flight banks in Chicago and Washington D.C. to provide customers with convenient connection options. In Chicago, the airline will add two new banks for a total of nine flight banks and more than 480 daily departures across the globe. In Washington D.C, United is adding a third bank to its operation, and will operate more than 220 daily departures.

July International Schedule

"As we start to see a strong desire from our customers to travel internationally to re-opened countries, we are excited to move up service and add a fourth weekly flight to Dubrovnik, Croatia," said Patrick Quayle, vice president of international network and alliances at United. "And with the additional seats we're adding to Athens, Greece, we continue to make creative adjustments to match our service with customer trends."

With customers continuing to book travel to re-opened destinations across the Atlantic, United is resuming and adding to its flights to Europe. United will move up its brand-new service between New York/Newark and Dubrovnik to July 1. United will resume daily service to Athens from New York/Newark in June, and in July will use a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft which includes United Premium Plus® seats. This builds on brand new service to Athens from Washington D.C. which will begin in July. United will also add a second flight from Washington D.C. to Frankfurt, providing an evening departure with one-stop connections to over 50 cities in Europe. Lastly, United is planning to resume service to Spain and Portugal with flights from New York/Newark to Barcelona, Lisbon and Madrid, subject to these countries re-opening to vaccinated tourists.

Committed to Ensuring a Safe Journey

United is committed to putting health and safety at the forefront of every customer's journey, with the goal of delivering an industry-leading standard of cleanliness through its United CleanPlus℠ program. United has teamed up with Clorox and Cleveland Clinic to redefine cleaning and health safety procedures from check-in to landing and has implemented more than a dozen new policies, protocols and innovations designed with the safety of customers and employees in mind. Customers can review COVID-19 entry requirements, find local testing options and upload any required testing and vaccination records for domestic and international travel, all in United's Travel Ready Center. United was the first airline to integrate all these features into its mobile app and website.

About United

United's shared purpose is "Connecting People. Uniting the World." For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter and Instagram or connect on Facebook. The common stock of UAL is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".

SOURCE United Airlines