United Airlines to Launch San Francisco-Taipei, Boost Houston-Tokyo Service this Weekend

SAN FRANCISCO and HOUSTON, March 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines is expanding its extensive trans-Pacific network this weekend, connecting its San Francisco hub with Taipei, Taiwan, beginning Saturday, and launching a second daily flight between Houston and Tokyo on Sunday.

United will host inaugural gate events in both San Francisco and Houston, marking the importance of these flights to tourism and economic development.

United will operate both services with Boeing 777-200 aircraft. The aircraft flying San Francisco-Taipei will offer 269 seats – eight in United Global First, 40 in United BusinessFirst and 221 in United Economy, including 113 extra-legroom United Economy Plus seats.

The aircraft flying Houston-Tokyo will offer 267 seats – 50 in United BusinessFirst and 217 in United Economy, including 72 United Economy Plus seats.

In United Global First and United BusinessFirst, United offers customers seats that recline into fully flat beds, personal on-demand entertainment, in-seat power and USB ports, enabling travelers to rest or to be productive in-flight. Customers in United Economy also enjoy personal, on-demand entertainment at every seat and in-seat power.

United is the only U.S. airline to offer the comfort of flat-bed seats in its premium cabins on every long-haul, international flight from the continental United States. The airline also offers more extra-legroom economy seating than any U.S. airline.

These Taipei and Tokyo additions come as United plans to introduce three-times-weekly Boeing 787 service June 9 between San Francisco and Chengdu, China, pending government approval. This nonstop service would be the first by a U.S. airline from the United States to mainland China, beyond Beijing and Shanghai. The company also plans to offer, subject to government approval, nonstop Boeing 787 service between Los Angeles and Melbourne, Australia, six times weekly beginning Oct. 26.

"With the most extensive route network, the broadest alliances and hubs in the largest U.S. cities, United offers travelers more choices to more of the world than any other U.S. airline," said Jim Compton, United's vice chairman and chief revenue officer. "The new Taipei and Tokyo services strengthen our commitment to the Pacific, where United is already the leading U.S. carrier, and to the San Francisco and Houston hubs."

San Francisco-Taipei Service

Beginning Saturday, flight 871 will depart San Francisco daily at 1:50 p.m. and arrive in Taipei at 6:30 p.m. the next day. For the return, flight 872 will depart Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport daily at 11:10 a.m. and arrive at San Francisco International Airport at 7:30 a.m. the same day. (All times are local.)

With the addition of Taipei, the airline will offer nonstop flights between San Francisco and eight cities in the Asia-Pacific region.

United is the largest carrier at San Francisco International Airport, offering nearly 300 daily flights to more than 90 destinations worldwide, more than any other airline from the Bay Area. From its San Francisco hub, United also offers more nonstop trans-Pacific service to and from the United States than any other airline, with nonstop flights to Taipei, Beijing, Hong Kong, Osaka, Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai and Sydney.

Houston-Tokyo Service

Beginning Sunday, flight 1 will depart Bush Intercontinental at 9 a.m. and arrive at Tokyo's Narita International Airport at 12:35 p.m. the next day. The return flight 2 will depart Tokyo at 6:55 p.m. and arrive in Houston at 4:55 p.m. the same day.

The second Tokyo frequency complements United's existing daily Houston-Tokyo service, which began in 1999. The Tokyo flights offer convenient round-trip connections at Narita to the airline's flights to Guam, Seoul and Singapore, as well as to flights operated by United's joint-venture partner ANA to 19 destinations in Asia, including Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Taipei.

Houston's location in the middle of the Americas makes it the perfect gateway to Latin America. This additional flight to Japan's capital is timed to provide travellers with convenient connections to and from many cities across the region, offering a new option for travellers shuttling between Japan and Central and South America. From Houston, United and United Express offer nearly 560 daily flights to 176 destinations around the world, including top business and leisure travel markets in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. The Houston hub is United's premier gateway to Latin America, with service to 51 destinations across Latin America and the Caribbean.

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate an average of more than 5,300 flights a day to more than 360 airports across six continents. In 2013, United and United Express carried more passenger traffic than any other airline in the world and operated nearly two million flights carrying 139 million customers. United is delivering a more flyer-friendly experience, offering more premium-cabin flat-bed seats and extra-legroom, economy-class seating than any airline in North America. In 2013, United became the first U.S. global carrier to offer satellite-based Wi-Fi, including on long-haul overseas routes. The airline also features DIRECTV® on more than 200 aircraft, with more live television access than any airline in the world. United operates nearly 700 mainline aircraft and, in 2014, will take delivery of 35 new Boeing aircraft and welcome the E175 aircraft to United Express. Business Traveler magazine awarded United Best Airline for North American Travel for 2013, and readers of Global Traveler magazine have voted United's MileagePlus program the Best Frequent-Flyer program for 10 consecutive years. Air Transport World named United the Eco-Aviation Airline of the Year Gold Winner in 2013. 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.

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SOURCE United Airlines