United To Launch Chicago-Shannon Service, Boost Houston-London Options

CHICAGO, Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines today announced it will inaugurate five-times-weekly non-stop service between its Chicago hub and Shannon, Ireland, from Jun. 6 to Aug. 26, 2013, subject to government approval.

The airline will also launch a third daily service between its Houston hub and London Heathrow, effective Mar. 30, 2013.

"Our global network, which includes unmatched hub locations in the U.S. and the Pacific, sets United apart from our competitors," said Jeff Smisek, United's president and CEO. "These new flights offer travelers more choice and convenience, while our continuing investment in new aircraft, onboard products and services and technology results in a better travel experience for customers."

Chicago-Shannon
The Chicago-Shannon flight will depart Chicago O'Hare five times each week at 6 p.m., arriving in Shannon at 7:30 a.m. the following day. The return flight will depart Shannon at 11 a.m., arriving in Chicago at 1:05 p.m. the same day. United will operate the flight using Boeing 757-200 aircraft with a total of 169 seats – 16 in United BusinessFirst, 45 in United Economy Plus and 108 in United Economy. Eastbound service to Shannon will not operate on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Westbound service to Chicago will not operate on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Nonstop flights from Shannon to Chicago offer customers the added convenience of clearing customs and immigration pre-departure, enabling more efficient connections and a streamlined arrival process at Chicago O'Hare.

Houston-London
The additional Houston-London flight will depart Houston daily at 8:30 p.m., arriving at London Heathrow at 12:05 p.m. the following day. The return flight will depart London Heathrow daily at 1:05 p.m., arriving in Houston at 5:45 p.m. the same day. United will operate the service between Houston and London using Boeing 767-300 aircraft, with flat-bed seats, premium menu options and Economy Plus seats with additional legroom.  Tickets for the additional Houston-London service will be available for sale on Oct. 6. 

With the new flight, United will offer more nonstop flights between Houston and London than any other carrier.

New Domestic Service
United will also launch three-times-daily service from the Washington Dulles hub to Fayetteville, N.C. on Feb. 14, 2013, and once-daily nonstop service from the Chicago hub to Mobile, Ala. on April 9, 2013. United Express carrier ExpressJet will operate the Chicago-Mobile services. United Express carrier CommutAir will operate the Washington-Fayetteville services.

In addition to linking Mobile and Fayetteville with United's hub cities, the new domestic flights are timed to offer convenient connections at the hubs to United's global route network.

The Mobile and Fayetteville services will be available for sale on Oct. 6.

About United
United Airlines and United Express operate an average of 5,574 flights a day to 377 airports on six continents from our hubs in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Guam, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. In 2011, United carried more traffic than any other airline in the world, and operated more than two million flights carrying 142 million passengers. United is upgrading its cabins with more flat-bed seats in first and business class and more extra-legroom economy-class seating than any other airline in North America. United operates nearly 700 mainline aircraft and has orders for more than 270 new aircraft deliveries through 2022, including 50 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 25 Airbus A350XWBs, and 100 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. United was rated the world's most admired airline on FORTUNE magazine's 2012 airline-industry list of the World's Most Admired Companies. Readers of Global Traveler magazine have voted United's MileagePlus program the best frequent flyer program for eight consecutive years. United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 27 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.

SOURCE United Continental Holdings, Inc.