United is definitely the US airline with the most expansive network. Out of its hubs in Newark, Chicago, Houston, LA and San Francisco, plus operations in the Pacific, it serves 139 international destinations, on top of many domestic destinations. And as of next year, 8 entirely new destinations will be added that, increasing the total number to 147.

The expansion comes predominantly out of Newark EWR. None of these routes are currently served by US airlines, and some of these destinations have ever seen service on a US airline. An overview of the new routes:

Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances at United, has said the following about these expansions:

“No other airline gives customers nonstop access to as many unique international destinations and experiences from the U.S. as United. Our network provides the most choice and variety for our customers, whether they are looking for a relaxing seaside getaway, once-in-a-lifetime adventure travel or to explore some of the most vibrant urban escapes across the globe.”

hats up to Patrick Quayle for spearheading these sorts of destinations! United has certainly become the most well-connected airline in the US, but this is taking it up a notch, with some rather ‘adventurous’ and exciting destinations.

To me, the most fascinating of these destinations are certainly the flights to Ulaanbaatar and Nuuk. No US airlines has ever served these destinations. Especially Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, given that it is a direct connection from the US. This is made possible by the soon-to-be-opened new airport that will serve Nuuk and will also allow Greenlandic airline Air Greenland to move it Europe-bound A330 widebody service to the nation’s capital city. I don’t know about you, but I’d be mighty tempted to fly there, if the cost is reasonable!

For Ulaanbaatar(and Kaohsiung, for that matter), one would need to fly to Tokyo (Narita) first, to then connect onto flights to those destinations. This seems to have been made possible by some shuffling in United’s Pacific operations, by reducing frequencies to and from Guam. Those flights were operated by Boeing 737 aircraft, which have been seemingly reassigned to Tokyo to fly these new routes. United is essentially unrivaled by other US airlines, in that it will now allow one-stop service, entirely on its own aircraft, from the US to Mongolia.

In addition, some currently served destinations will see expanded service:

The addition of the European routes seem to fit into the more traditional European expansion that US airlines typically provide for the summer season, especially seeing as these are seaside destinations in warmer climates. these are welcome destinations, but perhaps not all that novel or exciting?

What do you think about these new destinations? See something you’d fancy flying to? let me know in the comments!