United Airlines is adding a total of 74 flights that are mainly targeted at Football fans. The airline is adding new routes, more flights and flying planes with more seats to give ‘diehard fans every chance to get in on action on their rival’s home turf’.
United in order to ‘meet an expected increase in demand for fans to travel to watch their favorite teams in person this season’ is adding 74 flights, including 52 new direct flights between college towns and professional football markets on gameday weekends between September and November. The Chicago-based carrier will operate three times more direct flights to college towns this year than it did in 2019.
Ankit Gupta, Vice President of Domestic Network Planning, United Airlines, said:
Nothing brings people together like the opportunity to cheer on the teams they love. This upcoming season, United is adding even more direct flights to college and professional football games than we’ve ever added before so our customers can reunite with the teams, tailgates and touchdowns they may have missed last season.
Passengers travelling on these flights will be able to enjoy United’s revamped customer experience onboard, including the option to pre-order snacks and drinks via its app. Additionally, change fees are also eliminated, so passengers need not worry if they are unable to travel last minute.
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More flights
United’s new flights target both professional and college football. For college football fans, United is adding 58 new flights including adding 44 point to point flights for 21 of their biggest away games. Some of these flights include:
September:
- Austin-Bentonville to see University of Texas at University of Arkansas
- Lincoln-Lansing to see University of Nebraska at Michigan State University
October:
- State College-Cedar Rapids to see Pennsylvania State University at University of Iowa
- Birmingham-College Station to see University of Alabama at Texas A&M University
- Greenville/Spartanburg-Syracuse to see Clemson University at Syracuse University
- Los Angeles-South Bend to see University of Southern California at University of Notre Dame
- Raleigh-South Bend to see University of North Carolina at University of Notre Dame
November:
- Baton Rouge-Birmingham to see Louisiana State University at University of Alabama
- South Bend-San Francisco to see University of Notre Dame at Stanford University
For diehard professional football fans, United has more flights in store for them. The airline will add 16 new direct flights for four of the most highly anticipated games of the early season, including flights between:
- Green Bay and New Orleans to watch two of the most proficient offenses square off opening weekend in the Big Easy on 12th September 2022
- Green Bay and San Francisco to witness the San Francisco 49ers host one of their fiercest conference rivals under the lights of Levi’s Stadium the weekend of 26th September 2021
- Tampa and Boston when the ‘GOAT’ returns to his old stomping ground on 3rd October 2021
- Buffalo and Kansas City to see the road team get a shot at revenge the weekend of 10th October 2021
These new point-to-point routes are yet more evidence of United flexing its schedules to point capacity where it sees the most demand. The carrier started to prepare for the return of air travel more than a year ago, matching its flying schedule to demand by maintaining close coordination between its network planning teams and the airline’s operating groups. It’s paying off in the capacity United is able to fly right now. In September, United will fly 88% of its 2019 domestic schedule.
For those who are interested in booking one of these 74 new flights, visit here.
Meanwhile, United is heavily investing on Carbon-Free aircraft. The airline recently announced that it will buy up to 50 Supersonic aircraft from BOOM Aerospace. The Chicago-based carrier is also investing in airplanes that have lower carbon emissions. It includes the airline’s recent order of 200 Boeing B737MAX and 70 Airbus A321neo aircraft. It is also eyeing flying electric aircraft by 2026.
The airline recently added nearly 150 flights to Warm-Weather cities for Winter season and three brand-new Transcontinental routes. United is now also offering the option to pre-order snacks and beverages including to Economy class passengers. It is also offering more than 40 weekly flights between United States and London in anticipation of high travel demand as the United Kingdom has scraped the mandatory quarantine for fully vaccinated Americans.
Featured image by Instagram/Abrusci Aviation Photography
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