United Airlines adds more Pacific routes as travel demand climbs

United Airlines on Tuesday announced the addition of more flights to the Asia-Pacific region. 

The airline said it would become the first U.S. airline to fly direct to Manila in the Philippines from the continental U.S., also adding more nonstop flights to Hong Kong, Tokyo and Taipei.

These flights are scheduled to start in October.  

On Oct. 28, United will launch a new service between Los Angeles and Hong Kong. The flight will operate daily on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. 

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Starting on the next day, the airline will fly between San Francisco and Manila. The new flight will operate daily on a Boeing 777-300ER, its largest airplane.

United said it will resume nonstop flights between Los Angeles and Tokyo/Narita on a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner, also increasing flying to Taipei on a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft with a second daily annual service from San Francisco. 

The Chicago-based airline will serve a total of 15 long-haul international destinations across the Pacific this winter. 

United noted that – excluding mainland China flying – its transpacific network will be 50% larger than all other U.S. airlines combined. 

This expansion comes after the airline added 40% more flights between the U.S. and Australia and New Zealand, in what it called the largest South Pacific network expansion in aviation history. 

This upcoming northern winter, United will operate 66 flights between the U.S. and Australia and New Zealand every week. 

This season, United said it is flying its largest-ever schedule across the Atlantic – a 32% increase over its 2019 schedule.