United Airlines held an event for employees and media members at the end of this week. During this event, United announced many enhancements it will be making to its route network and passenger experience.

One of the key announcements from this event was the addition of new routes United is planning to launch four new routes, including one international route:

Chicago, Illinois (ORD) – Pasco, Washington(PSC)

Houston, Texas (IAH) – Spokane, Washington (GEG)

Chicago, Illinois (ORD) – Santa Barbara, California (SBA)

Denver, Colorado (DEN) – Nassau, Bahamas (NAS)

While it is not yet known as to what aircraft these new routes will be flown with, it is likely that the Chicago to Pasco service will be operated on an Embraer E175 aircraft. The remaining routes will likely be served by a mainline aircraft being either a Boeing 737 or A320 series aircraft. The Denver to Nassau service will be seasonal, as it is a prime destination for holiday and spring break travelers. The first flights on this route will be in March.

Route Expansion

The most significant route increase is on the Newark to London route. United will increase its service on this route to 6 daily flights, with hourly service from 6:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. All six daily flights will be operated using United’s premium Boeing 767-300 configuration, featuring 46 Polaris business class seats and another 22 premium economy seats.

A United Airlines Boeing 767-300 aircraft

As London Heathrow is slot controlled, United obtained the slot for this additional Newark flight from Star Alliance partner Lufthansa.

United also announced that it would increase service in between Newark and Washington D.C. to 13 times a day. This service will connect two of the largest business markets in the United States. Having frequent service between airports will also allow United to better compete with Amtrak, which offers rail service between New York and Washington. The Amtrak service operates 20 times a day, and takes about two and a half hours, but with fewer security regulations allowing passengers to move through the train stations quickly. These flights will transition to Embraer E175 and Bombardier CRJ 550 aircraft, offering first class on every flight.

Last, United will add summer service from Chicago to Vail, Colorado (EGE). Vail/Eagle Airport is the closest airport to Colorado’s numerous ski resorts and is typically only served in the winter from most cities. Resorts such as Vail and Breckenridge have worked to add year round attractions to their resorts including mountain biking and ziplining. This service will likely operate with an Embraer E175 aircraft.

Passenger Experience Enhancements

In addition to increased service, United also said that it would install new seats aboard its fleet of Embraer E145 aircraft. These aircraft fly primarily out of Houston, Denver, and Newark. Wireless streaming entertainment is also coming to these aircraft, although it is unknown if wifi service will be available for purchase on these aircraft.

A United Express Embraer E145 aircraft

In its app, United will allow passengers to make hotel and meal accommodations for delays. This eliminates the need to call the airline and wait on hold or stand in long lines to talk to an agent saving time and frustration,

Miles earned from flying United will deposit into passengers’ MileagePlus accounts as soon as the flight lands, allowing them to see up to the minute statistics. Before, it would typically take a few days to deposit the miles.

In the first of its type feature, United will also allow passengers to see a virtual aircraft when choosing their seats. This feature will allow passengers to choose their seats based on many things inclding proximity to the lavoratories, wings, engines, and boarding door. Including this virtual tour of the aircraft will also allow passengers to avoid seats with misaligned or missing windows as is common on Boeing 737 or Embraer E175 aircraft. A tweet from United showing a preview of this feature can be seen below.

Tour your ✈️ before you board. Our new virtual tour lets you experience seats + cabin features during the booking process. Live this weekend for flights on our CRJ-550 and on additional fleet types soon. So go on and select that perfect window (or aisle) spot. #UnitedFlightPlan pic.twitter.com/QcNpFDlKfN — United Airlines (@united) October 25, 2019

All Images by Alec Mollenhauer/Aeronautics Online