Fifteen months ago, United Airlines announced significant growth plans for routes to Australia and New Zealand, becoming the largest airline serving Australia and surpassing Qantas. However, as noted by aviation watchdog JonNYC, the airline is now scaling back its operations.
".. IAH-SYD reduced from 7x to 3x weekly in November and December," tweeted JonNYC (@xJonNYC) on July 26, 2024.
United's current route network to Australia includes flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, as well as from Houston to Sydney. The seasonal second flight between San Francisco and Sydney will operate only for two months at three days a week instead of daily. Additionally, a smaller aircraft will be used for the San Francisco to Melbourne route, and there will be fewer flights from Los Angeles to Melbourne leading into peak season. Houston to Sydney will also see reduced frequencies.