United Airlines adds new route from Dulles; introduces premium plane to Athens

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Global Industry News

United Airlines adds new route from Dulles; introduces premium plane to Athens

Research

Tarah Chieffi Senior writer | The Points Guy

By Sky Industry News

Oct 16, 2024

United Airlines is expanding its network with a new domestic route and deploying its premium aircraft to a new destination. The airline will begin flights between Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C., and Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) on December 19, 2024. The daily service will depart IAD at 5:30 p.m. and arrive in SLC at 8:20 p.m., with the return flight leaving SLC at 11:30 p.m. and reaching IAD by 5:30 a.m.

The route will feature different aircraft depending on the season, including the Airbus A319, Airbus A320, and Boeing 737-700 for the 1,827-mile journey. Delta Air Lines also operates flights between these airports, which could lead to competitive fares.

United last operated this route in December 2013. In addition to this new flight from its Dulles hub, United plans to use its "high-J" Boeing 767-300ER for flights between Newark and Athens starting March 31, 2025. This marks the first time United has scheduled this configuration for Athens.

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The high-J Boeing 767-300ER offers a premium-heavy setup with 167 seats, including Polaris business-class pods, Premium Plus recliners, Economy Plus seats, and standard economy seats. Previously used on routes like Newark to London Heathrow, this variant targets strong business markets but is now being tested on leisure routes like Athens.

This shift reflects an industry trend towards catering to premium leisure demand. Whether United's strategy will succeed remains uncertain but could increase availability of business-class upgrades or award seats to Athens next summer.