United Airlines anticipates record Labor Day travel with over three million passengers

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Global Industry News

United Airlines anticipates record Labor Day travel with over three million passengers

Policy

Scott Kirby, chief executive officer | United Airlines

By Sky Industry News

Aug 25, 2025

United Airlines is preparing for what it expects to be its busiest Labor Day travel period on record, with projections of around 3.1 million passengers flying over the six-day window from Thursday, August 28, to Tuesday, September 2. This figure marks an increase of approximately 220,000 travelers compared to last year and represents the highest number of passengers the airline has carried during this holiday.

The airline plans to operate nearly 4,500 flights daily across its network to accommodate the surge in demand. Daily passenger traffic is expected to average more than half a million, with peak days forecasted for Friday, August 29, and Monday, September 1—each anticipated to see about 550,000 travelers.

This uptick in activity comes at the end of a summer that United projects will set a new record for passenger volume. The airline estimates that nearly 50 million customers will have flown with United between June and August.

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International travel demand is also up this year. United reports that bookings for international flights during the Labor Day period are more than 10% higher than last year. Popular destinations include London, Frankfurt, Mexico City, and Cancun. New seasonal routes such as Palermo, Faro, and Bilbao are attracting additional travelers.

Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium indicates that United has scheduled 120 flights to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) from several major U.S. hubs including Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Denver International Airport (DEN), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). On the Newark–Heathrow route alone there will be seven daily departures during the holiday window.

United’s schedule includes significant service to Mexico as well: up to five daily departures from Houston to Cancun and six daily flights from Houston to Mexico City. In total, there are 90 scheduled flights from United to Cancun International Airport over the holiday period.

Domestically, United will operate its highest number of flights on the New York LaGuardia–Chicago O’Hare route with up to 15 daily departures except for nine on August 30. Another key domestic corridor is Newark–Chicago O’Hare with around 12 daily services each way.

To help manage the large crowds expected at airports during Labor Day weekend, United has introduced TSA PreCheck Touchless ID at twelve major airports including Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), Newark (EWR), Denver (DEN), and San Francisco (SFO). This system uses facial recognition technology for identity verification at security checkpoints in an effort to speed up passenger screening.

For travelers making tight connections between flights, United continues to use its ConnectionSaver technology which can delay certain departures briefly so connecting passengers can board their next flight. According to United Airlines: "so far this year, more than 700,000 customers have used these features, and over 90% successfully made their connections."