April 2 (UPI) — United Airlines on Wednesday announced expanded service to Asia, becoming the only U.S. carrier with daily flights to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Bangkok, Thailand. The new service will begin on Oct. 26.
Flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco will travel to Hong Kong and then go to the new destinations. The flights will operate on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which typically has 257 seats in four classes.
More than 35 million international tourists visited Thailand in 2024, which is a 24.3% rise in one year. Meanwhile, Vietnam saw 17.5 million arrivals, which is a 39.5% gain.
United will offer flights from the United States to 32 different cities in the Pacific region — four times that of any other U.S. carrier, the airline said.
“At United, we’re changing the way people think about where they travel — by offering the greatest access to see and explore the world, whether it’s for relaxation, adventure or business,” Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President, Global Network Planning and Alliances at United, said in a news release. “We offer more than the best schedule and travel options — we connect customers to sought-after destinations and opportunities to explore new, vibrant cities.”
Also starting Dec. 11, United will launch the first nonstop flights between the United States and Adelaide, Australia, in time for that continent’s summer. The tri-weekly seasonal service on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will make United the leading carrier to Australia from the continental United States.
United also offers service to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
United will be adding a second daily flight between San Francisco and Manila starting Oct. 25. Travelers from both cities will have the option of a daytime or evening flight. United is the only U.S. airline to serve the Philippines — with service in Manila and Cebu. The flights will be aboard a Boeing 777-300ER with 350 seats in four classes.
As the world’s leading carrier across the Pacific, the airline served more than six million business and leisure passengers in the region last year.
In May, United will launch five new nonstop flights from its hub in Newark/New York to destinations: Nuuk, Greenland; Palermo, Italy; Bilbao, Spain; Madeira Island, Portugal and Faro, Portugal. The airline also is adding three new nonstop routes from Washington D.C./Dulles, including its first flight to Dakar, Senegal in West Africa, operating year-round, and new seasonal nonstop flights to Nice, France and Venice, Italy.
United, with more than 4,343 flights a day worldwide, also has hubs in Chicago, Denver and Houston.
