United Just Made It Easier to Fly Nonstop to These 10 International Destinations

United Airlines is launching its biggest international expansion yet, with 10 new cities and additional routes to Europe and Asia starting in 2027.United Airlines announced the largest international route network expansion in its history on Tuesday. The announcement included 10 new international cities and three routes between existing cities on its network for the Spring and Summer of 2027. The new service includes one city in Japan, two each in Italy, France, and Spain, and one in Luxembourg, Portugal, and Slovenia. United will also add nonstop flights to Okinawa, Japan, from San Francisco.With the exception of Olbia and Catania, Italy, United will be the only airline with nonstop service to each of the cities from the United States. “The creative and strategic way we’ve expanded our international network since the pandemic has made all the difference, not only for our customers and employees, but also as a way to differentiate United and build a brand focused on customers,” said Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines in a statement provided to Fodor’s. “We offer the most flights across the Atlantic and Pacific and Newark is the best Atlantic gateway in the country–so far this year, it’s the most on-time airport in the New York City area. We’re going to keep building on that momentum as we welcome the new A321XLR to our fleet and continue to elevate the travel experience for every customer who chooses United.” Continue Reading Article After Our Video Recommended Fodor’s Video Here’s what to know about the new flights: Most of Them Are Summer-OnlyThe new destinations in Europe include Catania (Sicily) and Olbia (Sardinia), Italy; Ibiza and Valencia, Spain; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Luxembourg; Marseille and Toulouse, France; and Terceira, Portugal. Summer seasonal service for most of these destinations will end in September or October; Luxembourg is the only new city that will be served year-round. This can present logistical challenges for travelers traveling near the beginning or end of the nonstop seasons. Additional connections from these cities are typically available on United’s Star Alliance partner airlines, such as Lufthansa and SWISS, for dates the nonstop flight won’t operate. Few of Them Are DailyTravelers will want to pay attention to which days of the week they book their flights. Only Newark to Luxembourg, Washington Dulles to Toulouse, and Newark to Marseille are offered daily. The remainder of the flights will be flown three or four times a week. So, if a nonstop option doesn’t come up in a web search, check a day on either side, or be prepared to make a connection via a Star Alliance partner in Europe.Many Flights Are on Smaller Aircraft Many of the new flights will be operated onboard narrow-body aircraft, rather than the larger widebody aircraft common on many of United’s intercontinental services. Flights to Luxembourg, Toulouse, Ibiza, Valencia, and Marseille will be operated onboard United’s new Airbus A321XLR aircraft (which features a United Polaris cabin with lie-flat seats, and United Premium Plus in addition to United Economy). The flight to Terceira, in Portugal’s Azores Islands will be flown by a Boeing 737 MAX 8 (which does not have lie-flat seats) and the United First cabin on that aircraft will be sold as Premium Plus, United’s long haul international Premium Economy cabin; there will be no United Business or United Polaris Business offered on that flight. The Airbus A321XLR is a new addition to United’s fleet. The aircraft will offer a new United Polaris suite with a closing privacy door, free Starlink Wi-Fi for Mileage Plus members, a new snack bar in United Economy, and a row of Economy Plus seats with a blocked middle seat. The longer flights, including those to Ljubljana, Olbia, and Catania will be operated by widebody Boeing 767-300 or Boeing 767-400 aircraft, which also have a United Polaris cabin with lie-flat seats in ad. The much longer Transpacific flight to Okinawa will be operated three times weekly onboard a Boeing 777-200ER. United Is Also Expanding Flights to Existing DestinationsNot all the flights will be brand new cities for United. In the Summer of 2027, United will also add a new nonstop from Denver to Paris; from Washington Dulles to Milan; and from Los Angeles to Osaka, Japan. United will also restart nonstop flights from San Francisco to Tel Aviv, Israel.