When the pandemic suddenly disrupted the travel industry in spring 2020, airports fell largely silent and planes flew with plenty of vacant seats (not to mention the middle seats blocked out entirely for social distancing purposes). Amid so much uncertainty and restrictions on travel—plus significantly reduced demand—airlines slashed flights from their schedules. But with Covid in retreat and travel demand roaring back, United is bringing back some of its former offerings, and boosting others, meaning overall many more options for travelers. Ready on to find out the details of the carrier's plans.
RELATED: If You're Offered This on a Plane, Just Say No, Flight Attendants Warn.
United Airlines is bringing back multiple nonstop flights from San Francisco to destinations across North America and Europe.
ShutterstockUnited Airlines will bring back multiple flights from San Francisco international airport (SFO) to destinations across North America as well as in Europe, according to San Francisco Business Times. United, which is the biggest carrier serving San Francisco, is also boosting service from the airport to other major metros along the U.S. West Coast.
RELATED: Never Say These 4 Words to the Person Next to You on a Plane, Expert Warns.
Much of United's expanded nonstop service is slated to roll out in May and June.
iStockUnited will resume domestic flights from SFO to Atlanta on May 6, and from SFO to Anchorage and Columbus, Ohio, on June 3. Internationally, United plans to restart its nonstop service from SFO to Amsterdam on April 14; SFO to Zurich on May 6; and SFO to and from Calgary on June 3.
“As the largest airline carrier in the Bay Area, United can connect customers to far off destinations like Paris, London, and Sydney, but we also want to offer more convenient flight options for customers who are traveling closer to home,” United spokesperson Maddie King said, according to the outlet.
RELATED: If You Hear This on Your Plane, It Might Be an Emergency, Flight Attendant Warns.
United has already rolled out beefed-up SFO service to some cities.
iStockUnited has already resumed service from SFO to Toronto. This route last operated in the early days of the pandemic in the spring of 2020 when the novel coronavirus disrupted the entire travel industry. They also restored its nonstop service to Baltimore and Pittsburgh from SFO over the weekend.
RELATED:For more up-to-date travel news, sign up for our daily newsletter.
United is also upping the frequency of some daily routes from SFO.
ShutterstockIn addition to its plans to resume nonstop flights from SFO, United will up its frequency of flights to London Heathrow airport to three times a day on May 28. (It already boosted service to two daily flights this past weekend.) SFO to Frankfurt flights will depart twice daily beginning on April 23. And nonstop flights to Tel Aviv be available daily beginning on May 4.
United is also upping the frequency of flights from SFO to multiple major West Coast cities beginning on June 3. For instance, United’s SFO service to Vancouver will go from twice per day to a whopping five times daily. Flights to Los Angeles international airport (LAX) will go from seven times daily to nine.
Other West Coast cities will see one additional daily flight from SFO—that means seven daily nonstop to San Diego (from six) and Portland and Seattle to six (from five) each.
SFO isn't the only major airport to get new flights: Back in October, United announced five new international destinations coming to its flight offerings this summer with departures from the U.S. East Coast. The major expansion will include routes to Spain, Portugal, Norway, and Jordan.
RELATED: Never Forget to Do This After Your Flight Lands, Flight Attendant Warns.
