United Adds New Long-Haul Route

United is once again adding to its long-haul network. On Wednesday evening, the Chicago-based carrier began selling a new route from its San Francisco (SFO) hub to Barcelona (BCN). The airline currently serves Barcelona regularly from Newark (EWR) and seasonally from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and Washington Dulles (IAD).

Starting on May 23, 2024, the airline will launch daily service from SFO to Barcelona with a Boeing 777-200 aircraft. The outbound flight is blocked at 11 hours and 30 minutes, departing SFO at 5:45 p.m. and arriving in Barcelona at 1:55 p.m. local time the following day. The longer return leg is slated to be 12 hours and five minutes, leaving Barcelona at 5:20 p.m., and then arriving in SFO at 8:20 p.m.

United will compete directly with low-cost carrier LEVEL’s seasonal SFO-BCN service. Besides Barcelona, United serves seven other European markets from its San Francisco hub.

Bolstering European Flights

United has been no stranger to expanding its European network in recent months. In October, the carrier announced that it would be operating its largest-ever transatlantic schedule in Summer 2024. Not only have several seasonal routes moved forward, but it also added new flights to  Faro, Portugal among others.

According to Cirium Diio data, United will operate the most flights between the U.S. and Europe of any airline in July 2024. The carrier has also been building up its presence in Spain as well with 30% year-over-year growth in the country, per Live and Let’s Fly.

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Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

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