United is escalating competition with American Airlines in Chicago, announcing new service to two markets, just days after American disclosed plans to serve the same routes from the airport.
Beginning June 1, 2026, United will resume service between Chicago O’Hare and Erie, Pennsylvania, a route it last operated in May 2023. On June 8, the airline will launch new service to Tri-Cities, marking the first time United has served the eastern Tennessee market.
Both routes will operate three times daily during the summer season. United will also add an additional daily frequency to Lincoln, Nebraska, bringing that market to five daily departures from O’Hare. Tickets for all flights are now on sale.
The announcement follows American’s Thursday network update that it will add Chicago service to both Erie and Tri-Cities as part of a broader rollout of 15 new domestic routes for summer 2026. The carrier will also begin serving Lincoln.
Intensifying Competition
United’s move reinforces its long-stated strategy of expanding aggressively at O’Hare, where it expects to operate nearly 650 daily departures during peak summer travel next year.
“As we continue our steady growth at O’Hare, reaching nearly 650 daily departures during peak summer travel, we’re building on the strength of a global network that’s simply unmatched in Chicago,” said Mark Weithofer, United’s managing director of domestic network planning, in a news release. “Every new route we add expands the connection opportunities available to our customers and reinforces O’Hare’s role as one of the most important gateways in our system.”
With the additions of Erie and Tri-Cities, United said it has now announced 13 new destinations from Chicago O’Hare this year, following the recent unveiling of service to Clarksburg, West Virginia.
United has also expanded its local workforce alongside the network growth, hiring more than 2,000 employees in the Chicago area and bringing its total local headcount to more than 18,000. The airline expects to add another 5,400 employees in the region by 2027.
United recently received five more gates from the City of Chicago, which was contested by American in court. Earlier this month, American acquired two additional gates at O’Hare from Spirit.
