United delays Heathrow-Boston but commits to UK and Ireland rebuild

The carrier had planned to launch the daily Boston route this year, ahead of JetBlue, which is also due to begin Boston-London as it breaks into the transatlantic market. However, the US travel ban on UK citizens meant United’s launch would now be delayed, its UK and Ireland sales director Bob Schumacher said.

He added the start would be “more than likely be the start of summer” next year. Boston is a JetBlue hub, but Schumacher said: “We believe it a strong enough point to point market. We believe it will be a very significant addition to our Heathrow schedule. It will take us to 19 flights a day from Heathrow.”

United is currently offering two flights a day from Heathrow to its hubs at Newark and Washington Dulles, plus daily services to Chicago, Houston and San Francisco. It will not serve its other hubs at Los Angeles or Denver from the UK “probably until early next year”, said Schumacher.

However, he said the pandemic meant the carrier had learned to add capacity at short notice as demand returned.

“We’re serving the most easterly points, that will likely be supplemented in December. These things are normally preordained a year in advance; that’s not the case today.”

In the regions, United currently plans only to reinstate Edinburgh-Newark next spring, using a single-aisle Boeing 757. “Edinburgh will be first, hopefully from the end of March,” said Schumacher.

Glasgow and Manchester would be back in the schedules “but not before summer 2022”, he added. The seasonal Edinburgh routes to Chicago and Washington would also return at some point.

“We have a fleet that can fly at a moment’s notice, but we will only do that when demand requires.”

In Ireland, United is flying Dublin-Newark and considering reinstating the Dublin-Chicago service but will not reintroduce Dublin-Washington until summer 2022.

“We’re keeping the light on; at some point we would love to go back to Shannon,” he said, but added this depended on US originating passengers who were 80% of Shannon sales.

He said uptake of premium cabins from leisure travellers across the UK and Ireland had been very high following the pandemic. “It is probably that people want to treat themselves or have a bit more space.”