By Winston Shek
United Airlines Adds Three New Routes to Latin America, Caribbean
Amid an expected surge in travel demand to Latin America and the Caribbean this upcoming winter, United Airlines intends to add three new routes to the two regions from Chicago, Cleveland and Denver, per LiveandLetsFly.
From December 18, United Airlines will launch a Saturday-only flight from Cleveland to Nassau, Bahamas, on its Embraer E175 aircraft. Until 2012, the Chicago-based carrier operated a flight between Cleveland and Nassau, using an Embraer E145, when Cleveland was still a hub for United Airlines. Cleveland will be the sixth United Airlines destination for Nassau, as United Airlines serves Chicago, Denver, Houston, Newark and Washington Dulles from Nassau.
In addition, United Airlines plans to launch a Saturday-only flight from Chicago to Guatemala City, Guatemala, utilizing a Boeing 737-800, adding to Chicago’s extensive network to the Caribbean and Latin America. Previously, Avianca operated a service between Chicago and Guatemala City, marking its exit from the Chicago market. The Chicago-based carrier is the largest U.S.-based carrier in the Guatemala City market, intending to serve five destinations this winter, including Houston, Los Angeles, Newark and Washington Dulles.
Finally, United Airlines intends to add flights between Denver and Roatan, Honduras, from December 18 using its Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Currently, Roatan sees its only other United Airlines service via Houston.
| Origin | Destination | Departure Time | Arrival Time |
| Cleveland | Nassau | 9:05 A.M. | 12:10 P.M. |
| Nassau | Cleveland | 1:05 P.M. | 4:15 P.M. |
| Chicago | Guatemala City | 9:00 A.M. | 1:30 P.M. |
| Guatemala City | Chicago | 1:40 P.M. | 6:12 P.M. |
| Denver | Roatan | 10:00 A.M. | 3:20 P.M. |
| Roatan | Denver | 1:45 P.M. | 5:25 P.M. |
United Airlines’ Boeing 737-800 aircraft seats 150 passengers, with 16 business class seats and different variations of premium economy and economy seating. Meanwhile, United Airlines’ Embraer E175 features 76 seats, with varying seating configurations.
For the winter of 2021/2022, United Airlines has added two routes to the Caribbean, creating new flights from Barbados to Newark and Washington Dulles in December, and increased the frequency of its Latin American, Caribbean and Mexican portfolio. In total, the Chicago-based carrier plans to operate 167 daily flights during the wintertime to Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, representing a 26 percent capacity increase compared to winter 2019.
“Throughout the pandemic, Latin America has remained one of the strongest regions for United with leisure demand meeting or exceeding 2019 levels. We have been adding new flights to Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America since last summer and with today’s announcement, United will fly 20 new routes across Latin America that we did not operate in 2019 so our customers can enjoy more beaches and warmer weather,” Patrick Quayle, United’s Vice President of International Network and Alliances stated.
During the winter of 2020/2021, United Airlines boosted its route offering from the United States to Latin America and the Caribbean, adding eight routes to its network centered around growth in the Western United States. Primarily, it added flights between Denver and Belize City, Belize, and San Jose, Costa Rica; Los Angeles and San Pedro Sula, Honduras; San Jose, Costa Rica; and Liberia, Costa Rica; San Francisco and Liberia, Costa Rica; Washington Dulles and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Cleveland and Cancun.
Furthermore, United Airlines bolstered its offering to “warm-weather” destinations for the winter of 2021/2022, adding over 137 weekly flights domestically to destinations like Florida, Arizona, Nevada and more. For example, the Chicago-based carrier is flying 25 additional daily flights through its Newark hub to destinations like Fort Myers and Jacksonville.
Other carriers in the United States are gearing up for winter travel to Latin America, Mexico and the Caribbean. American Airlines revised its widebody schedules for the winter, placing its Boeing 787 Dreamliner on flights from Dallas, Miami and Philadelphia to Montego Bay, Jamaica, during the winter. Also, the Fort Worth Tex.-based carrier is utilizing its Boeing 777-200, from Charlotte and Miami to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; and from Dallas and Miami to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Ever since Winston was a toddler, he has always had a fascination for airplanes.From watching widebodies land at Washington Dulles to traveling the world, Winston has always had his eyes towards the skies.Winston began aviation photography in 2018 and now posts his photos occasionally on his Instagram account.He previously wrote for a blog.In his free time, Winston loves to play chess, do recreational activities, and watch sports.Looking into the future, Winston plans to service the aviation industry.
