By Taylor Rains
United Offering $70 Fares to Destinations Over 70 Degrees
After nearly a year of stay-at-home orders, people are desperate for a vacation, and many are thinking about beach destinations this spring and summer. Fortunately, on Tuesday, United Airlines announced that dozens of its routes would be on sale for as low as $70 beginning Mar. 5. The carrier is advertising “fares under $70 to destinations over 70 degrees” for one-way flights from its hubs in Chicago O’Hare, Denver, San Francisco, Houston/George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Newark Liberty and Washington Dulles. The airline is also offering discounted flights from some of its smaller markets, such as Orlando, Los Angeles and Austin.
United’s low-fare promotion includes 50 routes to over a dozen warm-weather destinations. The one-way flights cost as little as $70, equating to 7,000 miles plus $5.60 in taxes and fees. The $70 is actually for regular economy seats; for even cheaper fares, like in basic economy, customers can book basic economy for as low as $39. Here is the complete list of promotional routes:
- San Francisco to Phoenix, Los Angeles, Orange County, Ontario and Las Vegas
- Houston to Phoenix, Orlando, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Atlanta
- Chicago O’Hare to Phoenix, Orlando, Fort Myers, Tampa, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Baton Rouge
- Newark Liberty to Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Tampa, New Orleans, Las Vegas and Atlanta
- Denver to Phoenix, Tucson, New Orleans, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, Orange County, Ontario, Las Vegas, Burbank and Atlanta.
- Washington Dulles to Savannah and Los Angeles
- Los Angeles to Las Vegas and Phoenix
- Austin to Los Angeles
- Baltimore to Los Angeles
- Burbank to Phoenix
- Las Vegas to Los Angeles
- Ontario to Phoenix
- Orlando to Los Angeles
It is important to note that the reduced fares are not offered for all dates and departure times, so travelers will need to be flexible. However, if plans fall through, the carrier is still waiving all change fees.
The discounted routes come just as United added the Boeing 737 MAX back to its schedule. The aircraft are based in Denver and Houston and operate coast to coast, with the first flight completed on Feb. 11. Since its relaunch, United has been aggressive in its usage, with over 30 daily departures. In comparison, American Airlines, which was the first U.S. carrier to fly the jet again, started with only two daily flights from New York-LaGuardia to Miami.
The 737 MAX will be used on several routes, including a few of the promotional ones listed above. Specifically, the aircraft will appear on routes from Houston to Orlando, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and from Denver to Las Vegas. This is great for those eager to fly on the jet without breaking the bank.
Taylor Rains graduated from Florida Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Aviation Management in 2017. She has worked in the aviation industry for the past five years and has a specialty in safety analytics for part 121 airlines, but she has also worked for a part 135 company in Alaska. Her experience has allowed her to work in many areas of aviation, including airport operations, flight operations, security, inflight, dispatch, and maintenance. Taylor is also an avid traveler and has used her flight benefits to fly on as many airlines and aircraft types as possible. So far, her favorite flight has been aboard KLM’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
