United Airlines non stop USA to Cebu

[Jollygoodfellow]

United Airlines passengers will have new and expanded nonstop options starting this year as the carrier beefs up its already gigantic international network.

On Thursday, the Chicago-based carrier announced three new routes, including Newark, New Jersey, and Marrakesh, Morocco; Tokyo and Cebu, Philippines; and Houston and Medellín, Colombia.

United is the only US carrier flying nonstop to the Philippines, having entered the Manila market from San Francisco in October 2023 as part of its Asian expansion. It also flies to the capital city from Guam and Palau.

Medellín and Marrakesh expand United's growing network in Latin America and Africa, which already touches places such as Bogotá, Colombia; Accra, Ghana; and Johannesburg.

Most interesting is the Cebu service, which will operate from Tokyo's Narita International Airport as a "fifth freedom" route, United confirmed to Business Insider.

Established by the International Civil Aviation Organization, which writes standards for global aviation, in 1944, this is one of the universal "freedoms" of commercial air travel that governs how an airline from one country can fly to another.

The fifth freedom, in particular, gives airlines the right to transport people between two nations that aren't its own. Emirates flies between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Dubai International Airport via Milan.

Singapore Airlines flies between JFK and Singapore via Frankfurt, Germany.

In United's case, passengers traveling between Cebu and the mainland US can soon connect in Tokyo without changing airlines. The carrier will also have the right to transport local passengers flying between Cebu and Tokyo.

"We have consistently been ahead of the curve in finding hidden gem destinations for our customers to explore and remain committed to providing the most unique slate of travel options for their adventures abroad," Patrick Quayle, United's senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, said in a statement.

In addition to the three new markets, United announced restored flights between Los Angeles and Shanghai starting on August 29 as a four-times-weekly service before going daily in late October, pending government approvals.

It will also add a second daily flight on three routes: between Newark and Porto, Portugal, starting on May 23; between Los Angeles and Hong Kong, starting on October 26; and between San Francisco and Seoul, starting on October 27.

The new routes come as United continues to boast the nation's largest international network, saying it offers "more destinations across the Atlantic and Pacific than all US carriers combined."

Here's a closer look at United's three brand-new routes starting this year.

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/united-airlines-new-international-flight-routes-2024

[OnMyWay]

The title is a bit misleading as it says "non stop USA to Cebu" and it is non-stop Tokyo to Cebu.  USA passengers will have one stop in Tokyo.

[Mike J]

Here is a description of the new service that adds clarity.  

source = https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-continues-to-expand-global-network-introduces-three-new-international-destinations-and-four-new-flights-302082621.html

<snip>

United expands its presence in the Philippines with new year-round, non-stop service from Tokyo-Narita, starting July 31. United will be the only U.S. carrier to fly to Cebu with daily flights on 737-800 aircraft, which will have convenient connections from United's flights from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Newark-New York, and Houston to Tokyo-Narita. United is the only U.S. carrier to offer transpacific service to the Philippines with its daily flights between San Francisco and Manila, and also flies to Manila from Guam and Palau.

<end snip>