United Airlines to add three new international routes from the San Francisco hub

United Airlines (Chicago) is adding three new routes from its San Francisco (SFO) hub. The airline issued this statement:

United Airlines, the U.S. airline with the most comprehensive route network and the most trans-Pacific service, will further expand its global reach with new nonstop service from San Francisco to:

• Tel Aviv, Israel, with service three times each week beginning March 30, 2016;
• Auckland, New Zealand, with service three times each week beginning July 1, 2016, expanding to daily service in October; and
• Xi’an, China, previously announced, three-times-weekly service beginning May 8, 2016, for the summer season.

Each new service is subject to government approval.

The airline intends to operate the new flights with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the world’s most advanced passenger airplane.

San Francisco-Tel Aviv: Linking High-Tech Markets

As part of United’s evaluation for serving San Francisco (SFO) to Tel Aviv (TLV) nonstop, the airline considered the opinions of thousands of customers who petitioned for the service through the SFOTLV.ORG petition effort.

Flight  From  To  Departure  Arrival
UA954 SFO TLV  8 p.m. We/Fr/Su 8:10 p.m. the next day
UA955 TLV SFO 12:55 a.m. Tu/Fr/Su 6 a.m. the same day

Flight times will be 14 hours, 10 minutes eastbound and 15 hours, 5 minutes westbound.

United has served Israel since 1999. The airline currently offers twice-daily Boeing 777 nonstop flights between Tel Aviv and New York/Newark.

San Francisco-Auckland

United’s three-times weekly service to Auckland (AKL), New Zealand’s largest city and main transportation hub to other points throughout the country, will launch July 1, 2016, with 787-8 aircraft. The schedule will expand to daily flights operating with 787-9 aircraft on Oct. 28, 2016, in time for the peak-winter travel season.

The Auckland flights will operate in partnership with United’s Star Alliance partner Air New Zealand.

Flight  From  To  Departure  Arrival
UA917 SFO  AKL 10:45 p.m. 6:55 a.m. two days later
UA916 AKL  SFO  1:20 p.m.  6:40 a.m. the same day

Flight times will be 13 hours, 10 minutes westbound and 12 hours, 20 minutes eastbound.

United in San Francisco

From its San Francisco hub, United operates nearly 280 daily flights to more than 90 destinations in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia/Pacific.

United’s 787 Fleet

United currently has 22 787 Dreamliners in its fleet and expects to take delivery of three more by the end of 2015.