United Airlines Brings 3 New Routes to Australia and New Zealand

United Airlines is expanding dramatically in the South Pacific, unveiling several additional flights to both Australia and New Zealand.

These new routes place United strongly as the chief U.S.-based carrier to the South Pacific. Not to mention, the carrier’s partnerships with Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia provide plenty of connection opportunities for all 3 airlines.

Here’s a look at all of the new routes to look forward to this fall and winter!

San Francisco (SFO) to Christchurch (CHC): 3x Weekly

Starting December 1, United is introducing nonstop service from San Francisco (SFO) to Christchurch in New Zealand (CHC). The carrier will operate the route to the South Island 3x weekly on a Boeing 787-8 aircraft.

While American had previously announced service from Dallas, it was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, United’s new route will be the first-ever service to connect Christchurch and the U.S.

Los Angeles (LAX) to Auckland (AKL): 4x Weekly

United will also begin flying between Los Angeles (LAX) and Auckland (AKL) 4x weekly on a Boeing 787-9 aircraft. This route will begin on October 28, 2023, which is when Delta Air Lines will also begin flying between the 2 city pairs.

Los Angeles (LAX) to Brisbane (BNE): 3x Weekly

Following the heels of its recently launched service from San Francisco (SFO), United will also offer a new route between Los Angeles (LAX) and Brisbane (BNE) on a Boeing 787-9 aircraft starting November 29, 2023.

Furthermore, its partner Virgin Australia is based out of Brisbane (BNE), so this route will be essential for connecting traffic in and out of Brisbane.

Additional Services from San Francisco (SFO) to Brisbane (BNE) and Sydney (SYD): Up to 2x Daily

That’s not all for the Chicago-based carrier. United will also increase frequencies on its Brisbane service from San Francisco (SFO) to daily. Additionally, the carrier will introduce an additional daily flight to Sydney on a larger Boeing 777-300ER plane.

Both services start on October 28, 2023.

Upgrading Aircraft on San Francisco (SFO) to Melbourne (MEL)

Last but not least, United is upgrading its aircraft that flies to San Francisco (SFO) to Melbourne (MEL) route, to a much larger Boeing 777-300ER. This will add about 100 extra seats a day to Melbourne, the second busiest airport in Australia.

Final Thoughts

This expansion is an enormous undertaking for a U.S. carrier, providing quite a bit of competition to the United and Qantas partnership that already operates many of these routes. As such, United is clearly positioning itself as the dominant U.S. carrier to Australia.