United Airlines unveils 14 new domestic and international routes with no competition on 10

Without much fanfare, United Airlines has unveiled 14 new domestic and international routes, four of which will be year-round, while the remainder of the new itineraries will be seasonal connections covering the summer holidays. Out of the 14, four routes will have competing airlines, current airline schedules showed.

On January 15, 2026, Patrick Quayle, the Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances at United Airlines, confirmed in a social media post that United Airlines would be launching 14 new routes, comprising five year-round and nine seasonal services.

All 14 will be flown from the airline’s hubs, namely Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Denver International Airport (DEN), Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), or Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).

In addition to announcing the new routes, Quayle teased that the carrier still has “a lot in store for 2026,” with the executive being excited to “share just a few of our many plans to better connect travelers to the people and the experiences that inspire them.”

Year-round routes from IAH, DEN, and LAX

Out of the five year-round routes, three are going to originate at LAX, offering travelers another choice when traveling from the airport to John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH), Kansas City International Airport (MCI), and Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT).

LAX-CMH and LAX-PIT are scheduled to start on March 29, while LAX-MCI will begin on April 29.

United Airlines’ three new daily LAX routes will have competitors, Cirium’s Diio Mi showed. In April, American Airlines has scheduled daily flights between LAX and CMH, as well as six weekly departures from LAX to PIT.

Breeze Airways has also planned three weekly departures on the LAX-PIT route between May and August. The airline has not filed its schedules beyond September.

Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines have scheduled double-daily and 10 weekly departures between LAX and MCI, respectively, per Cirium’s Diio Mi.

The other two year-round routes will offer direct daily connections from IAH to Bradley International Airport (BDL), starting May 21, and from DEN to Albany International Airport (ALB), beginning April 30.

Cirium’s Diio Mi indicated that Southwest Airlines has a year-round service on the latter route, which is scheduled to be operated up to daily between June and September. Southwest Airlines has not published its full schedule beyond October yet.

Seasonal routes from United’s hubs

The other nine seasonal routes will have no competition, analysis of Cirium’s Diio Mi data showed. The following routes will only be flown on Saturdays.

Between May 23 and August 8, Houston-based travelers will have the option to fly to Spokane International Airport (GEG) and Burlington International Airport (BTV). 

From DEN, the DEN-Bangor International Airport (BGR) route is scheduled between June 27 and September 5, while the DEN-Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) connection will begin on May 23 and end on August 8.

United Airlines is also opening up two new Canadian connections from IAD. Beginning on May 23, passengers flying from the airport will now have the option to fly to Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) and Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), with the routes ending on September 19 and October 24, respectively.

While IAD-YHZ has no competition, American Airlines does offer a seasonal link from Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) to YHZ, which goes up to daily in September, according to Cirium’s Diio Mi.

Nevertheless, United Airlines is also expanding its presence at Portland International Jetport (PWM), scheduling flights from the airport to LAX and SFO between June 27 and September 19.

During the same period, the carrier will feed traffic from PWM to DEN, IAD, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), IAH, and ORD as well.

The last new connection is from ORD to Yellowstone Regional Airport (COD), serving Cody, Wyoming, with United Airlines already offering COD to DEN itineraries, including up to four daily departures in July and August.

According to COD, it is the “closest airport to” Yellowstone National Park.