Cheaper flight costs on their way as United Airlines boosts routes

Airfares are expected to start plunging with United Airlines launching a new flight to Los Angeles and increasing ones from San Francisco to Brisbane and Sydney.

Flight Centre‘s Graham Turner said the new United Airlines routes would help cheapen airfares. Picture: Justine Walpole

Airfare prices are expected to soon start plunging with United Airlines decision to increase flights between Australian and New Zealand by 40 per cent by year end.

The non-stop services will include new routes from Los Angeles to Brisbane and Auckland, as well as beefed up flights from San Francisco to Brisbane and Sydney.

Australian carriers are currently operating at around 70 per cent of pre-Covid-19 capacity but Flight Centre managing director Graham Turner said the new United Airlines routes would ‘definitely’ help cheapen flight costs.

“Every bit helps. International capacity is still only 70 per cent of pre-Covid, we need to get it to 100 per cent or more of pre-Covid capacity,” Mr Turner said on Wednesday.

“This United announcement is good, it will help. It will definitely help reduce costs. And the other big one will be when the Chinese carriers start coming back in a significant way, their entry prices are lower to North America and Europe they are significantly cheaper.”

Mr Turner’s Flight Centre group is also supporting Qatar Airways’ recent bid to increase its slots from 18 to 36.

“We don’t have much say in airline slots, but it would be good for travellers, just as United Airlines announcement is positive for us,” he said.

In a statement on Wednesday, United Airlines said it serves more destinations in Australia and New Zealand than all US carriers combined.

This includes the introduction of the first non-stop flight between San Francisco and Christchurch to commence on December 1 with United to fly the route three times a week using a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

United also said it would be the only carrier to directly connect the US and the South Island of New Zealand.

With 66 flights between the US and Australia and New Zealand every week, United will operate nearly 40 per cent more flights from the US to Australia and New Zealand next northern winter versus last year, the carrier said.

United Airlines is adding new direct flights from Los Angeles to Brisbane and Auckland

and increasing services to the region from its San Francisco hub with daily flights to

Brisbane, twice daily flights to Sydney.

It is also flying larger aircraft to Melbourne.

United Airlines senior vice president Patrick Quayle added that United Airlines’ strong partnerships with Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia provided “unparalleled connectivity” given its expansion across five destinations in New Zealand and Australia.

“This past winter, United enhanced our network and became the largest carrier to

the South Pacific region. Now, this upcoming winter, we will expand even further,” Mr Quayle said.

United will also increase its flying from San Francisco to Brisbane and Sydney from October 28, offering daily flights on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and will be able to fly nearly triple the number of customers to Brisbane from the US than it did last year.

The airline will also fly twice daily between San Francisco and Sydney on Boeing 777-300ERs starting October 28.

United recently increased its Melbourne to San Francisco flights from ten to fourteen per week.

Originally published as Cheaper flight costs on their way as United Airlines boosts routes