United Airlines' 22-hour flights: A closer look at the carrier's longest routes
United Airlines is expanding its long-haul network with 13 new routes, including some of the world's longest flights. The airline's 89 Boeing 787s, consisting of 56 787-9s, 21 787-10s, and 12 787-8s, are key to this expansion. With an average age of 7.2 years, the 787s are a significant part of the airline's widebody fleet, accounting for 37%.
The longest routes include LAX to Bangkok via Hong Kong, LAX to Ho Chi Minh City via Hong Kong, SFO to Singapore, Houston to Sydney, Delhi to Newark, Johannesburg to Newark, SFO to Adelaide, Cape Town to Washington Dulles, Cape Town to Newark, LAX to Melbourne, SFO to Melbourne, and EWR to Seoul Incheon. These routes are operated with a maximum block time of 21 hours and 40 minutes, including taxiing, flight time, and short delays.
United's decision to fly to Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City via Hong Kong is strategic. The airline wanted to capture the huge amount of traffic flowing from the mainland US to these Southeast Asian cities. By extending its twice-daily service to Hong Kong, United reduced risk and expenses compared to launching ultra-long-haul flights. However, the two-stop offering may not be very competitive.
The extension helped improve the load factor on United's LAX-HKG route. In the 12 months to September 2025, the load factor was 63.4%. After the extension, the load factor jumped to 85.5% in November 2025 and 95.4% in March 2026. This improvement suggests that the extension was successful in attracting more passengers.
However, United's vocal comments about Delta Air Lines' likely performance on the LAX-HKG route are interesting. Delta launched a daily nonstop service from LAX-HKG in June 2026, and United filled only six out of ten seats. This raises questions about the effectiveness of United's strategy and the competitive landscape in the long-haul market.
In conclusion, United Airlines' 22-hour flights are a significant part of its long-haul network expansion. The airline's strategic decision to fly to Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City via Hong Kong has improved the load factor on the LAX-HKG route. However, the competitive landscape and the effectiveness of United's strategy remain questions that need further analysis.
