Fly in Comfort: United Airlines' Longest Routes

United Airlines' Five Longest Routes by Distance

United Airlines has been operating some of the longest routes in the world, with its fleet of 787 Dreamliners flying both transpacific and transatlantic routes. In fact, the airline's longest service has an average outbound duration of more than 16 hours. With multiple hubs scattered across the continental United States, this article will take an in-depth look at United Airlines' five longest routes by distance.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. San Francisco - Melbourne
3. Los Angeles - Melbourne
4. Washington Dulles - Cape Town
5. Newark - Johannesburg
6. San Francisco - Singapore
7. Conclusion

San Francisco - Melbourne (Flights UA60/61)

United Airlines' fifth-longest route by distance is the San Francisco to Melbourne service, with a direct distance of 12,638 km (7,853 miles). The average duration outbound is 15 hours and 27 minutes, while the average flight duration inbound is 13 hours and 24 minutes. This transpacific service is currently scheduled to depart San Francisco at 23:30 daily and arrive in Melbourne at 08:15.

The route was first announced in December 2018, with the service launching nearly a year later, at the end of October 2019. While this began as a three-times weekly service, it now operates once daily. The pandemic resulted in this route being suspended for about two years, but has since been reinstated.

Los Angeles - Melbourne (Flights UA98/99)

United Airlines' fourth-longest route by distance is the Los Angeles to Melbourne service, with a direct distance of 12,746 km (7,920 miles). The average duration outbound is 15 hours and 31 minutes, while the average flight duration inbound is 13 hours and 21 minutes. United began offering service to Melbourne from Los Angeles in 2014. The airline initially announced the launch of the route in February of that year, with the inaugural service taking place months later, in late October. The route first began as a six times weekly service, but now appears to have been trimmed down to three flights per week.

Washington Dulles - Cape Town (Flights UA2222/2223)

United Airlines' third-longest route by distance is the Washington Dulles to Cape Town service, with a direct distance of 12,751 km (7,923 miles). The average duration outbound is 13 hours and 48 minutes, while the average flight duration inbound is 15 hours and 20 minutes. United's Dulles to Cape Town service was launched post-pandemic, with the inaugural service taking place on November 17th, 2022. The route was announced in late July 2022 and was notably the first airline to fly non-stop between Washington D.C. and Cape Town.

Newark - Johannesburg (Flights UA188/187)

United Airlines' Second-longest route by distance is the Newark to Johannesburg service, with a direct distance of 12,855 km (7,988 miles). The average duration outbound is 13 hours and 46 minutes, while the average flight duration inbound is 15 hours and 35 minutes. Initially, this service was scheduled to commence on March 27th, 2021, but United pushed the date back to June 4th of the same year. Launched as a daily service, the flight from Newark to Johannesburg departs at 21:05 local time, arriving the next day at 17:45 the next day. It then departs Johannesburg at 20:00 local time to arrive back at Newark at 05:50.

San Francisco - Singapore (Flights UA1/2 & UA28/29)

United Airlines' longest route is the San Francisco to Singapore service, with a direct distance of 13,583 km (8,440 miles). The average duration outbound is 16 hours and 03 minutes, while the average flight duration inbound is 14 hours and 23 minutes. This route is unique among the others in that it is operated twice daily. UA29 is the first to depart San Francisco at 11:20 local time, with UA1 taking off nearly 11-and-a-half hours later at 22:55.

Conclusion

United Airlines' longest routes are all operated by the Boeing 787-9, with a published range of 14,010 km (8,705 miles). While these routes are some of the longest in the world, they are not impacted by airspace bans. The seating configuration of the 787-9 includes 48 seats in business class, 21 seats for its premium economy cabin, and 188 seats in economy class.

Have You flown on any of these routes before? What do you think of the Boeing 787-9 as the carrier's aircraft of choice? Share your thoughts and experiences by leaving a comment!

Highlights

• United Airlines operates some of the longest routes in the world, with its fleet of 787 Dreamliners flying both transpacific and transatlantic routes.
• The airline's longest service has an average outbound duration of more than 16 hours.
• United Airlines' five longest routes by distance are San Francisco - Melbourne, Los Angeles - Melbourne, Washington Dulles - Cape Town, Newark - Johannesburg, and San Francisco - Singapore.
• All of United Airlines' longest routes are operated by the Boeing 787-9, with a published range of 14,010 km (8,705 miles).
• The seating configuration of the 787-9 includes 48 seats in business class, 21 seats for its premium economy cabin, and 188 seats in economy class.

FAQ

Q: What is United Airlines' longest route? A: United Airlines' longest route is the San Francisco to Singapore service, with a direct distance of 13,583 km (8,440 miles).

Q: What aircraft does United Airlines use for its longest routes? A: United Airlines operates all of its longest routes with the Boeing 787-9.

Q: How many Dreamliners does United Airlines have in its fleet? A: United Airlines currently has over 70 Boeing 787s in its fleet, with 38 of the midsize -9 variant.

Q: What is the seating configuration of the Boeing 787-9? A: The seating configuration of the Boeing 787-9 includes 48 seats in business class, 21 seats for its premium economy cabin, and 188 seats in economy class.