by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:40 AM ET, Tue November 10, 2020
In preparation for the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period, United Airlines is adding more than 1,400 domestic flights and monitoring bookings to swap in larger aircraft when needed to accommodate last-minute demand.
United officials revealed around 50 percent of customers flying with the airline during the holiday season are booking travel less than 30 days before departure. Last year, about 40 percent of Thanksgiving travelers booked less than 30 days before departure.
The carrier announced it would step up service to warmer weather and ski destinations, including cities in Florida, Hawaii, Colorado, Montana, Costa Rica, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
United expects to fly 48 percent of its overall schedule in December compared to 2019, adding more than 140 daily flights and increasing capacity on more than 350 routes.
"We know that for many customers, this holiday season may be their first time back on a plane since the start of the pandemic, and we're committed to helping provide flexibility and a safer, clean, travel experience," United vice president Ankit Gupta said.
"While this holiday travel season looks quite different than recent years, we're continuing to follow the same playbook we have all year long - watching the data and adding more flights, adjusting schedules and leveraging larger aircraft to give customers more ways to reunite with family or reach their destinations," Gupta continued.
The airline is also stepping up service to Hawaii for the holiday period, with flights being added between Los Angeles and Hilo, Chicago and Maui, and New York/Newark and Honolulu beginning December 17.
In December, United intends to fly 43 percent of its international schedule compared to December 2019, which is a four-percent increase from November. The airline has seen a rise in demand for beach destinations in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.
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