Europe's
sought-after markets are a cultural tradition that attract millions
of visitors from around the world each year with festive offerings
like mulled wine, artisan crafts, live music, picturesque scenery
and more
World's largest airline gears up for its
busiest holiday travel season on record, offering more nonstop
flights to European destinations than any other U.S. airline and
connecting travelers to some of the most popular holiday markets
through its airline and rail partnerships
According to a recent survey, more Americans
are spending their holiday budgets on unique experiences instead of
gifts
CHICAGO, Nov. 19,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- United today reported bookings
to European destinations are up nearly 30% compared to 2019 and up
almost 10% versus last year, as more Americans opt to spend their
holiday dollars on experiences. According to a recent Deloitte
survey, consumer spending on holiday experiences is expected to
rise 16% this year, while spending on physical gifts remain
flat.
Europe's markets are a cultural
tradition dating back hundreds of years, and millions of people
from around the world visit them annually to experience festive
offerings like mulled wine, artisan crafts, live music, picturesque
scenery and more.
As the world's largest airline, measured by available seat
miles, United is ready for its busiest holiday season ever and
plans to offer nearly 60 nonstop flights each day from its U.S.
hubs to Europe in November and
December, more than any other U.S. airline. Connecting travelers
can visit even more Christmas markets with United's partners,
offering seamless connections through the air with Lufthansa Group
or by rail with Deutsche Bahn.
"The European Christmas markets have become even more popular in
recent years and no airline makes it easier than United to get away
and visit for the holidays," said Darren
Scott, United's Director of Atlantic and Hawaii Planning.
"Stay for a week or make it a long weekend with nonstop flights and
easy connections to more than 130 European cities, including the
legendary markets in Dresden, Strasbourg, Vienna and Cologne."
United's Festive Holiday Schedule
United's most popular European destinations during the holiday
period include London,
Frankfurt, Munich, Paris and Brussels – and as the world's largest
airline, United offers more nonstop flights to Europe than any other U.S. airline. Holiday
schedule highlights include:
- Daily nonstop flights to 16 European cities with holiday
markets from United's U.S. hubs, including Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Edinburgh, Zurich, Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Paris
and more, and nearly 60 nonstop flights each day from U.S.
hubs.
- More nonstop flights than any other U.S. airline to
Frankfurt, Munich and Brussels.
- Only U.S. airline with year-round nonstop flights to
Geneva and Berlin.
- Seventeen nonstop flights per day to London from United's U.S. hubs.
Travelers can visit even more European holiday markets thanks to
United's Lufthansa Group partnership and Deutsche
Bahn railway partnership that connect travelers to more than
130 additional destinations across Europe.
- Nearly 100 additional European holiday market
destinations, like Cologne,
Helsinki, Salzburg and Strasbourg, that customers can visit with a
simple one-stop flight from United's U.S. hubs.
- Nonstop flights to Vienna from the U.S., which is home to one
of the most beloved European Christmas markets.
- One-stop flight to Dresden from the U.S., which
is considered to have the first true Christmas market, the
Striezelmarkt, first held in 1434.
- Trains to 28 cities in Germany and Switzerland, connecting customers to even more
holiday markets once in Europe.
United Prepares for Busiest Holiday Period
To-Date
United expects the 2024 holiday period to be its busiest yet,
with around 25 million passengers, up 6% from 2023.
Even with record passenger numbers, customers can expect a safe,
reliable and efficient operation from the airline and support
through its digital tools. United ranked first or second in on-time
departures among the eight largest U.S. carriers for the last 5
months in a row, including during its busiest summer ever.
- Weather preparedness: The airline will prepare
approximately 150 de-icing trucks to ensure aircraft are ready for
flights despite lower temperatures.
- ConnectionSaver: United is the only airline that uses
proprietary technology to determine the best time to hold a flight
a few extra minutes so more people can make their connection,
saving an average 2,000 connections per day since its launch in
2019.
- Touchless ID: Customers can use TSA PreCheck® Touchless
ID to seamlessly drop off bags or make it through security in
seconds with facial scanning technology. This offering is available
at O'Hare International Airport, Los
Angeles International Airport, Newark Liberty International
Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, New York
LaGuardia Airport, Salt Lake City
International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National
Airport.
- Agent on Demand: United's virtual, on-demand customer
service tool lets customers video chat, text or call a customer
service representative instead of waiting in line at the
airport.
- Personalized mobile app: United is the only U.S. airline
with Live Activities that gives customers real-time access to their
boarding pass, gate and seat number and countdown clock to
departure on the home screens of their phone. They can also access
directly in the app Terminal Guide for personalized instructions
for navigating the airport and customer service.
- Free family seating: United is the first and only
airline to offer a digital, dynamic seat map that allows
children under 12 to be seated next to an adult in their party for
free at the time of booking.
- Real-time text updates: United sends travelers text
messages with personalized trip updates on everything from gate
changes and boarding times to more specifics like aircraft swaps
and weather events, now even including live radar maps.
For more information, visit www.united.com.
About United
At United, Good Leads The Way. With U.S. mainland hubs
in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los
Angeles, New York/Newark, San
Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most
comprehensive global route network among North American carriers
and is now the largest airline in the world as measured by
available seat miles. For more about how to join the United team,
please visit www.united.com/careers and more information
about the company is at www.united.com. United Airlines
Holdings, Inc., the parent company of United Airlines, Inc., is
traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".
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SOURCE United Airlines