Featured Map for 23 March 2020:
United Reinstates A Few Intercontinental Flights

Schedule changes over the past week or two have presented many ideas for maps, but the changes have been so fast and furious that they are often obsolete before they can be publshed. United is an interesting case due to its extensive Pacific network, and also personally having grown up near O'Hare and now living under the approach path for San Francisco.

On Friday, United announced the suspension of all intercontinental flights before the end of March, including Atlantic and Pacific routes by 25 March except for departures from Cape Town, Tahiti, and Sydney, all ending 28 March, plus limited Pacific service from Guam incluing the Island Hopper which would continue. Latin American flights were to end with final departures from the U.S. on 24 March other than limite daytime flights to México. Flights to Canada were to stop effective 1 April.

The very next day, United reinstated six intercontinental routes through May, plus seven more intercontintal flights "to help displaced customers who still need to get home" through late March. Although not explicitly stated, the latter set of flights appear to be intended only for return to the United States, with limited or no sales of the outbound flights.

Today's Featured Map shows the six routes which are planned to last through May in red, plus the short-lived recovery flights in yellow.

References and additional information:

• United Arilines
  • United Airlines Continues Draw Down of International Schedule (20 March 2020)
  • United Reinstates Some International Flights Across the Globe to Help Customers Get Where they Need to Be (21 March 2020)