Summary
- United Airlines is adding a new seasonal route from Chicago to Athens, competing with American Airlines on this route.
- Athens is the only Greek city with nonstop flights from the US, and there are seven routes connecting the two countries.
- In July, there will be a total of 665 roundtrip flights scheduled between the US and Athens, with over 197,000 seats available.
Anotha' one
These days, most headlines surrounding United Airlines are either the addition of a new aircraft to the fleet or a new route. Senior Vice President of Network and Alliances Patrick Quayle sure keeps the network planning team at United busy. Earlier today, the airline had announced a significant expansion in Canada that will include 150+ daily flights this summer.
United Airlines To Offer 150+ Daily Flights To Canada This Summer
Quebec City is back on the agenda from Chicago this summer.That announcement was just one of two today. United shared on its social media channels that from May 23, it is launching a new nonstop flight from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Athens International Airport, "Eleftherios Venizelos." The new seasonal route will be operated by Boeing 787-8s, with a capacity for 243 passengers in a three-cabin configuration. The flights will operate on the following schedule through August 12:
Origin | Destination | Flight number | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chicago | Athens | UA 422 | 16:35 | 10:50 +1 | 10h15m |
Athens | Chicago | UA 423 | 12:45 | 16:25 | 11h40m |
United will go head-to-head with American Airlines on this new route, as American also flies between the two cities seasonally, from May to October. American also uses Boeing 787s for its services but deploys a larger variant than United, the -9, with a capacity for 285 passengers. The flights operate on the following schedule:
Origin | Destination | Flight number | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chicago | Athens | AA 160 | 15:00 | 09:25 +1 | 10h25m |
Athens | Chicago | AA 161 | 11:30 | 15:05 | 11h35m |
Adding a route from Chicago will mean United will have three Athens routes, as the carrier also operates flights from Newark Liberty International Airport and Dulles International Airport. Neither route operates year-round but from March to December. The seat offering on the Newark route is larger than Dulles, as United deploys the largest variant of the Boeing 787 family, the -10.
Other airline service from the US to Greece
Athens is the only Greek city with nonstop flights from the United States, and seven routes connect it with the US. According to Cirium data, Athens is connected to Boston, New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Newark, Washington DC, and Atlanta. Unsurprisingly, the busiest route is to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, with peak summer operations reaching 116 flights in each direction.
Unless a surprise airline adds a JFK-ATH route, three airlines will compete this summer: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Norse Atlantic Airways. Though Norse Atlantic has the most seats per flight, as it is a low-cost carrier with a two-cabin configuration, Delta has the highest seat offering. In July, Delta has two daily roundtrips scheduled to Athens, bringing its seat offering to 33,000+.
Nonstop To New York: Norse Atlantic Airways To Launch Athens Route
This route will have up to five weekly flights.In July, the airlines have 665 roundtrip flights scheduled, with more than 197,000 seats available. More than 60,000 of those seats are available just to JFK.