United’s Network Playbook: What’s Next for China and Low-Cost Carriers?
Photo Credit: A United Airlines Airbus A320 at Boston Logan airport. BOSSHEP/Flickr Flickr / BOSSHEP
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Skift spoke with United’s senior vice president of global network planning about the current state of the carrier’s network and its ability to compete with Chinese airlines.
When it comes to international travel, this past summer has been record breaking for airlines. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines continued to see a sustained increase in international bookings, with some regions — like southern Europe — becoming year-round tourist destinations.
Airlines are betting that this demand will continue into next summer. For example, American Airlines recently released its summer 2025 schedule, which included new routes to places like Athens, Milan, Rome, Edinburgh, and Madrid.
But at the same time, carriers are continuing to face headwinds in Asia, particularly China. Delta scrapped plans to resume its Los Angeles-to-Shanghai service in May and many other Western carriers are axing routes to China due to restrictions on Russian airspace.
Skift spoke with Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, about the state of the airline
