United adds nonstop Croatia, Spain, Italy

United Airlines this week started launching four new summer 2026 nonstop routes from Newark to Split, Bari, Glasgow and Santiago de Compostela. (united.mediaroom.com) The first flight, Newark to Split, Croatia, began April 30 with three weekly frequencies. Bari, Italy, follows May 1 with four weekly flights. (united.mediaroom.com) Glasgow service starts May 8 and Santiago de Compostela starts May 27. United said the Glasgow route is daily, while Santiago de Compostela will operate three times a week. (united.mediaroom.com) United is pitching the expansion around nonstop access to smaller European destinations that often require a connection through larger hubs. CNBC reported the airline is betting travelers will pay for direct flights to places beyond the biggest capitals. (cnbc.com) The carrier announced the routes on October 9, 2025 as part of its summer 2026 schedule, then began operating them in late April 2026. At the time, United also added Washington Dulles-Reykjavik and a year-round Newark-Seoul flight. (united.com) (united.mediaroom.com) United said its summer 2026 plan includes nearly 770 weekly transatlantic roundtrips and flights from the United States to 36 destinations in Europe, including Greenland. It said 14 of those destinations are not served by any other U.S. carrier. (united.mediaroom.com) That builds on a broader network push from 2025, when United added routes including Palermo, Bilbao, Faro, Madeira and Nuuk and called it its largest international expansion ever. It also increased service to Dubrovnik and Palma de Mallorca. (united.com) CNBC reported United and Delta have both been chasing higher-spending travelers with long-haul leisure routes and more premium cabins, including lie-flat business seats on many of these flights. United has also tied that network breadth to loyalty and co-branded credit card growth. (cnbc.com) The new Europe flights close the loop on a schedule United unveiled last fall: a bigger transatlantic map, more secondary cities and fewer forced connections for summer travelers. (united.com) (united.mediaroom.com)