United adds European routes

United Airlines plans to add four new nonstop flights from Newark next summer, pushing deeper into smaller European destinations. (united.com) The new routes are Newark to Split, Croatia; Bari, Italy; Glasgow, Scotland; and Santiago de Compostela, Spain. United announced the summer 2026 schedule on October 9, 2025, and said tickets went on sale that day. (united.com) The flights are scheduled to start on April 30 for Split, May 1 for Bari, May 8 for Glasgow, and May 22 for Santiago de Compostela. CNBC reported the Split route will be United’s second destination in Croatia, while Santiago de Compostela is the endpoint of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail. (cnbc.com) All four routes will operate from Newark Liberty International Airport, and United said it will be the only United States airline flying nonstop to those four cities. United also said its summer 2026 Atlantic schedule will cover 46 cities, more than any other U.S. carrier. (united.com) The strategy is a bet that travelers will pay for direct flights to places beyond London, Paris, and Rome. CNBC reported United is targeting passengers who want to skip a European connection and head straight to beach, pilgrimage, and regional tourism markets. (cnbc.com) United is using larger Boeing 767-300ER aircraft on Split and Bari and narrower Boeing 737 Max 8 jets on Glasgow and Santiago de Compostela. Simple Flying reported the 767 routes are configured with Polaris business-class seats, Premium Plus recliners, Economy Plus seats, and standard economy seats. (simpleflying.com) The airline is building on a broader transatlantic push rather than making a one-off addition. United said it would keep serving all nine destinations from its 2025 international expansion, including Palermo, Bilbao, Faro, Madeira Island, Nuuk, and Ulaanbaatar. (united.com) Competitors are chasing the same summer demand with their own niche Europe routes. Delta said in September 2025 that it would start New York-John F. Kennedy service to Sardinia on May 20, 2026, and Malta on June 7, 2026. (news.delta.com) For travelers, the immediate change is simple: more nonstop options from the New York area to places that usually required a stop in a larger European hub. For United, the summer 2026 schedule turns Newark into an even bigger gateway for travelers heading past Europe’s biggest capitals. (united.com)