United Airlines Cuts Non-Stop Service Between Houston and Paris
United Airlines is ending non-stop service between Houston and Paris
United Airlines is ending non-stop service between Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) on October 8th of this year.
Starting October 9th, travelers will have to fly through Newark Liberty International Airport, Dulles in Washington, D.C., or Chicago’s O’Hare.
United Airlines warned that they would cut capacity at Houston Bush by 10 percent after Southwest Airlines won approval in May to start international flights out of Houston Hobby Airport (HOU).
Those threats made by the Chicago-based carrier are not idle ones, as they intend to cut more service in September on regional routes within Texas, as well destinations in Mexico and the Southern U.S.
Category: Airnation
Tough situation for everyone involved. They can’t operate some of these routes while fighting off the competition, so they’re dumping routes. I know some will demonize United, but they’re in business to make money, not transport the general public regardless of cost or profit potential.
Good point Phil. To average person…right or wrong…it just looks like sour grapes over the Southwest Hobby deal.
United cares very little for the people who pay the bills. Way to go SWA.
No problem. Air France offers non-stop service from Houston to Paris. If United wants to have a hissy fit because Southwest will be able to offer flights to Mexico, so be it.
It’s hilarious. UA closed up the CO office in Houston and took away all those jobs and now wants Houston to favor them. Chutzpah! AF flies that route and it is likely that some other airline will move in to fly nonstop to Paris. So UA loses the revenue to Paris and to Newark.
There might be a fairly big move in to IAH after the first of the year by another airline I’m told. I’m not allowed to divulge yet….
What a great opputunuty for Delta to get back in to the Texas market. I was optimistically behind United because I believed Continental. I hope United gets pushed out of Houston on they’re own accord. United is not an airline in business for flying; they are the business for corporate greed by using politics in an attempt to prevent competition.
Delta huh? That’s ‘interesting’. *wink* :)
I hope you’re on to something Kenneth. I guess United forgets that Houston is America’s fourth largest city, the energy capital of world, and a major economic engine in the South. Houston needs an airline with the capacity to support it. Houston is in a strategic positon to provide low cost flights to Mexico and South America, as well as trans-Pacific and Atlantic flights. United is digging thier own grave. Years ago Delta had a hub in D/FW, due to cost savings that hub was closed. Now that Delta has learned from past mistakes and is poised for future growth I see the Houston market as a great opportunity. The people of Houston will remember this United; so please cut more flights so the routes will be open to another airline.
One other thing: United please remove the Continental livery from your aircraft. That livery represents much more than United Airlines could ever become.
Do you refer to the current United, or to the original United? There is a BIG difference.
United=garbage.
I would love for Delta to come in to Texas and kicks United’s lilly little punk ass.
And agreed John…I miss Continental. I guess when you stink the answer is buy another airline.
United=shortsighted
It seems like the airline to fill the slack would Lufthansa. Lufthansa hates the A380 but it looks like their alliance partner United is doing them a favor to help them to fill the superjumbo up.
Since the beginning of the year I’ve been planning to go to Paris for my anniversary this November. At the beginning of the year Continental had a 767-400 scheduled for the IAH-CDG route. In May I checked again and United changed the plane to a 767-200. I check the availability of seats then and it was maybe 85% vacant. So I figured, no rush. The fare then was $1100 round trip IAH-CDG non-stop.
Just today in late July I checked to see where the fare was and I noticed that the non-stop was missing. I found a $982 Lufthansa fare to Paris via Frankfurt. I guess I won’t complain too much. The Air France non-stop is $1022. Honestly, now I don’t feel as bad about United dropping this route as I did at first. I’ve done the transatlantic 757 thing (even got a voucher for the unscheduled fuel stop on the way back) but I guess I’ll give the A380 a try.
OK, guys, I think you are taking things a bit too far. United is dropping a few routes out of IAH but IAH is still its biggest hub! Come on! They’re not going anywhere!
UA is just a carpetbagger. Let it leave Houston. Others better will pick up the slack. I travel with them only when others don’t have the schedule I need. I miss Continental. The difference was in the people.
If you miss CO, then fly UA. CO is running the new United their way. CO bought the name for recognition, but should’ve kept the CO name. Then, there would be no confusion.