United adds new route from Washington, DC, to Palm Springs

United Airlines will go even further Dulles International Airport (IAD) center near Washington, DC

This week, the airline unveiled new nonstop flights from IAD to Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) in California. United will operate one daily flight on this new 2,188-mile route starting December 19. This new seasonal winter service will run through April 30, 2025.

This will be United’s longest flight to Palm Springs, joining existing service from five other US cities, including Chicago, Denver, Houston, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

In fact, these options will become the first nonstop routes between the DC metro area and Palm Springs. United said the new transcontinental route will be supported by both origin and destination demand as well as one-stop connectivity for travelers looking to explore destinations beyond Dulles.

“This route will be the first connection between Washington, DC and Palm Springs, and create unparalleled access to Palm Springs from the East Coast and Europe through one of United’s fastest growing hubs. We pride ourselves on providing unique, world-class service.” Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, said: in a statement.

The new flight will depart Dulles at 9 a.m. EST and arrive on the West Coast at 11:40 a.m. PST. It will turn around at 1pm PST and return to Dulles at 8:45pm EST. United will deploy one Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft On this new route, yes Carrier’s new signature interioras well as 16 first class reclining seats, 54 extra legroom Economy seats and 96 standard economy seats.

United will enjoy exclusive rights to this new direct route. It remains to be seen how this new seasonal service will perform, especially considering that an average of just 16 daily passengers will fly between IAD and PSP in 2023, Department of Transport data shows. Cirium analysis shows.

Meanwhile, an average of 34 daily passengers will fly from DC’s more convenient Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to PSP by 2023, so perhaps United thinks it can convince all Passengers to and from the DC metro area choose this new nonstop flight. Most flights are from DCA limited in length by the perimeter rule.

(Of course, every trip from DC to Palm Springs last year had a connection, so by eliminating all the stops, United was able to stimulate some more demand. Also, some travelers could have chosen direct flights to Los Angeles and then drove about four hours to Palm Springs.)

From mid-century modern architecture to a thriving cultural and culinary scene, Palm Springs has proven to be a popular destination in winter. And now, there’s an unprecedented way to achieve it.

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