United Airlines announced Friday that it will have expanded service to several warm-weather destinations in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean from Chicago, just as temperatures start their inevitable drop here.
The airline said this fall will be its busiest flight schedule of the year from Chicago. In October, United is scheduled to fly up to 592 flights a day from its hub at O’Hare International Airport, eclipsing this summer’s schedule.
The airline will add 50 flights in November from Chicago, including expanded service to Phoenix, Austin and Orlando. United said there will be 10% more seats to Florida compared to the same time last year.
United will also expand and extend service this autumn to several Latin American and Caribbean destinations, including Liberia, Costa Rica; Cozumel, Mexico; St. Martin; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; and San José del Cabo, Mexico.
United said the expanded fall schedule will come on the heels of a historic summer in which the airline will fly more seats from O’Hare than it has in the past 20 years. In July, it will fly a peak of 71,000 seats per day, it said.
It’s been a busy year for the airline. This spring, it opened its renovated and expanded O’Hare United Polaris lounge, which is 50% larger and has more seats, a bigger dining area, semi-private relaxation areas and a second bar. And in May, United launched its first Starlink-equipped aircraft out of O’Hare, providing passengers with high-speed, gate-to-gate internet service and beefed-up inflight entertainment.
United said it has recently hired more than 2,000 local employees, bringing the total number in the area to more than 18,000. The airline announced last month that it expects to hire 5,400 more by 2027.