United miles just got a little more useful.
The airline announced a flurry of new international routes Tuesday, including flights to 10 cities it doesn’t currently serve.
With each passing day, there are fewer and fewer cities on the world map where you won’t see a United tail. And eight of these new destinations won’t have nonstop service from the U.S. on another U.S. airline.
That means new ways to get to places like Okinawa, Toulouse, Luxembourg, Ibiza, and Ljubljana without connecting overseas. And if you happen to have United MileagePlus miles, it means more places to put them to work.
If those miles are burning a hole in your pocket, there’s no need to wait until next year to start looking. Tickets for all 13 new routes are already on sale.
United’s 13 New International Routes
United’s latest expansion stretches from Japan to the Mediterranean, with most of the new service beginning in spring 2027.
| Route | Starts | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (SFO) → Okinawa (OKA) | March 27 | Boeing 777-200ER |
| Los Angeles (LAX) → Osaka (KIX) | March 27 | TBD |
| Newark (EWR) → Luxembourg (LUX) | April 2 | Airbus A321XLR |
| Washington Dulles (IAD) → Toulouse (TLS) | April 26 | Airbus A321XLR |
| Newark (EWR) → Ljubljana (LJU) | May 12 | Boeing 767-400ER |
| Newark (EWR) → Olbia (OLB) | May 27 | Boeing 767-300ER |
| Denver (DEN) → Paris (CDG) | May 27 | TBD |
| Newark (EWR) → Catania (CTA) | May 28 | Boeing 767-300ER |
| Washington Dulles (IAD) → Milan (MXP) | May 28 | TBD |
| Newark (EWR) → Ibiza (IBZ) | May 31 | Airbus A321XLR |
| Newark (EWR) → Valencia (VLC) | June 2 | Airbus A321XLR |
| Newark (EWR) → Marseille (MRS) | June 4 | Airbus A321XLR |
| Newark (EWR) → Terceira (TER) | June 9 | Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
Five of the new routes will be flown by United’s brand-new Airbus A321XLR, which kicks off international service later this year. Its extended range gives United another way to serve international routes that may not have enough demand to justify a larger aircraft.
That helps explain some of the more unusual additions to the map. Toulouse and Luxembourg aren’t exactly the first cities that come to mind when a U.S. airline announces another round of flights to Europe.
But that’s part of the appeal of this particular jet.
More Places to Use United Miles
It’s too easy to think about airline miles in terms of price. How many miles does an award cost? Did the price go up? Can you find something cheaper?
Where those miles can take you matters just as much. If not more.
United says it has added nearly 60 international destinations since 2017, giving MileagePlus members an increasingly long list of places to use their miles. These latest additions include several destinations that would otherwise require another flight, train ride, or connection after crossing the Atlantic.
Want to go to Ibiza? United will soon take you there nonstop from Newark. The same goes for Ljubljana, Toulouse, Terceira, and Valencia.
None of that guarantees a cheap award ticket. But every new route creates another opportunity to use your miles for the trip you actually want to take.
United Cardholders Have an Advantage
There’s another wrinkle worth knowing before you start searching.
United doesn’t show every MileagePlus member the same award pricing.
Eligible United credit card holders can receive savings of 10% or more on eligible United-operated award flights. Those with both an eligible card and Premier status can save 15% or more.
That benefit is less obvious than a free checked bag or lounge access, but potentially a lot more valuable when you’re ready to use your miles.
And it’s something PointsYeah can account for.
When searching live United award availability through PointsYeah, you can view cardholder-exclusive pricing directly in your results. That means you don’t also need to check United’s website to see if your card gets you a better deal.
More on This: Which Airlines and Hotels Can You Search with PointsYeah?
See What’s Available
United’s new routes don’t begin flying until next spring, but they’re already on sale.
So whether Okinawa caught your attention or Ibiza sounds better, you can use PointsYeah to start looking for award space now, including the cardholder pricing you’re eligible for.
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