United’s fall reveal leans hard into Europe and adds one big Asia play. Starting next summer, the airline will launch United new routes from Newark service to Split in Croatia, Bari in Italy, Glasgow in Scotland, and Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It will also open a daily Washington Dulles to Reykjavík link. Additionally, it will add a daily Newark to Seoul flight in September. Tickets are on sale now. However, all routes remain subject to government approval.
Aircraft notes: United assigns its “high-J” 767-300ER on Split and Bari. It uses the premium-heavy layout with 46 Polaris business, 22 Premium Plus, and extra-legroom Economy Plus. This is a clear bet on summer leisure demand with plenty of front-cabin seats. Glasgow and Santiago get the 166-seat 737 MAX 8.
Schedules, frequencies & aircraft (detail)
- Split (EWR–SPU): 3x weekly from Apr 30 on 767-300ER; United remains the only airline flying U.S.–Split and continues EWR–Dubrovnik seasonally.
- Bari (EWR–BRI): 4x weekly from May 1 on 767-300ER; only U.S. airline on the route. Introducing United new routes like these showcases their strategic planning.
- Glasgow (EWR–GLA): Daily from May 8 on 737 MAX 8; complements year-round Edinburgh service. (Glasgow was last served pre-pandemic.)
- Santiago de Compostela (EWR–SCQ): 3x weekly from May 22 on 737 MAX 8; first-ever scheduled U.S.–SCQ nonstop.
- Reykjavík (IAD–KEF): Daily from May 21 on 757-200 with lie-flat business seats.
- Seoul (EWR–ICN): Daily from Sep 4 on 787-9; only U.S. airline with EWR–ICN nonstops. This is part of United new routes expanding into Asia.
- Tel Aviv (EWR–TLV): extra 4x weekly from Mar 28 on 787-9 → 18x weekly EWR–TLV total next summer.
Why these cities — and why now?
United says the additions keep it the largest U.S. carrier across the Atlantic, serving 46 cities next year. It offers nearly 3,000 weekly international roundtrips at peak. The airline also brings back all nine of last summer’s new destinations (Nuuk, Palermo, Bilbao, Faro, Madeira, Ulaanbaatar, plus Kaohsiung, Dakar, and Puerto Escondido now year-round).
Strategically, the choices skew to high-interest leisure with limited nonstop competition — e.g., Split and Santiago de Compostela — paired with a return to Glasgow and a bet on Puglia via Bari. For long-haul depth, EWR–Seoul adds Northeast Asia connectivity from United’s New York hub, and IAD–Reykjavík plugs an East Coast capital-to-capital link with a flat-bed cabin. These United new routes are designed to enhance travel experiences.
Booking tips (AviationCircle quick take)
For travelers, two details matter. First, those premium-heavy 767-300ERs on Split and Bari add more Polaris seats than a typical small widebody, which can help with upgrades and award space if you move early. Second, the single-aisle 737 MAX 8 to Glasgow and Santiago offers efficient nonstops but no true premium economy or lie-flat seats, so set expectations accordingly when you shop fares and seat maps. For Washington flyers, the new Reykjavík flight is a straightforward way into Iceland with a proper lie-flat option, and Newark to Seoul gives New York-area travelers a new daily non-stop beyond the JFK incumbents. These United’s latest routes, like Newark to Seoul, broaden travel choices significantly.