United Airlines to Operate Longest Scheduled Flight Between San Francisco and Singapore

CHICAGO, Jan. 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines today announced that it will introduce daily nonstop flights between its San Francisco International Airport hub and Singapore's Changi Airport, effective June 1, 2016 (westbound), subject to government approval. United will be the first airline to offer nonstop service between San Francisco and Singapore, and this will be the only nonstop service to the U.S. from Singapore.  

United will use the world's most advanced passenger airplane, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, to operate the service.  Measured by distance, the San Francisco - Singapore service will be the longest scheduled 787 flight operated by any airline and the longest scheduled flight operated by any U.S. carrier, at 8,446 miles.

"We are very excited about introducing nonstop flights between San Francisco and Singapore," said Marcel Fuchs, United's vice president of Atlantic and Pacific sales. "This long-awaited service has been made possible by the newest version of our customer-pleasing Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and will offer unique benefits to customers traveling between our West Coast hub at San Francisco and Singapore. Customers arriving to San Francisco will have dozens of options to connect to other cities across the Americas."

United customers can book flights by visiting united.com or contacting United reservations on 800.864.8331 or their travel agent.

Flight Schedule

Flight UA1 will depart San Francisco at 11:25 p.m. daily, arriving in Singapore at 6:45 a.m. two days later (all times local). The return flight, UA2, will depart Singapore's Changi Airport at 8:45 a.m. daily, arriving at San Francisco International Airport at 9:15 a.m. the same day. Flying times will be approximately 15 hours, 30 minutes eastbound and 16 hours, 20 minutes westbound.

By using the new nonstop flights between San Francisco and Singapore, customers will be able to save up to four hours' journey time each way, as compared with the current United one- stop service and competitors' schedules.  

Convenient Connecting Flights

United has timed the new flights to connect at San Francisco with an extensive network of service throughout the U.S., Canada and Latin America. United and United Express jointly operate over 270 daily flights from San Francisco to 80 destinations throughout North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. With this new service, United will provide convenient one-stop service to more than 40 U.S. cities, including more than 26 cities that do not have one-stop service from Singapore today.

Singapore Schedule Changes

With the launch of nonstop San Francisco - Singapore service, United will terminate service between Singapore and Tokyo/Narita effective June 2, 2016 (eastbound).  However, United customers in Singapore may continue to choose to fly to Tokyo/Narita by using daily flights on ANA, United's trans-Pacific joint venture partner, and to make connections at Narita to many cities in the U.S. on multiple flights operated both by United and ANA. United will maintain its daily service between Singapore and Hong Kong.

Onboard Products and Services

The Boeing 787-9 aircraft operating the new San Francisco - Singapore service will feature a total of 252 seats – 48 in United BusinessFirst and 204 in United Economy, including 88 Economy Plus seats with added legroom and increased personal space. 

United BusinessFirst offers a superior business-class service. The BusinessFirst seat reclines 180 degrees into a lie-flat bed and features a personal on-demand entertainment system with a 15" touch-screen monitor. BusinessFirst amenities include laptop power, USB ports, noise-reduction headsets, amenity kits featuring Soho House's Cowshed skin-care products, duvet-style blankets and a multi-course meal with complimentary wines.

United Economy offers complimentary food, soft drinks, juices, beer and wine, tea, coffee and inflight entertainment. Seats feature an adjustable headrest and seat-back monitor delivering a personal on-demand entertainment system. 

United Economy Plus offers up to five inches of extra legroom. Located near the front of the Economy cabin, the seats give the added benefit of allowing a swifter exit from the plane upon arrival. The aircraft offers satellite-based Wi-Fi and power outlets.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

The 787 Dreamliner is revolutionizing the flying experience for United customers and crews while delivering unprecedented operating efficiency, comfort and lower emissions. Customers have expressed a preference for the 787 versus other aircraft, given its greater comfort with improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other passenger-friendly features. The aircraft's use of lightweight composites, together with its modern engines and improved aerodynamic design, allow it to fly farther, faster and more efficiently than similar-sized conventional aircraft. To download a high-resolution photo of the United 787, visit http://newsroom.united.com/Boeing787. United currently has 26 787 Dreamliners in its fleet. 

United in Singapore

United started service to Singapore in 1986 and today operates daily flights from Singapore to its Tokyo/Narita hub with Boeing 777-200 aircraft, offering convenient connections to seven hub cities in the U.S. United also operates a daily service from Singapore to Hong Kong with Boeing 777-200 aircraft, offering convenient connections at Hong Kong to United hubs in San Francisco, Chicago and New York.

United in San Francisco

From its San Francisco hub, United operates nearly 280 daily flights to more than 90 destinations in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia/Pacific.

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate an average of nearly 5,000 flights a day to 342 airports across six continents. In 2015, United and United Express operated nearly two million flights carrying 140 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates more than 700 mainline aircraft, and this year, the airline anticipates taking delivery of 20 new Boeing aircraft, including 737 NGs, 787s and 777s. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 192 countries via 28 member airlines. Approximately 84,000 United employees reside in every U.S. state and in countries around the world. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol UAL.

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SOURCE United Airlines