Chicago-based United Airlines is reportedly planning to expand its Airbus A321neo domestic route network to a brand-new destination. In May, the carrier will inaugurate operations with the aircraft at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Southern California.

The deployment will place United as the second airline to operate the plane type at the Orange County airport, which is known for its short runway. In what could be seen as yet another jab in its ongoing competition kerfuffle, American Airlines has been the only A321neo operator at SNA since 2021.

A New Aircraft In Late May

Credit: Shutterstock

Aviation watchdog JonNYC was the first to report the news on Tuesday, saying “in late May, SNA will get the A321neo.” According to aviation data and analytics firm Cirium, United will add the aircraft type to its existing SNA routes to and from Chicago and Denver on May 21. However, the carrier’s website has not yet reflected any equipment changes. Simple Flying contacted United for comment on the matter on Wednesday, but was unable to receive an immediate response from representatives.

Current data suggests that 11 flights are scheduled in both directions between SNA and Denver International Airport (DEN), while nine roundtrip flights are scheduled between SNA and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) for the month of May. United’s A321neos have a capacity of 200 passengers, meaning a total of 8,000 seats will be offered across 40 flights between the three airports.

United’s other aircraft that will be deployed on the two routes in May include the A320, Boeing 737-700, and 737 MAX 8. Understandably, the DEN-SNA route will have more frequencies than ORD-SNA. Between Denver and Orange County, United has a total of 322 flights scheduled, while 176 total frequencies are scheduled between Chicago and Orange County, according to Cirium.

Inside The Numbers: United’s Competitors

Credit: John Wayne Airport

On the DEN-SNA route, United will compete with Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines, but will still offer the most capacity. Southwest will operate 135 flights from DEN to SNA and 136 in return – all on the 737-700, offering a total of 37,127 seats. Frontier will use its A320neos on 23 flights in each direction, totaling 8,556 seats offered.

Amid the ongoing turf war in the Windy City, United’s only competitor on the ORD-SNA route is American. While the Fort Worth, Texas-based legacy carrier has worn the crown as the only A321neo operator in Orange County for the last five years, it notably does not deploy the type between ORD and SNA. Instead, American exclusively uses the 737 MAX 8 on the route. In May, the airline will beat United with 93 flights in each direction, over United’s 88 round-trip flights.

SNA’s sole runway used for commercial operations, 20R/2L, is 5,700 feet (1,737 meters) long. The relatively short length is the reason why airlines do not operate aircraft with poor short-field performance, such as the 737-900ER and MAX 9.

American previously flew the 757-200 to SNA before replacing it with the A321neo. The airline flies its A321neos to and from Phoenix, Charlotte, and occasionally Dallas/Fort Worth. Delta Air Lines still operates the 757-200 to and from Atlanta and Detroit. This summer, the carrier will deploy the aged aircraft on a new signature route to New York-JFK to compete directly with American.

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A High-Scoring Aircraft

Credit: Channing Reid

United has praised its A321neos as the highest-scoring for passenger satisfaction, surpassing its 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 airframes, which make up the majority of the modern portion of its vast narrowbody fleet. The A321neo cabin features two classes. 20 recliner seats in a 2-2 layout comprise United First, while United Economy consists of the remaining 180 seats in a 3-3 configuration. 57 seats are United Economy Plus seats, which feature up to eight additional inches of legroom.

All seats are equipped with seatback screens and Bluetooth connectivity for inflight entertainment. The entire cabin also features mood lighting and power outlets at every seat. Interestingly, the A321neo is United’s second-largest narrowbody aircraft in terms of capacity. It trails the 757-300, which accommodates 234 passengers. The 757-200, which is equipped with lie-flat seats, has a capacity of 176 passengers. Its largest 737 variants – the -900, -900ER, and MAX 9, all have 179 seats onboard.