dailynewsnblog
United Airlines has continued to expand its domestic and international network from its major hubs, including 
San Francisco International Airport (SFO), its fifth-busiest hub. The airline serves more than 100 destinations from the airport and is operating an average of more than 570 daily round trips from San Francisco in 2026. Its network from the California hub has grown steadily in recent years. Last year, it added new nonstop services to Panama City, Panama, and San Jose, Costa Rica, as well as seasonal flights to Adelaide, Australia.
This year, the Star Alliance member is operating the largest summer schedule in its history from San Francisco. The carrier has added 28 additional flights to popular domestic destinations such as Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Washington, D.C. It has now added two more domestic destinations to its network from the major hub, giving passengers new nonstop options from San Francisco.
United Is Returning To Cincinnati
One of the two new routes is technically a returning service. From October 25, United is reinstating daily flights between San Francisco and Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). It will operate the route with its Boeing 737-800, configured with 16 Business Class seats and 150 seats in Economy. The airline first launched the service in 2017 and continued operating it until 2020.
Other than United, Frontier Airlines also served the market until 2019, while Delta Air Lines continued until 2020. In addition, Breeze Airways entered the market in February 2023 and currently remains the only airline offering nonstop service. The airline operates three flights per week between the two cities. San Francisco has been one of Cincinnati’s largest underserved markets, even though there is strong demand.
According to US Department of Transportation data, 98,900 round-trip passengers traveled between San Francisco and Cincinnati in the 12 months to April 2026. Breeze carried 23% of the passengers. Most of the remaining passengers traveled indirectly. A further 9,200 round-trip passengers traveled between Oakland and Cincinnati indirectly, while another 23,000 traveled between San Jose and Cincinnati using connecting flights.
Route (Flight) | Timing (local time) |
|---|---|
SFO–CVG (UA 2718) | 12:15 PM–8:05 PM |
CVG–SFO (UA 2719) | 7 AM–9:15 AM |
United Adds First Nonstop To West Palm Beach From SFO
The other new route will connect San Francisco with Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), now officially known as President Donald J. Trump International Airport (its IATA code is set to change to DJT on August 18). United will begin operating one weekly flight on Saturdays from November 7, using a Boeing 737 MAX 8 with 16 Business Class seats and 150 Economy seats. The flight is scheduled to depart San Francisco at 8:10 AM and arrive in West Palm Beach at 4:38 PM; the return service will leave at 5:45 PM and reach San Francisco at 9:05 PM.
According to scheduled data from an aviation analytics provider, Cirium, the service is currently scheduled to operate through April 3, 2027, suggesting that it will be a seasonal service. Interestingly, no nonstop service has previously operated between San Francisco and West Palm Beach, despite existing demand between the two markets. In the 12 months to April 2026, 25,300 round-trip passengers traveled between the two airports. That figure rises to 33,300 when passengers traveling between West Palm Beach and Oakland or San Jose are included.
Indeed, the new service will allow passengers traveling from South Florida to connect through United’s San Francisco hub to destinations across the western United States and the Pacific Northwest. Laura Beebe, Palm Beach County Department of Airports Director, said, “United Airlines continues to expand travel options for our passengers, and we’re pleased to welcome new nonstop service to San Francisco. This route strengthens our West Coast network and provides additional connections through United’s San Francisco hub.”
San Francisco Remains A Key United Hub
San Francisco is one of United’s most important hubs on the West Coast. The airline has more than 40% of the market at SFO, well ahead of Southwest and Alaska Airlines. Its domestic network covers most of the major US markets, including New York, Chicago, Boston, Houston, and Las Vegas. United also flies from San Francisco to destinations across Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific.
The domestic network is important to United’s international operation from San Francisco, as passengers from cities across the US can connect onto the airline’s long-haul flights. United has continued to add routes from the airport and increase its presence there.
