United Airlines said Thursday that it will launch daily nonstop service between St. Louis and San Francisco beginning Feb. 11.
News of the added flight comes a day after Southwest Airlines said it would add nine daily flights to six new destinations from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, beginning in May.
The new flights from Southwest and United help Lambert keep five nonstop destinations it would lose as a result of cutbacks planned in the first half of next year by American Airlines. Those cities are San Francisco, San Diego, New Orleans, Nashville and Raleigh/Durham.
The new westbound United flight will leave St. Louis at 6:30 p.m. and arrive at San Francisco International Airport at 7:41 p.m. Eastbound service will depart San Francisco at 12:05 p.m. and arrive in St. Louis at 5:50 p.m.
United operates more than 230 daily departures from San Francisco International, expanding access to the western U.S. and Canada and Australia for St. Louis passengers, the airline said.
United will use an Airbus A319 aircraft for the flight, with eight seats in "first" class, 40 seats in "economy plus" and 72 seats in "economy."
United currently operates 18 daily departures from St. Louis to Chicago; Washington, D.C.; and Denver.
Chicago-based United Airlines (Nasdaq: UAUA) operates about 3,300 flights a day on United and United Express to more than 200 U.S. domestic and international destinations from its hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C. |
