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United Lifts O’Hare Schedule to Record 750 Daily Flights in Gate Fight With American

The move aims to protect gate access under O’Hare’s fly-more allocation rules.

Overview

  • United will run a record 750 daily departures from Chicago O’Hare this summer, up nearly 170 year over year, serving 222 destinations including 47 international and 175 domestic.
  • Five new or returning Midwest routes launch this spring—ChampaignUrbana, Kalamazoo, Lansing, La Crosse and Bloomington–Normal—with four daily United Express flights on 50-seat regional jets.
  • More than 80 existing routes gain additional frequencies, supported by earlier and later departures and a new late‑evening bank to increase off‑peak utilization.
  • Gate access at O’Hare is tied to prior‑year flying, and a recent reallocation awarded United five gates as American lost four; American later obtained two gates through Spirit’s bankruptcy.
  • American is also expanding from O’Hare with new service to Allentown, Columbia and seasonal Maui, and it disputes United’s public claims about each carrier’s profitability in Chicago.