Table of Contents
London, England is one of the more popular European travel destinations for United States travelers. With cultures very similar and vastly different in some aspects, Americans can get a glimpse of a different culture without having to learn a new language.
Several airlines in the United States fly nonstop to England’s capital city. United Airlines is one of the legacy airlines that offer daily nonstop service from popular cities all across the country.
In this guide, we will discuss United Airlines and their flights to London. We shine some light on the aircraft you can expect to fly on and where you can find a nonstop flight to London.
Where in London Does the United Fly To?
London is perhaps the largest major city in England. Thanks to its large population, multiple major airports serve the city. The two most popular airports in London for international travel are London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport.
London Heathrow Airport
The airline uses London Heathrow Airport exclusively for travelers looking to fly on United across the pond. Heathrow is the largest and most trafficked airport in London.
London Heathrow can be considered the preferred airport to fly into for passengers. The airport is found quite a significant distance away from the city center. It is a 40-minute Tube ride from the city of London. Passengers need to plan for that.
But getting to London from London Heathrow is super simple because it’s a straight shot on the London Underground.
What Aircraft Does United Airlines Use for Flights From the United States to London?
United Airlines uses several aircraft from its widebody fleet to make the trip from the United States to London. Widebody aircraft are typically larger airplanes that can fit more people.
One distinguishing characteristic of widebody airplanes is that they usually have two aisles in their passenger classes, a left and right aisle. A narrowbody airplane (which is mostly used for domestic travel within the U.S.) has only one aisle going right through the cabin.
The widebody airplanes that United uses are meant for long-distance travel. They carry enough gas to make the long-distance trip across the Atlantic Ocean. These aircraft also make the flight more comfortable for passengers as they contain amenities that are designed to make long-distance travel more bearable.
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a widebody aircraft first developed in the 1980s. Its marketed capability was supposed to be transcontinental flights. However, when transoceanic flights were made possible due to the alleviation of strict rules concerning twin-engine aircraft flying over large oceans, the 767 filled that role instead.
United Airlines first acquired its Boeing 767s in the 1990s. Today, it flies the more advanced versions of the aircraft, the 300ER and 400 ER versions. These latest versions have sufficient flight range more than capable of flying between the United States and England.
United’s Boeing 767s can fit 167 to 230 passengers per flight depending on the aircraft variant being used. The airline plans to retire all Boeing 767s by 2030 due to the aircraft’s age and better, more fuel-efficient options in the market. This aircraft is facing a similar fate as United’s Boeing 757s.
Today, United Airlines has 42 Boeing 767s in service.
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a world-class widebody aircraft designed in the 1990s to fit the gap that Boeing had developed between the Boeing 767 and the Boeing 747. It is a twin-engine passenger jet like the 767 however it is much larger and has a longer flight range.
United Airlines was the official launch partner for the Boeing 777. Today it maintains a large fleet of this aircraft type spread across three variants, the 200, the 200ER, and the 300ER.
Depending on the variant being used, the Boeing 777 for United can accommodate between 276 to 362 passengers per flight. The 777-300ER which is used by United extensively for flights from the United States to England can fly upwards to 8000 miles nonstop.
There are 89 Boeing 777s in operation for United Airlines as of March 2024.
Boeing 787
United’s Boeing 787 is the newest widebody aircraft in the airline fleet. United was the first United States air carrier to take the delivery of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The Dreamliner is built for efficiency. It possesses a flight range longer than both the 767 and 777. It also carries the same passenger load as a Boeing 777. In addition to the superior flight performance the Dreamliner offers, it is also a better experience for passengers thanks to several cabin features designed to make long-distance travel more comfortable.
United is obtaining more Boeing 787s with the anticipation being they will be the replacement aircraft for aging Boeing 767s and Boeing 777s.
The airline has a total of 67 Boeing 787 airframes in service as of March 2024.
Where in America Does United Airlines Offer Nonstop Flights to London?
United Airlines offers nonstop flights to London from all corners of the United States except for the Pacific Northwest and the Southeast. Many of these cities have airports that function as hubs for the airline. This makes sense because connecting flights from smaller cities feed into these larger airports.
Newark
For travelers in the Northeast, Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey is probably the most convenient airport to depart from for London on board United Airlines. It is United’s premiere east coast hub, as it has more United aircraft movements than Washington Dulles.
Found just across the Hudson River from New York City, this departure airport provides travelers with the shortest amount of travel time to London Heathrow.
Finding a flight from Newark to London will not be an issue for passengers. United Airlines offers this flight every day of the week all year round. The route is also flown several times a day, with the average being 5 to 6 flights to London every day.
United Airlines only experiences competition from British Airways on this route.
United Airlines exclusively uses its Boeing 767 for this flight. Considering the shorter flight time from the New York Area to London, there is the least emphasis on fuel efficiency so the airline can tap into using its older Boeing 767s.
Passengers can expect the flight time for this route to be closer to 7 hours depending on the winds and the route the airline decides to take to London.
Washington D.C
The other East Coast city utilized by United Airlines for flights across the pond is Washington D.C. United flies out of its hub at Washington Dulles International Airport found just outside the outskirts of the D.C. Metro Area.
It can be assumed that Washington D.C. serves as the departure point for East Coast travelers residing below the Mason-Dixon line. With no flights offered from major Southern cities like Atlanta or Miami, travelers will have to resort to traveling north to Washington D.C to find an international flight to London.
This flight is offered out of Washington Dulles, twice daily, all year round. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways compete for the market share for this route.
For this flight, United uses both the Boeing 767 and the Boeing 777. This is probably due to the larger market that Washington D.C. has to serve compared to Newark. If a larger plane is needed because of more passenger bookings, it may opt to use the Boeing 777. It also could depend on plane availability.
It takes a little more than 7 hours to complete the flight from Washington D.C to London.
Chicago
The Great Lakes region of the midwestern United States can fly to London Heathrow with United Airlines from Chicago O’Hare International Airport. O’Hare is another one of United’s hubs and functions as the gateway for this part of the country to international flights worldwide.
It’s United’s second-largest hub as it has the second most aircraft movements for the airline, after Newark.
Passengers from the Midwest can either fly up to Chicago or fly eastward to Newark or Washington D.C. to catch a flight to London. They can even go South to Texas. However, for those living closer to Chicago, it makes more sense to depart from there.
United faces competition from American Airlines and British Airways out of Chicago for the route to London. It uses its Boeing 767 exclusively for this flight. With the help of the jet stream, the airline can probably operate this older aircraft without having to worry much about having enough gas.
Houston
Travelers from Texas can find nonstop flights to London from Houston, Texas via George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Houston is another major hub city for United Airlines.
Passengers living in the Southern Midwestern states likely utilize this route to London. Houston can even be an alternative to travelers living in the states along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Instead of flying to Washington D.C, these passengers will need to fly a short flight west to Houston to catch their international flight to London.
United provides twice daily service to London from George Bush Intercontinental Airport. This route is offered year-round. British Airways is United’s only competition on this route.
Since the distance between Houston, Texas and London is quite far, United operates the Boeing 777 for this flight. Overall, the flight spans a distance of close to 5000 miles and has a flight time of just over 9 hours.
Denver
The four corners states of the United States (Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico) can fly to London directly on United Airlines from Denver. United Airlines has a major presence at Denver International Airport where the flight to London would depart from.
This option is generated out of sheer convenience for travelers in this region of the United States. With the ability to fly eastward to other United hubs or west to Los Angeles or San Francisco, passengers from these states will likely have to flow through Denver anyway to catch a connecting flight.
The route between Denver and London is offered by United year-round but only once daily. The only competition on this route from British Airways.
Now getting into some of the longer United flights to England from the United States, the airline operates the Boeing 787 for this flight.
With limited quantities of the Boeing 787 and the aircraft type being used for flights to Asia, it makes sense why the airline only designates one flight per day from Denver.
It takes just over nine hours to fly from Denver to London. The distance between both of these cities is about 4500 miles. However, with the high elevation of Colorado affecting aircraft performance, efficiency is very important which is why United Airlines uses their Boeing 787s for this flight.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is right with the New York Metro Area in terms of demand for flights to London. United Airlines provides a once-daily nonstop flight to London Heathrow. This flight is offered year-long from Los Angeles International Airport.
This route serves a very important purpose as Los Angeles is a major business center in the United States. There is probably lots of demand for people traveling on business to Europe.
For non-business travelers, Los Angeles serves as the international gateway for Southern California.
United Airlines experiences stiff competition on this route. American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, and Virgin Atlantic Airways each have a flight to London from Los Angeles.
The route between Los Angeles and London is the longest route to London from the United States offered by United Airlines. The overall distance calls for United Airlines to use their Boeing 787.
The flight takes just shy of 11 hours to complete and passengers are flown a distance of over 5400 miles.
San Francisco
Serving many of the same reasons as Los Angeles, San Francisco is another popular international departure city for United customers on the West Coast looking to get to London.
However, for people in Northern California, San Francisco is probably the preferred departure city.
The airline offers a flight to London via San Francisco International Airport three times daily, all year round. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic serve as competition on this route.
For United, the flight between San Francisco is the second longest nonstop flight from the United States to London.
Interestingly if you were to look at a map, you would expect San Francisco to be the longest flight as it is North and more west than Los Angeles. But San Francisco’s northern geographic location puts it closer to London than Los Angeles.
United Airlines uses both the Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 for this flight. The Boeing 787 is used more extensively. Both aircraft are more than capable of handling the transcontinental and transatlantic flights to London.
The overall flight time is about 10 hours and 30 minutes.
Sources
https://www.flightconnections.com/route-map-united-airlines-ua
https://www.planespotters.net/airline/United-Airlines
https://www.transtats.bts.gov/carriers.asp?20=E
https://www.heathrow.com/transport-and-directions/getting-to-central-london
