United Airlines wants to help you cheer on your favorite team – in person.
The Chicago-based airline announced Tuesday that it is adding 20 nonstop flights for 30 of this season’s biggest college football games, increasing capacity from 115 flights.
These additional flights cover many key matchups of the season, including Ohio State vs. Oregon on October 12 and Alabama vs. LSU on November 9.
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The full list of added flights can be found at the end of this story. All flights can already be booked on united.com and the airline’s mobile app.
United is the latest major U.S. airline to offer special flights for major sports games. While airlines have long offered flights for high-profile matchups and high-profile events like the Final Four or the Consumer Electronics Show (which is the tech equivalent of the Super Bowl), we’re seeing more and more airlines offering flights for high-profile regular-season games.
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Delta Air Lines has introduced over 50 special nonstop flights for the college football season so far this year, and Southwest Airlines has added 42 new flights for the NFL football season.
For airlines, these flights seem to be a win-win situation. They can take advantage of the increased demand for these flights, which usually occur on weekends when they have extra capacity to handle these flights.
In fact, these flights also often attract the attention of aviation enthusiasts who sometimes enjoy the opportunity to take advantage of unique commercial routes such as the one from Shanghai to Las Vegas.
“Connecting travelers to the moments that matter most to them is at the core of what we do at United. We know fans will appreciate this year’s special soccer programming, making it easier to cheer on their teams on the go,” said Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, in a statement.
| Comparison | Date | Out of | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSU at USC | 31.August | Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (BTR) in Louisiana | Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas |
| Texas vs Michigan | 6 September | Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) | Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) |
| Northern Illinois at Notre Dame | 6 September | Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) | South Bend International Airport (SBN) in Indiana |
| Alabama vs. Wisconsin | 13 September | Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) in Alabama | Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) near Madison, Wisconsin |
| Tennessee vs. Oklahoma | 20 September | McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) near Knoxville, Tennessee | Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) in Oklahoma City |
| USC in Michigan | 20 September | Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) | DTW |
| Miami (OH) at Notre Dame | 20 September | Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) | SBN |
| Arkansas at Texas A&M | 27 September | Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) | Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) |
| Louisville at Notre Dame | 27 September | Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) in Kentucky | SBN |
| Tennessee vs Arkansas | October 4 | TYS | XNA |
| Stanford at Notre Dame | 11 October | San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) in California | SBN |
| Ole Miss at LSU | 11 October | Memphis International Airport (MEM) | BTR |
| Ohio State vs. Oregon | 11 October | John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) in Ohio | Eugene Airport (EUG) in Oregon |
| Penn State at USC | 11 October | State College Regional Airport (SCE) in Pennsylvania | LAX |
| LSU at Arkansas | 18 October | BTR | XNA |
| Georgia in Texas | 18 October | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) | OUT OF |
| Notre Dame at Georgia Tech | 18 October | SBN | ATL |
| Notre Dame at the Navy | 25 October | SBN | EEA |
| Nebraska vs. Ohio State | 25 October | Lincoln Airport (LNK) in Nebraska | CMH |
| Wisconsin at Lowa | 1 November | MSN | Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
| Alabama at LSU | 8 November | BHM | BTR |
| Florida State at Notre Dame | 8 November | EEA | SBN |
| Texas in Arkansas | 15 November | OUT OF | XNA |
| Ohio State at Northwestern | 15 November | CMH | O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in Chicago |
| Virginia at Notre Dame | 15 November | Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) near Washington, DC | SBN |
| Northwestern Michigan | 22 November | ORD | DTW |
| Wisconsin in Nebraska | 22 November | MSN | LNK |
| Alabama vs. Oklahoma | 22 November | BHM | OKC |
| Army in Notre Dame | 22 November | SBN | LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York |
| Oklahoma at LSU | 29 November | OKC | BTR |
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Editorial Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
