United Airlines is scaling back some of its domestic flights—but at the same time, the airline says it’s seeing a surge in demand for premium seats and international trips.
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In its Q1 earnings report released Tuesday, United announced it will be “removing 4 percentage points of scheduled domestic capacity starting in the third quarter of 2025.” The airline also said it’s adjusting how often its fleet flies, especially on slower travel days, and that trend will continue into the end of the year.
Here’s the full statement:
“United is removing 4 percentage points of scheduled domestic capacity starting in the third quarter of 2025. United is also continuing to make prudent adjustments to the utilization rate of its fleet, including ongoing reductions in off-peak flying on lower demand days. The airline expects to continue this approach into the fourth quarter of 2025. Additionally, as previously announced, United will retire 21 aircraft earlier than previously planned.”
We’ve reached out to United to find out how these cuts could affect flights in and out of Houston. It’s a key question, given that United is the largest airline operating here. The carrier currently runs 490 daily flights out of Bush Airport, including service to 56 international destinations spanning Latin America, Canada, Europe, and Asia. On average, about 55,000 travelers fly United out of Houston each day.
Even with the planned domestic reductions, United pointed out that demand is growing in other areas. Bookings for premium cabins are up 17% compared to last year, and international travel is up 5%.
