Air Canada and United Airlines will offer over 80 transborder codeshare routes and more than 260 daily flights between Canada and the U.S. for the summer 2023 peak season.
Under the two airlines’ enhanced transborder joint business agreement, the scheduling will also include a new United-operated flight between Washington-Dulles and Calgary and a new Air Canada-operated flight between Washington-Dulles and Vancouver.
A long-standing partnership
In July 2022, Air Canada and United announced a joint business agreement for the Canada-U.S. transborder market, to give more flight options and better flight schedules to customers traveling between the two countries.
Air Canada and United are also founding members of Star Alliance and a transatlantic joint business agreement with the Lufthansa Group.
In 2019, the U.S.-Canada transborder market was the second largest international passenger air transportation market in the world and the largest international market for both Canada and the U.S., as measured by seats.
“Together we will offer more than 260 daily departures to the U.S, and new non-stop flights from Vancouver and Calgary to Washington-Dulles,” said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President Network Planning and Revenue Management at Air Canada.
“Our coordinated schedules will provide business travelers with the convenience of hourly service and the additional comfort of a business cabin on all flights between Toronto and New York and Chicago, as well as Vancouver and San Francisco.”
Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances at United Airlines also noted the new routes, saying:
“We’re proud of our continued work with Air Canada to provide customers with even greater transborder connectivity, including adding more flights and new direct service to Calgary and Vancouver from Washington Dulles.”
Vancouver, Calgary and Washington flights
New, non-stop service between Vancouver and Washington-Dulles will begin June 1 and will be operated with an Air Canada Boeing 737 Max 8.
United will also introduce a new, non-stop flight between Calgary and Washington-Dulles on June 2 on an Airbus 319.
Air Canada and United will codeshare on these flights.
Transborder Schedule
The two carriers will operate more than 260 daily transborder departures in summer 2023, about a 20 percent increase in schedule capacity compared to summer 2022.
The schedule will include up to 120 daily departures between the airlines’ hub markets, an increase from 101 in summer 2021.
Flights will be timed to offer optimized connections at both Air Canada and United’s hubs and line stations.
Shuttle-Style Schedule
The coordinated schedule will enable both carriers to offer shuttle-style hourly service throughout the day between key Air Canada and United hubs.
The airlines will offer 29 daily flights with complementary timings between Toronto and New York/Newark and Chicago, and 11 daily flights between Vancouver and San Francisco.
