United Airlines Adds Four New Routes From Chicago and San Francisco in Spring 2027
United Airlines will launch four new routes from San Francisco and Chicago O'Hare from late March 2027, including a new weekly service to Bermuda.
By The Aviation Hub
4 min read
United Airlines is set to launch four new routes from two of its hubs in spring 2027, adding three domestic services from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) from 28 March and a new weekly international flight from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Bermuda from 3 April.
The expansion touches cities that currently have no nonstop link to either hub, giving United an unchallenged position on all four routes from the moment of launch.
The Three New San Francisco Routes
According to Simple Flying, United will begin nonstop services from San Francisco to Charleston (CHS), Hartford (BDL) and Oklahoma City (OKC) on 28 March 2027. Hartford and Oklahoma City will operate daily, while Charleston will be served four times a week, on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.
United will fly its mainline narrowbody fleet on the Charleston and Hartford routes. Oklahoma City will be served by United Express, the carrier's regional arm.
No other airline currently operates any of these three city pairs from San Francisco nonstop, according to Simple Flying.
What United Says About Hartford
Airline Geeks reports that Mark Weithofer, managing director of domestic network planning at United, said in a news release: "We're excited to grow our network from Hartford with new daily service to San Francisco, providing Connecticut travelers with convenient service to the West Coast. This new service strengthens our commitment to the region, offering customers greater choice and seamless connections across our global network from San Francisco."
Bradley International Airport in Connecticut currently has no nonstop flights to San Francisco or to California at all, Airline Geeks notes. United already connects Bradley to Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Houston and Washington Dulles.
Charleston: A Growing Ambition
Charleston is perhaps the most significant of the three domestic additions. Simple Flying reports that the new San Francisco service will bring United's total network from Charleston International Airport to six destinations, joining Chicago, Denver, Houston, Newark and Washington Dulles.
Elliott Summey, President and CEO of Charleston International Airport, told Counton2: "Nonstop service to San Francisco is an exciting addition for Charleston International Airport and the entire Lowcountry. As our region continues to grow, so does the demand for convenient access to major markets across the country and around the world."
United currently holds a 12.8% share of all flights from the airport, with around 820,000 passengers served between August 2025 and July 2026, according to Simple Flying. American Airlines leads with 25.9%, followed by Delta at 23.7% and Breeze at 14.1%. The only other transcontinental services from Charleston are Breeze Airways' seasonal flights to Los Angeles and Alaska Airlines' year-round service to Seattle (SEA).
Charleston International Airport is also home to the Boeing facility that produces the 787 Dreamliner, which makes the West Coast connection particularly fitting for the local business community.
Chicago to Bermuda: United Airlines' International Move
From 3 April 2027, United will operate a once-weekly service from Chicago O'Hare to L.F. Wade International Airport, the sole airport serving the British territory of Bermuda (BDA). Simple Flying reports that no other carrier offers a nonstop link between Chicago and Bermuda, meaning United will hold the monopoly on the route from day one.
United already operates a year-round service to Bermuda from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Other US carriers serving L.F. Wade International include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue, alongside local carrier BermudAir.
One practical benefit for travellers on this route is the US Customs and Border Preclearance facility at L.F. Wade International. Passengers clear US immigration formalities before boarding in Bermuda, arriving back on the US mainland as domestic travellers, which allows for quicker onward connections.
What This Means for United's Network
The four additions reinforce United's strategy of using its major hubs to open city pairs that no other carrier serves nonstop. All four routes launch into uncontested territory, giving United immediate pricing power and the ability to capture corporate and leisure traffic that previously had to connect.
For those interested in exploring United's wider schedule, our Airline Search tool lets you browse routes by carrier. Readers planning travel through United's Texas hub may also find our Houston Intercontinental Airport guide useful for planning onward connections from San Francisco.
The Bottom Line
United Airlines is making a confident push into four city pairs that give it an immediate monopoly in each market. The three San Francisco routes serve communities with no existing nonstop access to the West Coast, while the Chicago to Bermuda service taps a leisure market with no rival from O'Hare. Spring 2027 is some months away, and schedules can change, but the commercial logic behind each of these four additions is clear.
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