United adds 10 international cities for 2027, most of them from Newark

United Airlines will add 10 new international cities to its map in 2027. The airline calls it the largest international expansion in its history. It shared the plan on Aug. 25, 2026, at an event at Newark, in the airline's announcement.

The first flights start in late March 2027. The last new city joins in early June. Eight of the 10 routes leave from Newark. One leaves from San Francisco and one from Washington Dulles. United says it will be the only U.S. airline to fly nonstop from the U.S. to eight of these cities. United notes that all new routes still need government approval. The airline says it now flies to more than 160 international destinations.

The 10 new cities

Here are the routes, dates, frequencies and aircraft, as listed in the release. The release gives cabin details only for the A321XLR, covered below.

| Route | Start date | Frequency | Aircraft | |---|---|---|---| | San Francisco (SFO) to Okinawa (OKA) | Mar. 27, 2027 | 3x weekly | Boeing 777-200ER | | Newark (EWR) to Luxembourg (LUX) | Apr. 2, 2027 | Daily | Airbus A321XLR | | Washington Dulles (IAD) to Toulouse (TLS) | Apr. 26, 2027 | Daily | Airbus A321XLR | | Newark (EWR) to Ljubljana (LJU) | May 12, 2027 | 4x weekly | Boeing 767-400ER | | Newark (EWR) to Olbia, Sardinia (OLB) | May 27, 2027 | 3x weekly | Boeing 767-300ER | | Newark (EWR) to Catania, Sicily (CTA) | May 28, 2027 | 4x weekly | Boeing 767-300ER | | Newark (EWR) to Ibiza (IBZ) | May 31, 2027 | 4x weekly | Airbus A321XLR | | Newark (EWR) to Valencia (VLC) | Jun. 2, 2027 | 3x weekly | Airbus A321XLR | | Newark (EWR) to Marseille (MRS) | Jun. 4, 2027 | Daily | Airbus A321XLR | | Newark (EWR) to Terceira, Azores (TER) | Jun. 9, 2027 | 3x weekly | Boeing 737 MAX 8 |

According to United, it is the only U.S. airline to fly nonstop from the U.S. to every city on this list except Olbia and Catania.

The A321XLR and its cabins

Five of the new routes use the Airbus A321XLR, which United calls "Born to Explore." It is a single-aisle jet. United says it has 32 premium seats: 20 United Polaris suites with a privacy door and 12 United Premium Plus seats. That is 16 more premium seats than United's Boeing 757-200, the airline says.

In the back, United lists new Economy Plus seats with extra elbow room. These seats share a table across an open middle seat. In a July release, United said it has 50 A321XLRs coming to replace its 757s, that Economy Plus has about 3 inches more legroom than economy, and that screens measure 19 inches in Polaris, 16 in Premium Plus and 13 in economy. United Economy gets a snack bar. Every seat has a 4K OLED screen with Bluetooth. MileagePlus members get free Starlink Wi-Fi.

United says the A321XLR will fly some domestic routes first, starting in September. Its first international flights begin Dec. 1 from Washington Dulles to Amsterdam and Dublin. United says tickets for those first international A321XLR flights went on sale Aug. 27.

Other new routes and returns

United is also adding new routes to cities it already serves:

• Los Angeles to Osaka, daily, from March 27, 2027
• Washington Dulles to Milan, three times weekly, from May 28, 2027
• Denver to Paris, daily, from May 27, 2027
• San Francisco to Tel Aviv, three times weekly, restarting March 28, 2027

The release does not name the aircraft for these four routes. United also says its summer 2026 additions will return for summer 2027. Those are Newark flights to Split, Bari, Glasgow and Santiago de Compostela.

Lounges at the departure hubs

All 10 new cities start at three United hubs. Here is what Lounge Frog lists at each one for United flyers. Access notes below reflect the programs our directory links to each lounge. United has not said anything new about lounge access for these routes.

Newark (EWR). Eight new routes leave from here. The United Polaris Lounge has a craft cocktail bar and 10 showers, and it rates 4.6 overall on Lounge Frog. There are three United Clubs. The United Club (C, mezzanine) rates 4.9 and has six showers. The United Club (C, west) rates 3.3. The United Club (A) rates 4.2. Each United Club has a full bar.

Washington Dulles (IAD). The Toulouse flight leaves from here. The United Polaris Lounge has eight showers and rates 4.6. The United Club (D) rates 4.9, the United Club (C7) rates 4.8, and the United Club (C17) rates 3.1. Dulles is also in line for a rebuild that United says will add United Club space and a large Polaris lounge. See our story on United's Dulles plan.

San Francisco (SFO). The Okinawa flight leaves from here. The United Polaris Lounge has 12 showers and rates 4.6. There are United Clubs in Terminal E (4.8), Terminal F (4.5) and Terminal G (4.5). The Terminal G club has two showers.

Lounge Frog links each Polaris lounge to Star Alliance lounge access. Each United Club is linked to United Club membership and Star Alliance lounge access. Check each lounge page for details before you fly.

What United has not said

The release leaves some gaps. It does not list the cabins on the 777-200ER, 767 or 737 MAX 8 flights. It does not give flight times or fares. It does not say whether any route is seasonal. It also does not say which terminal or concourse each new flight will use. You can see more on United's airline page.