United Airlines expands Asia network with new flights to Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines

The United Airlines plans to add daily flights to Vietnam and Thailand in October, further expanding the network for the U.S.-based carrier that already has the most Asia service, reported CNBC.

In the expansion, its airplanes from Los Angeles and San Francisco that are headed for Hong Kong will then go on to the two new destinations: Thailand’s Bangkok and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, with service set to begin on Oct. 26.

On Oct. 25, United Airlines plans to add a second daily nonstop flight from San Francisco to Manila, the Philippines, and on Dec. 11, it will launch nonstops from San Francisco to Adelaide, Australia, which will operate three days a week.

The news site noted that the carrier has been adding far-flung destinations not served by rivals to its routes, like Nuuk, Greenland, and Bilbao, Spain, which will start later this year. Getting the mix right is especially important as carriers seek to grow their lucrative loyalty programs and need attractive destinations to keep customers spending.