United Airlines strengthens its global presence with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean starting at IPW 2025

What was the main objective of United's participation in IPW 2025?

For United Airlines, IPW is always a key event, and this year it takes on special significance as it's being held in Chicago, where our headquarters are located. We're one of the event's main sponsors, reflecting the importance we place on this space. Our focus is on continuing to drive Destination Selling—that is, promoting not only air travel but also destinations. IPW is ideal for interacting with travel agencies (DMOs) and inbound operators who are directly involved in this work.

Who made up United's international delegation this year?

We have a strong global presence. Sales teams from Latin America joined us from Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, and Mexico. We also had colleagues from Europe—Germany, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom—and Asia—Japan, Korea, and Thailand. This is a testament to our global commitment to positioning destinations in all the markets where we operate.

What new technology and product innovations stood out during the event?

A major innovation is the addition of Starlink, the high-speed satellite Wi-Fi system, which will be free for all our passengers. We've already begun rolling it out on regional aircraft, and by the end of the year it will be available across our entire regional fleet. We'll then follow suit with models like the 737, 767, and 787.

We're also revamping our Polaris product. On the Boeing 787-9, we'll be adding two exclusive seats called Polaris Studios, with doors, larger screens, and greater privacy and comfort. The first aircraft with this configuration will be operational later this year.

What announcements did they make regarding new routes?

We launched several routes from San Francisco to Panama, Costa Rica, and Monterrey. We also announced the new Mexico–Denver service, in collaboration with Visit Colorado. While Houston remains our primary gateway to Latin America, we also operate from other key hubs such as San Francisco, Denver, Newark, Washington Dulles, New York, and Chicago, enabling robust connectivity.

These new routes strengthen connections to Asia, with destinations such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. United is currently the world's largest airline in terms of available seat miles (ASMs).

What other international expansions are you promoting?

This summer, we added 17 new markets, primarily in Europe and Africa. In Portugal, for example, we're operating multiple routes. We also announced a strategic partnership with JetBlue, which significantly expands our presence at JFK and in the Caribbean. Passengers can now use United miles on JetBlue and vice versa, significantly improving the options for those traveling to and from the Caribbean.