It is not yet known when exactly the US will open its borders to the Swiss. All that is clear is that Washington is busy working on the modalities of an early border opening. And that in the USA, at least when it comes to domestic holidays, there is a real optimism and there is already enthusiasm for numbers almost at the level of 2019 – which is primarily due to a “vaccination euphoria” in the country.
A positive signal is now coming in the form of an expansion of United Airlines flights, especially from the Swiss market. Starting next Friday (April 2, 2021), three weekly passenger flights will be offered from Zurich to New York (Newark), on Friday, Sunday and Wednesday. A Boeing B787-9 “Dreamliner” will be used. Actually, these flights are not entirely new: United has been offering these flights from Zurich on these days and with this aircraft since the end of January. But so far these have been pure cargo flights. So now passengers are being loaded again.
And that’s not all: the route between Zurich and Washington-Dulles, which was started on March 7th, will be increased from three to six weekly flights from May 7th. A Boeing B767-3 “high J” with the latest cabin equipment is used on this route. Washington was also served last summer and into December – because there is the best connectivity there and also because New York was particularly affected by the pandemic and was therefore completely closed at times, which is why it was resuming this route takes longer.
Since it is rumored in the USA that the borders could open from May, Travelnews asked Reto Schneider (Country Manager Switzerland, United) about a possible connection with this advance by United. He waves it away: “The increase in May had been planned for a long time, and we wanted to be back on the road with passengers to New York as soon as possible.” Incidentally, United also ideally plays into the fact that the USA is no longer on the Federal Office of Public Health’s latest list of risk countries – this at least enables Americans to enter Switzerland without quarantine.
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