United Airlines adding flights from Pittsburgh to Hilton Head, Pensacola

United Airlines has announced 26 new point-to-point routes, including new service from Pittsburgh to Hilton Head Island Airport and Charleston, S.C., as well as Pensacola, Fla.

The new flights begin Memorial Day weekend and will include three flights weekly from Pittsburgh International Airport to each of the southern destinations as well as Portland, Maine. United plans to operate these point-to-point routes through Labor Day weekend. It says most customers on these flights will be aboard United’s new Bombardier CRJ-550, the world’s first 50-seater with two cabins.

Additionally, the airline announced that in May it will fly more than 100% of its pre-pandemic schedule to Latin America compared to what it operated in 2019, including more flights to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

“In the past few weeks, we have seen the strongest flight bookings since the start of the pandemic,” said Ankit Gupta, vice president of United’s domestic network planning and scheduling.

“As we rebuild our schedule to meet that demand, adding in seasonal point-to-point flying is just one of the ways we are finding opportunities to add new and exciting service,” Gupta said. “And as we have done throughout the entire pandemic, we will continue being nimble and strategic with our network to add the right service to the destinations our customers want to visit.”

Big air service news! Today @United announced 4 new flights from PIT and 1st-ever nonstops to Hilton Head Island Airport and @flypensacola. Other new routes starting in late May and running through summer include @portlandjetport and @iflyCHS. pic.twitter.com/JceyFKHStq

— Pittsburgh International Airport (@PITairport) March 25, 2021

In total, the airline plans to operate 52% of its overall schedule compared to May 2019. In May 2020, United operated 14% of its overall schedule compared to May 2019.

United said it’s working with Clorox and the Cleveland Clinic to come up with new cleaning and health safety procedures, implementing more than a dozen new policies and protocols.

Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines announced Thursday that nonstop service from Pittsburgh to Myrtle Beach will operate on Saturdays beginning May 29. To mark the occasion, Southwest said golf bags fly free as one of two checked pieces of baggage offered to every Southwest customer.