United Airlines doubling Manila-SFO daily flights

MANILA, Philippines — American carrier United Airlines is doubling its daily flights between Manila and San Francisco starting October, introducing an evening option to give passengers more options.

In an advisory, United said it is scaling up flight frequency between Manila and San Francisco to twice daily by Oct. 26, from the current once a day.

United said the second daily flight would be mounted in the latter part of the day, complementing the early morning service.

Flight UA 810 is scheduled to fly out of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at 11:30 p.m. and land at the San Francisco International Airport at 9 p.m. (local time). Return flight UA 809 departs at 2:25 p.m. (local time) and arrives at NAIA at 8:45 p.m.

The current flight UA 190 departs NAIA at 8:40 a.m., while its counterpart service UA 189 goes out of San Francisco at 12:50 a.m. United’s Manila-San Francisco connections are all served by a Boeing 777-300ER.

“Whether you are a business or a leisure traveler, you will enjoy greater flexibility, with daytime and evening departures in both directions,” United said.

United began flying the Manila-San Francisco corridor in 2023, making it the only US carrier to fly between the Philippines and the US.

Since then, the airline has expanded its regional presence in the Philippines, launching non-stop flights between Cebu and Tokyo last year to shake up local aviation.

From Tokyo, United offers connecting flights to the US for travelers flying out of Cebu. Further, United operates flights from Manila to Guam and Palau on a weekly basis.

In a recent interview with reporters, Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Carmelo Arcilla said the Philippines is welcoming more one-stop trips to the US. His agency wrapped up air talks with Japan and South Korea for connecting flights to the US via East Asia.

Arcilla said Japan and South Korea are two of the best layovers for one-stop flights between the Philippines and the US, particularly in the West Coast’s Los Angeles and San Francisco.

United is one of the world’s biggest carriers with its capacity to reach nearly 2,700 routes, and it is competing for the top spot with fellow American operator Delta Airlines.