United Airlines is back to both Thailand and Vietnam with the launch of two direct daily flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco with a stop-over in Hong Kong. Both routes are starting on October 26, 2025. United will deploy a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on both routes. United will then become the only U.S. airline to offer flights to both Southeast Asian metropolises.
The Bangkok flight -although not non-stop- is good news for Thailand tourism which currently struggles to keep afloat. The Los Angeles route used to be served by Thai Airways International.
United monopolistic position in Thailand
However, following the downgrade of Thailand’s aviation safety from Category 1 to Category 2 in 2015 by the US Federal Aviation Administration, direct services stopped. This was the consequence of a ban on direct flights for Thai Airways International.
While lifted in April of this year, after the US aviation regulator reinstated Thailand in the top category, there is no rush for Thai Airways to be back to the USA due to heavy competition via Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo or Singapore. United is likely to remain the sole carrier to connect Bangkok to the USA for a long time…
Competition on USA-Ho Chi Minh City routes
Last served until October 2016, United flight to Ho Chi Minh City will also connect the USA via Hong Kong. The flight starts on the same day than the Bangkok route. United will also be the only U.S. airline to offer a daily service to Ho Chi Minh City with a Dreamliner. But unlike for the Bangkok flight, United will face competition from Vietnam Airlines. Vietnam’s national carrier offers four weekly flights to San Francisco from Ho Chi Minh City with an Airbus A350-9.
Meanwhile, United also announced to operate a second daily service between San Francisco and Manila from October 25, 2025 with a Boeing 777-300ER. On December 11, the carrier will be the first US airline to propose a nonstop flight to Adelaide in Australia from its San Francisco hub.
Credit: Travelmole
Images: Pascal Borener
