United Tokyo-Ulaanbaatar flights on sale

[Mattg]

United is launching a Boeing 737-800 service from Tokyo to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, from 1 May 2025. Will run three days per week and is timed for easy connections over Tokyo to/from the USA.

United Schedules Mongolia May 2025 Launch — AeroRoutes

Published at 0200GMT 17JAN25 United Airlines on Thursday (16JAN25) opened reservations to its planned service to Mongolia, previously announced by the airline. Opened for reservations during the routine schedule update, the Star Alliance carrier will operate 3 weekly Tokyo Narita – Ulaanbaatar f

www.aeroroutes.com

Could be an interesting Velocity redemption, but at this stage I can't get any flights to appear on the VA website (which unsurprisingly doesn't recognise UBN).

Interestingly, this is a fifth-freedom flight which shares a flight number with United's IAH-NRT service. However, United obviously does not use a 737 to fly from Houston to Tokyo so there will be an aircraft change. I guess Qantas also used to do something similar when it ran its SYD-LAX-JFK service. (The aircraft doing LAX-JFK actually came from BNE.)

BTW, I visited Ulaanbaatar last year and highly recommend going. If you visit in 2025, and have an Australian passport, the visa requirement is being waived.

 

[elanshin]

I wonder if they're going to be positioning another 737. The one they run to Guam goes from HND I believe

 

[Mattg]

I wonder if they're going to be positioning another 737. The one they run to Guam goes from HND I believe

They run NRT-GUM and NRT-SPN using 737s.

 

[Bjet]

United airlines has a hub in Japan. They have got the flights to Singapore, Hong Kong, Guam and other Asian cities from Japan.

Why United is Reviving its 737 Tokyo-Narita Hub

Tokyo's Narita International Airport has gradually decreased in popularity among airlines due to various factors. While airlines like Delta have opted to shift their Tokyo operations to the more favorable Haneda Airport, United has expressed interest in continuing to grow in Narita.

aeroxplorer.com

 

[Scarlett]

Certainly looked like a hub.

Coming through NRT yesterday there was probably 8 UA jets there. Signs in the terminal listing plenty of flights to the destinations described above.

Also a United Club. I chose to go to the NH lounge as I figured with that many UA flights in the early evening, their own club would be packed.

 

[docjames]

Loads on this will be fascinating, although no doubt UA have plenty of data, and it improved utilisation of the 737s based in GUM…..

 

[ozstamps]

We flew there for the NADAAM Festival which was cool, then had a week in the Gobi Desert via 4WD.

A great trip - highly recommended. Might do it again.

Can United points be used to book this in First or Biz? Have 100,000s of them.

 

[levelnine]

Can United points be used to book this in First or Biz? Have 100,000s of them.

Biz only. And I hope you have more than that. Non-saver rates on UA J will be 500K per person return from West Coast USA.

 

[ozstamps]

Thanks -- was hoping to do it from Japan only -- easier to get to from here.

 

[levelnine]

Thanks -- was hoping to do it from Japan only -- easier to get to from here.

Only 150K-200K return per person then. Bargain

 

[ozstamps]

So there must be SAVER awards I'd guess now and again?

 

[levelnine]

So there must be SAVER awards I'd guess now and again?

A quick search of seats.aero reveals 0.

 

[ozstamps]

Might be just because a new route? Often starts like that.