Summary

  • United Airlines is adding over 200 flights to navigate the upcoming Republican and Democratic National Conventions in Milwaukee and Chicago.
  • Milwaukee will see 72 additional flights with a new nonstop route from Washington D.C., while Chicago will have its largest schedule since 2019.
  • United says the conventions are a time to celebrate and participate in the political process, giving more options for passengers to join.

United Airlines is preparing for election season by adding new routes and more than 200 flights so that people can travel to the party conventions. The Republican Party Convention is happening in Milwaukee, and the Democratic Party Convention will be in Chicago, home to United’s headquarters.

Getting ready for election season

It is election year in the United States again, with the big day just under five months away. The Republican National Convention is scheduled to occur in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from July 15-18, while the Democratic National Convention is scheduled for the following month. The DNC will take place from August 19-22 in Chicago. As the dates for the two major events are approaching, United Airlines announced some schedule changes in preparation for an influx of passengers to Chicago and Milwaukee.

A United Airlines Airbus A319 about to land.

Photo: lorenzatx | Shutterstock

According to today’s announcement, United is increasing its operations to and from Milwaukee during the RNC by 75%. This increase includes a nonstop flight from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which serves Washington D.C., to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. Milwaukee will see 72 additional flights from United’s hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Washington Dulles, and Newark, while 20 flights will be upgraded to larger aircraft.

“These conventions are steeped in tradition and have now evolved to become a weeklong celebration of our political process. We’re proud to give people even more options to visit two great cities, and participate in these historic events and make their voices heard.” – Patrick Quayle, United’s Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances

During the week of the RNC, United will operate more than 280 roundtrip flights to Milwaukee. The increase in the schedule will add almost 5,000 seats.

As mentioned above, the DNC is taking place in Chicago, home to United’s headquarters, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport is a hub for the airline. United expects to operate more than 530 flights on peak days, its largest schedule at ORD since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Like the increases to Milwaukee, Chicago will have additional flights from DCA. During the convention, United will add 38 flights between Chicago and Washington. The Boeing 737 MAX 8s will be deployed between the two cities, likely meaning passengers will experience United’s Signature Interior for its narrowbodies.

Lukas Souza 11-30-23 United Airbus A321neo -122

Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

The increases are not limited to the nation’s capital, but United is adding more than 80 flights from cities all over the country. The expansion for the DNC reaches all the way to California, to cities like Sacramento, San Diego, to Washington state (Seattle), Texas (Austin), and more.

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A short summary of MKE operations

Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin and has the largest amount of commercial passenger services. Though the drive from Milwaukee to Chicago is less than two hours, Milwaukee still has a significant number of passenger flights. According to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, MKE has 5,314 flights scheduled in June. Nine airlines operate there, and Southwest Airlines has the largest market share, nearly 29%. United has the fourth-largest market share, with 16.6%, and connects MKE with Houston, Denver, Chicago, and Newark.

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