Air Canada and United are set to launch new routes between Western Canadian cities and Washington DC. Beginning in early June 2023, United will launch a direct flight from Calgary (YYC) to Washington Dulles (IAD), and Air Canada will begin service between Vancouver (YVR) and Washington Dulles (IAD). 

These two routes will offer Western Canadians excellent access to Star Alliance and Aeroplan-partner flights out of Washington Dulles, which was previously cumbersome to access outside of Toronto and Montreal.

Furthermore, as part of the announcement, the two airlines revealed that they plan to expand on the transborder joint business agreement, which will offer travellers easier connectivity between the two countries.

Air Canada and United Launch New Routes to Washington Dulles

Beginning in early June 2023, Air Canada and United will operate new flights from Western Canadian cities to Washington Dulles. 

As of June 1, 2023, Air Canada will fly five-times weekly between Vancouver (YVR) and Washington Dulles (IAD) on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The flight times for this route as follows:

• AC1036, Vancouver (YVR) to Washington Dulles (IAD), departing 8:15am and arriving 4:16pm
• AC1037, Washington Dulles (IAD) to Vancouver (YVR), departing 5:10pm and arriving 8:01pm

The route will be operated by the two-cabin Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, and is already loaded on the Air Canada and Aeroplan websites.

As of June 2, 2023, United will fly daily between Calgary (YYC) and Washington Dulles (IAD). The flight times for this route are as follows:

• UA2221, Calgary (YYC) to Washington Dulles (IAD), departing 1:30pm and arriving 7:54pm
• UA1225, Washington Dulles (IAD) to Calgary (YYC), departing 9am and arriving 11:59am

United will operate the two-cabin Airbus A319 aircraft on this route, which is available to be booked as of now.

Easy Access to Award Flights from Washington

The addition of these two new routes is fantastic news for Western Canadians who engage with the Aeroplan program. Washington Dulles is a great hub airport for catching flights with many Star Alliance airlines and other Aeroplan partner airlines, such as Etihad Airways.

Prior to this announcement, anyone from Western Canada wishing to catch a connecting flight from Washington Dulles would most likely have to route via Toronto or Montreal, which was unnecessarily cumbersome and often a hindrance in both directions. 

Both eastbound flights arriving in the late afternoon or early evening, which means there should be plenty of opportunities to grab a connecting flight to Europe or the Middle East from Washington, which often depart in the latter part of the evening.

This is especially true on the Vancouver route, as it lands just after 4pm. This will also give passengers the option to catch early evening flights to Europe. 

For example, you’ll now have another option to fly from Vancouver to Abu Dhabi with a single connection, and from there, you can access different parts of the Indian Subcontinent, South East Asia, or parts of Africa relatively easily.

If dynamic pricing on direct Air Canada flights to Europe stings, you can also take advantage of partner awards with United from Washington Dulles, which is one of the airline’s key hubs. 

And to further sweeten the deal, Washington Dulles is home to the newest United Polaris Lounge, which offers an excellent ground experience prior to your flight.

When you’re planning out a trip with Aeroplan, be sure to consider routing via Washington Dulles from any of Air Canada’s hubs. Of course, keep an eye out for flights from other United hubs, such as Chicago, Newark, and San Francisco, as well as anywhere else with easy connections from Canada.

More Options from Canada to the United States This Summer

As part of the announcement, Air Canada and United are also optimizing their schedules to provide passengers with more options for flights between Canada and the United States this summer. This includes up to 260 daily transborder departures, with up to 120 daily departures between the airlines’ hub markets.

Between Air Canada and United, passengers travelling between Toronto and Newark can enjoy up to 16 daily flights, and up to 13 daily flights between Toronto and Chicago this summer.

On the other side of the country, there will be up to 11 daily flights between Vancouver and San Francisco this summer, up to nine daily flights between Vancouver and Newark, Houston, and Chicago, and seven flights daily from Vancouver to Los Angeles.

From Alberta, passengers will enjoy two daily flights between Calgary and both Chicago and Houston, while Edmontonians will benefit from a second daily flight to Denver.

Conclusion

Air Canada and United have unveiled two new routes that are set to link Calgary and Vancouver with Washington Dulles as of June 2023. These routes will offer direct access from Western Canada to one of United’s main hubs, including convenient connections to Europe and the Middle East.

The two airlines have also ramped up their summer schedules, offering up to 260 daily transborder flights, which includes increased frequencies on key routes.

As you’re planning your summer travels to the United States and beyond, be sure to keep an eye out for more options at your disposal, including on award flights.