United Airlines became the first aircraft carriers to fly to Mongolia

When I was a child, I spent countless hours looking at maps: some of the United States, others from countries around the world.

In particular, they attracted places that seemed remote and fantastic, destinations that allowed me to imagine a world far beyond the rural plot of Pennsylvania where I grew up.

Thailand. The Falkland Islands. South Africa. The more creative, the better.

Today, I checked one of the destinations on which I once dreamed of dreaming when I was a child: Mongolia.

That was courtesy of United Airlines, which on Thursday flexed its own creativity by expanding its route map to become the first US airline to launch a regularly scheduled service to the remote Asian nation.

I was aboard the inaugural flight, which was a celebration and a show in itself, as well as other inaugural flights of United and other great carriers.

United Fifth Freedom Service

Making United Mongol capital of Ulaanbaatar from United to be particularly unique was the city where it took off.

United Flight 7 to the Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN) did not leave an US airport. It was removed at about 1,900 miles at Narita International Airport (NRT) in Tokyo, far from the country of origin of the airline.

Gateside festivities

The launch of this new “Route of Fifth Freedom”- An aviation term For a flight that neither leaves nor lands in the country of origin of an airline, attracted a multitude of approximately 200 people near the 32th door of Narita for ceremonies that began almost two hours before the exit.

It began with a great contingent of the Japanese media Patrick Quayle, senior vice president of the Planning and Alliances of United Global Networks, with a large number of questions. They covered everything from details on the new NRT-UBN route of United to the transport of the carrier to rebuild his Narita operation, which is now up to 11 non-scales destinations, as part of the United Plan to revitalize its Japanese operation.

But it was the show that followed this most unusual game: cupcakes with a destination theme, a cannon rupture ceremony and a large number of photographs, including several passengers that were dressed for the occasion.

A considerable percentage of the passengers of the flight said they flew specifically to be in the inaugural: Avgeeks or the United enthusiasts who had reserved the flight specifically because it marked the addition of a new and especially notable on the Map of United.

Craig Shipman in Chicago was one of those passengers.

“This is my first inaugural,” he said, newcomer to Tokyo from Chicago, just in time to take the connection with Ulaanbaatar.

“Why not?” Shipman said. “I’ve never been in Mongolia, and it worked that I could go.”

Jan Francke, Victoria’s mining geophysicist, British Columbia, was another.

A “extreme” traveler self -described frequently along the way, Francke said he incorporated the inaugural flight on a work trip that had to do to Mongolia anyway. Today, he said he enjoyed the emotion of the inaugural. Tomorrow, a nine -hour trip to the Mongol field to meet customers awaits it.

But others reserved the flight by chance, realizing only for the Hullabaloo at the door that this was not just an ordinary flight.

These celebrations on the door side have become a kind of tradition for the opening routes of United. Maybe that does not surprise given the number of new interesting destinations that the carrier has added in recent years under the leadership of Quayle routes.

Adding to a prepared route map

Ulaanbaat joins Nuuk in Greenland, the nation of Pacific Island of Palau, the Bilbao of Spain and the city of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh in an expansion list that leans in distant destinations Much more than those available from other American carriers.

It may not be a big surprise to know that Quayle himself also loved to look at the maps when he was a child, something that says he helped serve as inspiration to shape United’s route map.

“When I was a child, I loved to look at maps,” Quayle told me from the 3F seat while we fly somewhere above the Asian continent on our way to the new destination of his operator. “The farther or more difficult it is to reach places, such as the South Island of New Zealand or Tahiti or Mongolia or Cape Town, South Africa, I just had a year and the desire to go there. And being in this position, directing the network in United, we have the ability to take these destinations to our mileage [loyalty] Members. And really … obtaining the Banderas carrier service, obtaining that service together with these remote destinations worldwide. “

There is a business case to do, of course.

United flies to the most combined national and international destinations in the world. He is a key differentiator of his greatest competitors.

Having a series of innovative destinations further improves the appeal of their Frequent Flying Program – And those who could consider registering in a Credit Credit Card To help them reach those destinations.

But for Thursday, Quayle, together with me and a large part of those on board, felt more as if the children with open eyes reviewed a destination of the wish list for a long time.

Outstanding inaugural

Each passenger who approached the inaugural flight of Mongolia del United received a botin bag of commemorative items that included pajamas made specifically for the flight, along with other baratijas such as a postcard and a pin that showed the US and Mongolas flags.

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Ben Mutzabauch/The Points Guy

In first class, where I spent Thursday’s flight, Teddy’s commemorative bears also greeted us.

The passengers took photos and took videos while they approached, continuing to exchange stories and sharing their emotion before visiting a new remote destination.

Even some among the United United team in Guam joined the emotion.

“I had never been in an inaugural before,” I listened to a flight attendant to say while distributed champagne in the first class cabin. “It’s exciting. I can’t wait.”

The buzz continued when the plane was taught and took off from Tokyo (about five minutes late).

Shortly after takeoff, the initial emotion gave way to the lights of the attenuated cabin and a quieter atmosphere.

However, keep in mind that, although this is a new distant and distant destination for United, the flight itself is not a long -distance walk in a wide body plane; It is approximately the distance between the Centers of the O’Hare International Airport in United (Ord) and the San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

As such, the plane on the route was a Boeing 737-800 of 23 years-registration No. N35260, who showed his age (among other things, the Wi-Fi did not work).

First class adaptations were a standard national reclining configuration.

The meal service presented a special menu of the one time that selections with Mongols themes such as Mongolian meat ribs, Gobi -style chicken and “barley Ulaanbaat and stew of vegetables” highlighted.

I asked for beef, which did not photograph well, nor was it the best food of the airline I have had. The chicken dish was better photographed. I did not try it myself, although he also received warm reviews.

Arriving in Mongolia

A little more than five hours after our trip, the crew announced that we had begun our descent to Ulaanbaatar.

The passengers applauded when landing, after a five -hour flight and 41 minutes.

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Ben Mutzabauch/The Points Guy

It was time to enter Mongolia to mark a destination that many of us once knew only as a pin on a map.

Reserve your seat on the Mongolian flight of United

Do you want to hook a seat on one of the Tokyo-Ulaanbaat’s flights from United?

Tickets begin in about $ 486 round trip, or $ 1,413 in executive class. The good news is that award tickets are available in the coming months. Economics tickets begin at 30,000 miles of milestones more around $ 29- $ 30 in taxes and rates in each direction, while the executive class awards begin at 45,000 miles plus the same taxes and rates in each direction. You can transfer Bilt rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to United in a 1: 1 ratio.

Depending on prices, it could be an even better offer using AIR CANADA AIRPLAN points. It will need only 12,500 points in each direction in the economy (although with higher taxes and rates of approximately $ 76), or 35,000 points in executive class. You can transfer points to Aeropan from:

Therefore, it is easy to stock up on them, even if you have none currently deposited.

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