Could United Launch Flights To Bali, Indonesia 🇮🇩?

Intro

Over the past few years, we have seen United expand to regions that most of us would have never expected. From Greenland to Mongolia to Madeira and as far as Bangkok, United has taken on the role of being "the global carrier" out of the US3.

However, a while ago, before the announcement of Saigon and Bangkok, there were some specualtive rumours floating around about Bali (Denpasar), and I thought I would make a post about whether or not this route could happen.

It's Possible, But...

Let's start looking at this from a practical angle: could United fly nonstop between San Francisco to Denpasar, Bali?

Well, the answer is Yes. Seeing as the flight from SFO to Singapore clocks in at 8439 miles, and United has relatively no issues flying a 787-9 there, Bali, which is about 100 miles shorter, is feasible.

United Polaris on the 787-8 (mini cabin)

However, in order for this route to profitably pan out, there would have to be high demand for people paying for premium seats due to the margins of Ultra-Long-Haul flights. Unlike Singapore, which is a financial hub, there just isn't the demand there for people paying top dollar.

Even if United thought about flying a direct flight from SFO-DPS, it would probably be trialed during the winter season when they have more widebodies available, which coincides with the rainy season in Bali, which doesn't make much sense.

But is there another way...

Perhaps Through Manila

As we learnt about the start of Saigon and Bangkok, United isn't shying away from a technical stop somewhere before flying passengers off to their final destination, and with that in mind, I might have an idea which way United might sway if they choose to fly to Bali.

As United is doubling down on Manila come October, one has to wonder if they could make a route work from SFO-MNL-DPS, much like they are doing with BKK. It's roughly a 3.5-hour flight time, so the 777 could take off in the morning from Manila and make it back for the evening departure to SFO.

In my eyes, this is the only way that United would begin serving Denpasar. Interestingly, I was doing some research earlier today and saw that they are selling tickets on Garuda Indonesia, which I haven't seen before...

Personally, Bali has a soft spot in my heart because that is where I found my new family. I know it is overrun with tourists, but there are still some parts of the island that are not (such as Tejakula).

Final Thoughts

Earlier this year, there was chatter debating about whether United Airlines would begin serving Bali, Denpasar. While I don't think a direct flight is feasible, perhaps United might look at continuing onto Bali from Manila with the addition of a second daily flight. The odds of this happening are pretty low, but if any US airline is going to fly to Bali, it is probably going to be United.

But I am curious: what do you think about this route, and if you think United should add a seasonal 3x weekly? Additionally, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on what routes you think United could be planning next. In my eyes, I see the airline expanding to a few more destinations in Africa, and perhaps making Lagos daily...