Air Canada, United Airlines Expand Transborder Routes for Summer 2027

Air Canada announced Friday that it will launch new transborder routes in partnership with United Airlines for summer 2027. The expansion will increase Air Canada’s nonstop access to U.S. destinations.

Air Canada will launch new routes from Toronto to Louisville, Montreal to Indianapolis, and Edmonton to Newark. Air Canada will also increase capacity on its Edmonton-San Francisco route by deploying a larger Airbus A220 aircraft.

The expansion builds on the airlines’ existing joint business agreement. In 2022, the airline announced a joint business agreement with United. Its goal was to improve schedule coordination and expand codeshare options. It also offers more opportunities to earn and redeem rewards through United’s MileagePlus and Air Canada’s Aeroplan programs.

Could the Partnership Offer More Flexibility and Savings?

In its press release, Air Canada said the coordinated schedules could give passengers more departure options, better connections, and greater flexibility during disruptions. “Coordinated schedules also provide more departure options, improved connections and greater flexibility during disruptions, helping make the respective networks more resilient and better able to serve customers when travel is disrupted.”

However, potential savings apply only to connecting itineraries and do not guarantee lower fares on every route. Air Canada says its “integrated through-fares” can save passengers money on connecting itineraries compared with booking each flight segment separately.

According to Air Canada, “Customers also have access to more than 1,200 connecting itineraries, with integrated through-fares that can offer meaningful savings compared with purchasing individual flight segments separately.”

How does it work? For example, a traveler flying from a smaller Canadian city to a U.S. destination could take an Air Canada flight to a connecting hub and then transfer to a United Airlines flight.  Under the arrangement, booking both flights on a single ticket may cost less than purchasing each flight segment separately.

However, Air Canada’s announcement compares the potential savings with the cost of purchasing individual flight segments separately, not with fares offered by competing airlines. The announcement also does not guarantee lower fares on nonstop flights.