United Airlines has increased capacity on its Cape Town services in response to rising passenger demand during the South African summer holiday travel period. Bookings from Cape Town to the United States are up by 7 per cent for the peak season running from 18 December to 6 January, compared with the same period last year.

To accommodate this growth, United increased service between Cape Town and New York/Newark from three to four-times daily flights during the height of the holiday period. Among South Africa-based travellers heading to the United States, the most popular destinations on United’s network are New York/Newark, Washington D.C. and Chicago.

United launched its Cape Town–Newark service in 2019, followed by the introduction of Cape Town–Washington D.C. flights in 2022. Since 2021, the airline has also expanded its African network with new routes to Johannesburg, Accra, Lagos, Dakar and Marrakesh, establishing a significant footprint on the continent.

Across its global network, United is forecasting its busiest Dec–Jan holiday season on record. The airline expects to carry approximately 10.3 million passengers between 18 December and 6 January, the highest number it has ever flown during this travel period. On average, United plans to transport nearly 520,000 passengers a day while operating around 4,700 daily flights.

The busiest travel day is expected after Christmas, with approximately 560,000 passengers forecast to fly on Saturday, 27 December. From the United States, the most popular international destinations over the holiday period are Cancun, London and Frankfurt, while the top domestic New Year’s Eve destinations are Orlando, Las Vegas and Honolulu.

This surge in holiday travel follows United’s busiest Thanksgiving season ever, during which the airline also recorded its highest customer satisfaction score for the month of November.

To support travellers during the busy period, United is promoting features within its mobile app, which it says can save up to 30 minutes. These include on-demand customer service via text, chat or video call, automatic rebooking in the event of disruption, real-time baggage tracking, and connection support with turn-by-turn directions, estimated walk times and live flight notifications. United has also recently added new app features such as a virtual gate, club recommendation tool and enhanced bag tracking.

United is positioning itself as a family-friendly airline for the festive season, highlighting its family seating policy, children’s travel kits, and the availability of Starlink Wi-Fi on select regional and mainline flights. Holiday-themed entertainment, including titles such as Home Alone and Elf, is available on seatback screens and through the United app.

Festive touches onboard include a seasonal inflight entertainment selection, limited-time offerings such as Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry, and the Sleigh Bell Spritz for passengers aged 21 and over. United also notes a trend towards warm-weather destinations, with a projected 10 per cent increase in travel to Florida compared with last year’s winter holiday period.