Well this one really came out of left field. United Airlines just announced plans to begin nonstop service from its Dulles hub in Washington, DC (IAD) to Tel Aviv (TLV), launching May 22, 2019.The new flight will be operated by a 777-200ER with the following schedule:UA72 Washington, DC (IAD) 10:30pm Departure → Tel Aviv (TLV) 4:30pm (+1) Arrival (Wed, Fri, Sun)UA73 Tel Aviv (TLV) 12:20am Departure → Washington, DC (IAD) 5:50am Arrival (Tues, Fri, Sun)IAD-TLV is now available to book, with paid economy fares starting at $875 round-trip, and business class available from $3,640.Award availability is outstanding as well — saver economy appears to be wide open on every date, and business-class saver awards are available on every flight but the May 22 inaugural.Currently, the flight is assigned to a three-cabin 777-200ER with United’s least desirable 2-4-2 business class, but roomy 3-3-3 seating in economy.The first-class cabin is not available to book, and hopefully the airline will shift to a retrofitted 777-200 with the new 1-2-1 Polaris seating before the inaugural in May.Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.United’s “real” Polaris product is a huge improvement over the old seats. Photo by Zach Honig.Economy passengers should hope for the old arrangement, though, given that United’s retrofitted planes have 3-4-3 seating in coach.3-4-3 economy seating on United’s retrofit 777. Photo by Zach Honig.This new route joins United’s existing Tel Aviv flights, departing twice daily from Newark (EWR) and once a day from the airline’s West Coast hub in San Francisco (SFO). United’s also planning to open a Polaris Lounge at Dulles, though a date has not yet been confirmed.For more on United’s retrofitted 777-200, see:Polaris Redemption: United’s Retrofitted 777-200 From DC to FrankfurtWhere to Sit When Flying United’s New 777-200: Polaris Business ClassWhere to Sit When Flying United’s New 777-200: Economy
