United has put tickets on sale for its newest Middle Eastern destination. Flights to Amman, Jordan, from Washington D.C. have gone on sale. Operating three times per week, United will use a Boeing 787-8 on the route as it plots its largest transatlantic schedule in history in 2022.

United puts Amman on sale

United Airlines has officially put flights between Washington D.C.'s Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Amman's Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) on sale. Flights to Amman will launch on May 5th, 2022, and operate three times per week on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Flights will depart IAD at 22:00 and arrive in AMM the next day at 15:55. The return flight will depart AMM at 01:15 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. This flight will land in Dulles at 06:30 the same day. All times are local.

The flight is blocked at 10 hours and 55 minutes going from Washington D.C. to Amman. The return flight from Amman to Washington D.C. is blocked at 12 hours and 15 minutes. Note that these flights are subject to government approval.

United has blocked the flights at just under 11 hours eastbound and over 12 hours westbound. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Patrick Quayle, senior vice president of international network and alliances at United, stated the following on the route:

"We're expecting next summer to be one of our busiest ever for transatlantic travel, and we know our customers have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to visit unique and memorable international destinations. We're thrilled to make it easier for more travelers to have the chance to swim in the Red Sea, visit the Wadi Rum desert and simply experience Jordan's vibrant history and culture."

New dots on United's map

United Airlines will be the only US carrier flying nonstop between the US and Jordan. Royal Jordanian, the flag carrier of Jordan, will also fly nonstop to the US, though it does not fly to Washington D.C. United will be selling connections to Amman via its hub at Dulles. The flight is timed around United's banks at the airport, allowing for natural connecting opportunities on top of tapping into existing local demand on the route.

United announced Amman alongside the addition of five new transatlantic destinations. This includes Bergen, Norway; Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain; Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal; and Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The carrier described these as "vogue" destinations that are growing in popularity with American tourists.

United is betting that Amman is a growing tourist destination that will do well in summer 2022 and beyond. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

The Middle East is typically one of the more underserved destinations from US carriers. Tel Aviv in Israel gets most of the attention from US airlines, with multiple flights per day from American, Delta, and United, using high-capacity widebody aircraft. Amman will be only the second destination United serves in the Middle East.

United, however, will not be the first US airline making a foray into Jordan. From June 2008 through May 2011, Delta Air Lines flew from its hub at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Amman using a Boeing 767.

The aircraft

United Airlines will be using a Boeing 787-8 to fly between Dulles and Amman. This is the smallest variant of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner family. United's 787-8s have room for 243 passengers in a three-class configuration.

United's Boeing 787-8s have undergone a retrofit to feature the airline's latest cabin configurations. At the front of the plane are 28 lie-flat Polaris business class seats. Outfitted in a 1-2-1 configuration, this is a huge upgrade over the airline's older hard product that did not offer direct aisle access for all customers.

Passengers can expect to fly in the new Polaris product. Photo: United Airlines

Behind this are 21 Premium Plus seats. This is United's international premium economy product, and it is comparable to a domestic first class product. Premium Plus is in a 2-3-2 configuration. Following this are 36 extra-legroom economy seats and 158 standard economy seats, both in a 3-3-3 configuration.

All passengers onboard will get access to on-demand entertainment via a seatback screen. WiFi, power outlets, and USB ports are also available in all cabins.