United's Unique Hub in the Pacific

You are at Tokyo Narita Airport Terminal 1 waiting for your flight to somewhere in Southeast Asia after a long flight from the US mainland with United or its Japan-based Star Alliance partner All Nippon Airways (ANA). As you walk around, you pass by the duty free stores, the United Club, and the gates where fellow travelers await their boarding call. Outside, there are several widebody United aircraft such as Boeing 777s and sleek-looking 787 Dreamliners preparing for their trans-Pacific flights back the US mainland. Then, a smaller aircraft in United colors catches your eye – a Boeing 737-800 at the gate and you ask yourself “what is a United 737 doing here in Tokyo?” The United 737 has arrived from United's most unique hub - Guam.

Most travelers will be familiar with the United hubs at San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington-Dulles, Newark, Chicago-O'Hare, Houston-Intercontinental, and Denver. Those who reside in the US may pass through at least one of them during their travels. Not many are familiar with the airline's small operation on Guam – a US territory in Western Pacific. Located around 6110km (~3800 miles) west of Hawaii, and around 2500 km (~1550 miles) south of Japan and east of the Philippines, Guam is not a place most Americans or United passengers may be familiar with, let alone have been to. Yet for more than half a century United has made a home on the island with a small, but important hub for the Chicago-based airline in the Asia-Pacific. 

Air Mike, Island Hopping 

United's current position in the Asia-Pacific has been made possible through previous airline industry mergers. In the 1980s, United acquired Pan American's flight rights from Tokyo – the foundation of current operations at the two Tokyo area hubs - Narita and Haneda. Around three decades later in 2010, the now former Continental Airlines would be merged into United. Through the integration of Continental, United inherited Continental's hub on Guam. While small, the operation on Guam at the time of the merger was well-established with a long history spanning over four decades.

Continental's history on Guam started when it was formed as a subsidiary named “Air Micronesia” or as it was more affectionately called by its callsign - “Air Mike.” The idea of Air Mike was part of the vision of Continental's CEO at the time Robert Six who saw the opportunity to form an airline to serve the remote Micronesian islands in the western Pacific. Six and Continental were no strangers in the Asia-Pacific, as the airline provided transport of US military equipment and troops during the Vietnam War. When the war ended, his attention shifted to the Micronesian islands which were designated as the “Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands” - US territories that included the modern day island nations of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and Palau. Also within the islands were the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands with the biggest island Saipan, and Guam.

Image: Air Micronesia Boeing 727 at Palau (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

The Trust Territories – administered initially on Guam and then Saipan – were made up of remote islands that covered an area similar to that of the US mainland. While there were air services linking the islands, a bidding process was opened for new air services to the islands in the late 1960s. Continental would come out the winners of the bidding process, and it launched Air Micronesia – a local airline that would provide the inter-island air services as well as direct links to Okinawa, Japan, and Hawaii. The new Micronesian airline would be launched with a Boeing 727 – nicknamed “Ju-Ju” - in 1967. These island hopping flights would be operated on runways built using coral, so the underside of the aircraft was coated with Teflon to protect the aircraft from damage.

Over the next few decades, Air Mike would have its name changed before it was integrated into Continental in the late 1990s. While operating separately for most of its history, Air Mike featured the Continental brand, and got assistance from the parent airline through aircraft, flight attendants, and pilots. From Guam and Saipan, the airline would expand further in the region with flights  to Japan, and others regional destinations such as Manila, Hong Kong, Seoul, Taipei, and Bali. The tourist market from Japan to Guam grew and it then became a main focus for Continental on the island. From Guam, Continental operated flights over the years to several cities in Japan including Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Niigata, and Sendai.

Image: Continental Network from Guam (1997) - Continental Magazine 1997 (Credit: @aeroroutes on X)

On October 2010, United and Continental merged to form what was at the time the world's largest airline. As a result, United would inherit the Guam hub. United previously operated its own flights to and from Guam in the 1990s, though now the airline would take on the bigger and more successful operation on the island. While based in Chicago on the US mainland, United is considered the main airline of Guam and the neighboring islands. Many of the local residents are members of United's frequent flier program, and the Guam Airport even has its own United Club.

United's Guam Hub by the Numbers 

As of April 2025, United Airlines operates a total of 79 weekly flights from Guam to 11 destinations with direct flights - 15 when including the stops on the famous island-hopper route. United operates the only non-stop flight from the island to a US state (Hawaii) with its daily (7 times weekly) Guam-Honolulu service. Japan is the major market where the airline operates a total of 44 weekly flights to three major cities – Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. Tokyo is the main focus where there are 32 weekly flights to both Narita and Haneda, with the majority of flights to/from Narita (25 weekly/up to four times a day) along with the daily flights to Haneda. In addition to the services to Hawaii and Japan, United also operates flights from Guam to two more Asian cities – Manila and Taipei – and the neighboring islands of Saipan, Yap, and Koror (Palau).

Combined, the seat capacity on all the flights from Guam totals to around 14402 seats per week, with a weekly ASM (Available Seat per Mile) of around 24.7 million. For most of its operations on Guam, United relies on Boeing 737 aircraft that are rotated from the US mainland. The exception is the daily Guam-Honolulu direct flights, where widebody Boeing 777-300ER aircraft are used (weekly seats: 2450/ASM:9.3 million weekly). Of the routes it operates from Guam, the market with the highest capacity and ASM is from Guam to the three cities in Japan (Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka) where the combined capacity surpasses the Guam-Honolulu 777 run (7304 seats per week/ASM: 11.4 million). Since it has the most flights per day from Guam, Tokyo has the highest weekly capacity (5312 seats per week) and ASM (8.3 million weekly).  

The United hub on Guam also serves as a small transit hub. Travelers arriving on Guam in the early morning from three points – Koror, Manila, and Tokyo Haneda –  will be able to make a connection onto United's daily flights in the morning bound for Honolulu. Upon arriving in Honolulu, travelers can then take advantage of the evening departures to several US mainland hubs such as Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Westbound travelers can connect onto United's  Honolulu-Guam flight from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, and Washington-Dulles. They can then continue onward to Haneda, Manila, or Koror which depart Guam in the evening.

Another connecting point for travelers from Guam is through Tokyo Narita. Travelers flying aboard United's mid-day departures from Guam to Narita will be able to make onward connections during the afternoon bank at Narita. The arrivals at Narita are timed for connections on United-operated trans-Pacific flights bound for Denver, Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco, and Newark. In addition, United's Narita-Cebu flights – which also uses Guam-based 737s - departs and returns during this time. Travelers can also enjoy similar connections in the opposite direction, and additional flight options operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA).

USD $580 for a 129 mile flight? 

United is the only airline offering flights from Guam on most routes. As of the writing this article, there are only two destinations from Guam where United has direct competition - Tokyo and Manila. Between Guam and Tokyo, Japan Airlines (JAL) is the only other competitor with its sole daily flights using Boeing 767 aircraft to Narita. On the Guam-Manila route, Philippine Airlines uses the slightly larger Airbus A321 aircraft on its daily flights to the islan. However, United edges the Manila-based airline with its nine weekly flights – including the daily flights and the twice-weekly service via Palau (weekly capacity: 1494/weekly ASM: 2.3 million).  

This has often been a point of contention for current and former Guam residents, many of whom have complained of high fares for travel with United and a lack of other airline options. In an online petition on change.org by former Guam resident Shaneerae Castro titled “Seeking Fair Pricing: United Airlines Flights from USA to Guam,” Castro stated that round-trip airfares “can reach an astounding USD $6000, making it nearly impossible for many Guam expatriates to visit their loved ones.” Using screenshots of flight bookings with United from both Los Angeles and San Francisco to Guam, a round-trip Economy Class ticket from the US west coast hubs can cost nearly USD $2000. In the petition, Castro stated: “United Airlines holds the monopoly on direct flights, and we urgently need them to reassess their pricing.” As of the publishing of this article, the online petition has over 9000 verified signatures.

Image: Screenshots from change.org petition titled “Seeking Fair Pricing: United Airlines Flights from USA to Guam,”

Fares have also been reported to unreasonably high on even the shortest of routes – including the short, once-daily sub-150 mile hop between Guam and Saipan. In 2024, local government officials from both Guam and the CNMI addressed the high cost of travel between the two islands where round-trip Economy Class tickets were reported to be as high as USD $580 – more than the cost of a roundtrip ticket to other destinations in Asia. While there are smaller airline companies, United is still the primary airline between the islands.

Since the local residents and politicians on Guam and Saipan raised the issue about United's interisland fares, United announced a reduction of the fares for residents for travel between Guam and Saipan from April 2024. The fares were cut from the previous USD $580 to USD $299 for Basic Economy and USD $399 for Standard Economy. In addition, the airline also reduced the reward ticket redemption on the route from 30,000 points to 15,000.  

United is the sole operator of flights between Guam and Hawaii, and market forces – such as demand, travel dates, and season – impact fares, but another question that is not often asked is “why have the other US-based airlines NOT launched their own competing service from the island to Hawaii or the US mainland?” Because Guam is covered under the US cabotage laws and considered a domestic destination, only US-based airlines can operate flights between any point in the US such as Hawaii to Guam. Though, another less mentioned factor is the business partnerships of the competing big US airlines such as Delta and American in Asia. Delta – which previously operated its own flights to Guam from Tokyo Narita – now relies on its South Korea-based SkyTeam alliance and Joint Venture partner Korean Air for connections via Seoul Incheon not just to Guam but other parts of Asia. Similarly, American Airlines customers can connect to Guam via Tokyo through their Japan-based oneworld alliance and Joint Venture partner Japan Airlines (JAL).

With cabotage laws and the major airline alliances being represented on Guam working in favor for United, the cabotage laws DOES NOT cover international flights. Foreign airlines can launch their own flights to the island, and those who have done so have seen varying levels of success and failure. United could also resume routes it previously served such as to Hong Kong and Seoul. However, some markets such as between Guam and South Korea is now heavily dominated by South Korea-based airlines.

Guam is not a major transit hub, nor has the population and economy to support the volume of flights seen in other United hubs. While travelers do connect from Honolulu to Manila or Palau via Guam, the island mostly serves O&D (Origin and Destination) traffic such as the Japanese tourist market to Guam. Combined with the legal, economic, and operational advantages it has, United has very much cornered the market.  

Guam Role in United's Asia Strategy 

While with a long history on Guam, Narita is United's original Asia hub – and the preferred trans-Pacific hub for the airline. Along with the Narita hub, United has expanded its reach in Asia in recent years with non-stop flights to Hong Kong, Seoul, Taipei, Manila, and Singapore. Back on Guam, United has seen a decline in the tourist market from Japan which has led to a reduction of flights in the market.  As the local tourism industry has not recovered fully after pandemic, United's services to Japan from Guam is now limited to three cities - Tokyo (Haneda/Narita), Nagoya, and Osaka. There are no signs that the operations on Guam will return to its peak in the 1980s and 1990s.

Now with its peak days on Guam are long gone, the Guam hub will still be a major part of the airline's strategy in Asia going forward. The Guam hub is located just 4-5 hours away from most Asian cities including Narita Airport where it is bringing back Fifth-Freedom routes within Asia – this time using the smaller Guam-based Boeing 737s, pilots, and crew. Already operating flights between Narita and Cebu, United is building on that service with new routes from Narita to Kaoshiung, Taiwan; Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; and Koror, Palau; using the 737s. The Guam hub  allows the airline to operate the routes without having the extra costs of ferrying narrowbody aircraft without passengers across the Pacific from the US mainland. Even without adding flights from Guam, United takes advantage of having the Guam hub for its expansion plans in Asia.  

Meanwhile unlike Narita, Guam is not a major transit hub. Nor does the island have the population and economy to support the same volume of flights seen at Narita. While travelers make connections on Guam, the island mostly serves O&D (Origin and Destination) traffic such as the Japanese and Korean tourist markets. While there are valid complaints about the fares and lack of competition, it could also be argued that the island is well-served by United and the other limited competing options. United takes advantage of the benefits of the Guam hub to help build up its operations elsewhere in Asia. 

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