Understandably, the limited flight footprint dampened the appeal of service at JFK. The pandemic finally made that possible, though United was only granted sufficient slots for two flights per day between its west coast hubs, San Francisco and Los Angeles, and JFK. Very early in his tenure as United’s President, Scott Kirby made clear he wanted United to return to JFK. JFK is an important market for New York City and West Coast residents and the unintended consequences of leaving JFK were the loss of corporate business in other markets since many travelers are averse to flying into Newark (EWR). But with disgraced ex-CEO Jeff Smisek at the helm, the carrier pulled out of JFK completely in 2015, leasing its slots to Delta in an exchange for Newark (EWR) slots that ultimately backfired for United.
In addition to frequent transcontinental flights, United also offered service to London, Tokyo, and Washington Dulles. Less than 20 years ago, New York JFK was a bustling focus city for United.
