United Airlines will launch five new United Express routes on 17 December operated by partner SkyWest Airlines.
From its Chicago hub United is adding flights to Duluth, Minnesota and Ashville, North Carolina. News Express flights from Denver include Midland, Texas and Louisville, Kentucky. The final new market United plans to introduce in December is Los Angeles-El Paso, Texas.
SkyWest is operating all the new city pairs with 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft.
It will fly twice twice-daily from Chicago to both Duluth and Asheville, as well as two times daily between Los Angeles and El Paso.
From Denver, United will start a once-daily service to Louisville and two daily flights to Midland.
United says its Chicago-Asheville, Chicago-Duluth, Denver-Midland and Denver-Louisville operations will be the only nonstop flights in those markets.
But the airline will face competition from Southwest Airlines between Los Angeles and El Paso, a route Southwest operates using Boeing 737 aircraft, according to Innovata.