American Airlines and United Airlines are considering launching direct flights between the USA and New Zealand, potentially busting the Air New Zealand monopoly and giving Qantas travellers a US-via-Auckland option for stateside flights.
United is examining a San Francisco-Auckland service using a Boeing 787 while Qantas partner American Airlines is running the numbers on Los Angeles-Auckland, according to a report in New Zealand's Stuff.co.nz news website.
Air New Zealand runs flights from its Auckland hub to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver, with another North American city – possibly Chicago, Houston or even Las Vegas – tipped to join the network this year.
United previously planned to fly between Houston and Auckland as the debut route for its Boeing 787 but axed the route in mid-2012.
