Direct Flights Washington - Toulouse - United Airlines

That works for me…as long as that Intercité train doesn’t break down. Good news. Thanks.

Elizabeth, if the train breaks down, don't forget the BlaBlaCar bus from Toulouse to Montpellier, it costs around €10.

Ok, it takes 45 minutes longer, but that's much faster than an Intercité train that can't even manage to leave the Toulouse station. :-)

I forgot to mention that United will also launch a daily direct summer flight between New York (Newark) and Marseille starting in June 2027. Tickets are already available for purchase.

Oh that is interesting! I wonder if Toulouse's position in the aircraft industry is driving this route addition?

That may have influenced the decision, given that, in addition to the Airbus factories, there are numerous aeronautics and aerospace companies in Toulouse, including even some Boeing subcontractors. However, the move is primarily due to United's purchase of the new Airbus A321XLR (Extra Long Range) aircraft.

According to the press, it will feature a four-class configuration and accommodate 150 passengers:

20 Business Class seats in a 1-1 layout, convertible into beds, each with a door for added privacy

12 Premium Plus seats in a 2-2 layout

34 Premium Economy seats

83 Economy seats.

Oh that is interesting! I wonder if Toulouse's position in the aircraft industry is driving this route addition?

It is indeed.

Toulouse is of course the worldwide HQ and mega hub for Airbus, the world's leading commercial aircraft developer (cough cough). Airbus has a North American HQ in suburban Washington DC. There will be a lot of Airbus employees as regulars on that flight.

Most of the new routes United announced yesterday on the A321 XLR are out of Newark. It's not a coincidence that the Toulouse flight is out of Dulles.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the flight will be on one of United's new Airbus A321 XLR (narrow-body jets they're now receiving - a new plane designed for "long, thin routes, like many just announced). It would have been a bit awkward if they put the Toulouse flight on a Boeing aircraft...

Oh that is interesting! I wonder if Toulouse's position in the aircraft industry is driving this route addition?

I read the article (on the other United post) that said it is. Airbus has its U.S. headquarters in Herndon, VA (in a building very close to Dulles).

The Airbus training center is also located in Toulouse. In my opinion, the front rows will be snapped up quickly.

In 2024 we spent a day and night in after our Dordogne trip and would have loved more time.

I'd be interested in learning what travelers find so appealing about Toulouse. We spent a day in the city last summer and while it was quite pleasant, I was not compelled to spend more time there. What did I miss?

Haha, I’ve been to Bordeaux a few times, and that is exactly what I think when I see people spending more than a single day there. And I’m not even a die-hard Toulouse or Stade Toulousain fan, nor do I have anything against UBB. Turns out, it's all just a matter of vibes!

In any case, in both cities we say "chocolatine" instead of "pain au chocolat", this is a common point to highlight :-)

We spent ten nights in Bordeaux, and ten in Toulouse. In case you haven't figured it out, one shouldn't judge a city based on the material used to build buildings, one day's temperature, the characters you happen upon roaming the streets during one day. Maybe some people do. Some people also also look for a large and active the English speaking communities because they know that learning French in order to fit into French society at their ages is difficult.

We looked at cultural and intellectual offerings, libraries, university departments and golden-age lecture opportunities, medical care, proximity to family in the south of France, transportation to Paris and the US, and the French speaking organizations that fit our interests. In fact, when we made our decision, we never saw the extensive historical center because we knew we didn't want to live in one, nor did we eat in a restaurant or cafe due to Covid. Local architecture and cuisine didn't affect our opinion of Bordeaux or Toulouse either, two great cities, but the organizational offerings and infrastructure where we live met our needs better that these other two.

I spent two weeks in Toulouse in autumn 1998. My husband was there on business. I spent my days wandering around. Can't recall all I did there but I was never bored. I spent a quite bit of time in a needlework shop as I was doing a lot of embroidery work at that time in my life. It is a beautiful town. When my husband returned from work we often went to a restaurant that had outside seats bordering a square. It was a lively town. One weekend day we went to an aerospace museum. Another weekend day we drove to Lourdes which was a beautiful drive. I'd go back to Toulouse if I had the chance.

This is great news for those in the greater Toulouse area! With Airbus headquartered there, it only makes sense. My hope is that this is the start of additional flights from the US to other "secondary" hubs in France, such as Bordeaux. Currently there is only one, seasonal flight from North America to Bordeaux (Montréal to Bordeaux). It would be wonderful if non-stop flights to Bordeaux would be added in the not too distant future. But maybe I'm just dreaming...

United also announced that the flight number will be....222.

So, if you take the flight you will hear....United flight Two Two Two to Toulouse.

No kidding.

United also announced that the flight number will be....222.

Yes, It's an intentional joke, the UA222 chosen by United refers to Lufthansa flight LH2222, which connects Munich to Toulouse and sparks laughter at airports when the announcements are made (there are a few videos of this on social media).

They're also adding Denver to Paris and Dulles to Milan.

Plus direct flights to Ljubljana (!) and Sardinia, along with some others I have forgotten. Some to be seasonal, some to be year round. Some on smaller planes, some on widebodies.