Traverse City sits on the shores of Grand Traverse Bay in northern Michigan and draws visitors each summer for its waterfront setting and the long-running National Cherry Festival. United Airlines will soon make the destination far more accessible from the West Coast by adding the airport’s first nonstop flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco. The new service begins next summer and marks a notable expansion for Cherry Capital Airport. ([1])
Route Details and Schedule
United will fly the routes on Saturdays from June 19 through September 11. Additional Wednesday departures are planned around the cherry festival period, specifically June 30 through July 7 and September 1 through 8. Both the Los Angeles and San Francisco flights will use Boeing 737-800 aircraft configured with 16 domestic first-class seats and 150 seats in the main cabin. Tickets are already available for purchase.
A Popular Summer Destination
Traverse City has long attracted travelers seeking a lakeside escape in the Great Lakes region. The area offers scenic views along Grand Traverse Bay and hosts the century-old National Cherry Festival, which features parades, entertainment, and an air show. In 2027 the festival will include a performance by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, adding further draw for aviation enthusiasts and families. The new nonstop options remove the need for connections that previously made the trip more time-consuming from California.
United’s Broader Presence at the Airport
The carrier already serves Traverse City from several of its other mainland hubs, including Chicago, Denver, Houston, and Washington Dulles. The California routes extend that network and give the airport its first true coast-to-coast nonstop footprint. Travelers from the West Coast will now reach northern Michigan without changing planes during the peak summer months.
Additional San Francisco Expansion
United also announced new year-round service from San Francisco to Jacksonville, Florida, beginning March 29 and operating twice weekly. The Traverse City and Jacksonville routes form part of a recent wave of additions at the airline’s Bay Area hub, which now includes several new transcontinental flights to cities such as Hartford, Richmond, Norfolk, and Charleston. These moves strengthen United’s position in both leisure and business markets from San Francisco.
