United, Continental Airlines to add flights to Haiti

United Airlines has announced new flights from some of its hubs.  United's increased flying came at its New York and West Coast hubs, with fresh destinations to Hawaii, Haiti and Germany.

The new nonstops are an outgrowth of the merger of United and Continental Airlines last October, a combination promoted for its ability to provide seamless travel to more destinations.

The new flights "continue to build on our complementary route networks to provide unmatched global flight options for travelers," Jim Compton, United's executive vice president and chief revenue officer, said in a statement.

The two carriers continue to function as separate airlines until they get the go-ahead from federal regulators to combine operations. United Chief Executive Jeff Smisek said that should come by the end of 2011.

The added flights include daily service out of Los Angeles to Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii, operated by Continental. Continental is also launching weekly service to Hilo, beginning this Saturday, out of San Francisco.

The Hawaii flights are the only nonstop service between mainland United States and Hilo.

Other new flights:

• Daily service from Newark to Stuttgart, Germany, flown by Continental. Stuttgart is the fifth nonstop destination to Germany for the new United, which already flies to Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich.

• San Francisco to Guadalajara, Mexico -- daily service operated by Continental.

• San Francisco to Idaho Falls -- daily United Express service operated by SkyWest Airlines.

• Three-times-a-week service out of Newark Liberty International Airport to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The route will be flown daily beginning July 1, flown by Continental.

Airline spokeswoman Mary Clark noted that just three of United's 10 hubs got new service in the carrier's latest route expansion.

The "rebranding" of United's Cleveland operations -- including swapping out the United tulip and Continental globe logos with a tweaked globe image that represents the merged carrier, and changing the color scheme at check-in and boarding areas -- is expected to happen in late August or early September.