I met travelers who plan vacations around inaugural flights

• United Airlines has renewed its daily service from Newark to Glasgow, Scotland.
• Inaugural flights often feature celebrations, special food, and memorabilia for passengers.
• The airline's return to Glasgow was prompted by recovering market demand for travel to Scotland.

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GLASGOW, Scotland ― There are always new places to explore. Just ask Amanda van Dijk, who I met on United Airlines’ renewed service to Glasgow from Newark Liberty International Airport on May 8. 

It was Amanda’s eighth inaugural flight in the last two years, and as we waited to board United’s first service to Glasgow since 2019, she told me she’s officially hooked on following the airline to new places. 

“It opens your eyes to places that you never thought you’d go,” she said as bagpipes blared in the background. (Yes, United had a bagpiper at the gate in Newark to send us off.)  

Van Dijk, a project manager from Houston, was standing with a group of fellow United inaugural enthusiasts, who often bump into each other as they explore new destinations with the airline, and they all agreed that it’s a great way to decide where to travel – and also a fun way to collect some memorabilia.  

While United has served Glasgow from Newark before, they treated the restart of the service as a whole new route, with speeches and a celebration before the first flight departed. 

Here’s why travelers should think about following airlines to new places when they have the chance, and how United decided it was time to fly to Glasgow again. 

What sets inaugural flights apart 

As an avgeek (aviation geek), inaugural flights always feel a little special for the uniqueness and just the ability to say you did it. 

It doesn’t hurt that airlines usually pull out the stops to get passengers in on the action. 

Invariably, there are gate celebrations, extra food, swag and speeches to liven up the mood. Before United’s flight to Glasgow departed, in addition to the bagpipes, there was a ribbon cutting and talks from executives and tourism officials. Airline representatives were also handing out keychains and pins.

Candidly, I’m sure other travelers in Terminal C were less than thrilled about the live bagpipes, but it didn’t put a damper on the mood at the gate. 

At a time when air travel can often feel routine if not outright frustrating, inaugural flights can be reminiscent of an era where every trip was more of a special event. 

Van Dijk and her fellow travelers even brought their own swag to give out and said inaugurals feel like a bonding experience for everyone on the flight. 

What United Airlines’ Glasgow inaugural was like onboard 

United is serving Glasgow daily from Newark with a Boeing 737 Max, so aside from the timing, it felt, in some ways, like a coast-to-coast trip within the U.S. 

There were no lie-flat seats for premium passengers, and the economy cabin was the standard narrowbody configuration of six-abreast seating. 

But the mood onboard was festive, with passengers talking to each other about the thrill of joining a new route. The flight attendants, too, were especially friendly and happy to be onboard. As was the captain, who made a point to give a special welcome to his wife during his announcements. 

At every seat in economy, there was a welcome note. In the premium cabin, each passenger got extra swag. The giveaways included pajamas, a teddy bear with a Glasgow airport shirt, a keychain, an aircraft trading card and a few other welcome documents. 

The menu, too, was inspired by Scotland with a smoked Scottish salmon appetizer and other regionally-themed dishes like short rib braised in a single malt scotch reduction. 

As a traveler, I always find night flights from the East Coast to Europe a bit hard on the body clock, but the lack of sleep was worth getting to take part in the festivities.   

After landing in Glasgow, we were greeted by a water cannon salute. Two firetrucks sprayed the plane down as a sign of welcome when we approached the gate. 

How United decided to serve Glasgow again 

Matt Stevens, United’s vice president of the international network, told me that the airline’s return to Glasgow in some ways felt inevitable, even after the carrier withdrew service from the city in 2019. 

"We provided service to Glasgow pre-pandemic and have been closely watching market demand recover. Adding Glasgow back into our network felt like a natural step to give customers more options and more ways to experience Scotland,” Stevens said in an email. "We already offer the more flights from the U.S. to Scotland than any other U.S. airline with service from three of our hubs to Edinburgh.” 

Once executives at United saw there was sufficient demand to get the route going again, they had to work with government representatives in the U.S. and the U.K., along with tourism boards and airport operators, to ensure it would be successful and attract passengers. 

Since announcing that Glasgow flights would return, Stevens said, United has been encouraged by booking trends. 

“Bookings to Glasgow have been steady and in line with our expectations for the first season of service,” he said. “Customers are already taking advantage of open-jaw itineraries with many travelers flying in or out of Glasgow and then using our Edinburgh service for the other end of their trip (or vice versa), as they are a one-hour drive apart and this allows United’s customers to see more of the country.” 

Demand has been so strong, in fact, that United already extended the operational window for the route. It was initially planned as a daily seasonal service through September, but the flights will now run every day through late October instead.  

Even if you missed the inaugural, Stevens said, Glasgow is worth checking out.  

And if Scotland isn’t your destination of choice, you should keep an eye out for other inaugurals that might inspire your own travels in the future. You never know where an airline’s updated route map could take you.

This story was updated to refresh headlines.

The reporter on this story received access from United Airlines. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.  

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at [email protected].