Broader economic and political tensions between the United States and Canada are increasingly making their mark on commercial travel.
Canadian return trips by air from the U.S. remain 18.7% below September 2024 levels, according to federal travel data compiled by Statistics Canada, reflecting a continued pullback in cross-border travel amid economic and political uncertainty.
Against this backdrop of softer cross-border travel demand, United Airlines has cut five direct routes linking major American and Canadian cities, turning convenient nonstop flights into multihour layovers, based on schedule analysis by Simple Flying.
The loss of direct connections, however, may only be part of the challenge. Competition watchdogs are now examining carrier coordination in the region, warning that shrinking rivalry on key cross-border corridors could leave flyers facing higher ticket prices, according to the Competition Bureau of Canada.
United Airlines cuts 5 routes to Canada
United Airlines has ended five nonstop routes connecting major U.S. hubs to Canadian cities throughout 2026, Simple Flying noted.
The quiet rollbacks span key transborder corridors across both coasts and the Midwest, removing direct capacity on routes where United previously offered exclusive or seasonal nonstop service:
- Chicago O’Hare (ORD) to Edmonton (YEG): United served as the sole nonstop operator on this route using Boeing 737-800 aircraft until service concluded in September 2026.
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to Calgary (YYC): Flown with a mix of Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft, United ended this sole-carrier direct link in September 2026, with no flights scheduled for summer 2027.
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to Halifax (YHZ): Operated via regional partner Republic Airways on an Embraer E175, this seasonal East Coast link wrapped up in September 2026.
- Los Angeles (LAX) to Toronto Pearson (YYZ): Flown on Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, United ceased operating this transcontinental corridor in September 2026, leaving the market covered by Air Canada and Porter Airlines.
- Newark Liberty (EWR) to Vancouver (YVR): The cross-country route, which used a combination of Boeing 737-900 and MAX 9 aircraft, concluded in October 2026, leaving Air Canada as the remaining nonstop operator on the Newark–Vancouver route.
Regulators sound the alarm over higher fares
Separately from United’s route reductions, Canadian regulators are examining a proposed expansion of the two airlines’ partnership on 10 other cross-border routes.
On Oct. 28, Canada’s federal Competition Bureau warned that deeper commercial coordination between United Airlines and partner Air Canada would likely reduce competition and drive up airfares on critical cross-border corridors.
The two carriers already coordinate pricing and split revenues on many transborder flights under a joint business agreement. However, they are now seeking government approval to lift restrictions on 10 specific routes where coordination had previously been barred under a 2012 consent agreement to protect competition.
“Competition between airlines helps keep fares lower and gives travellers more choice and better service. Our review found that allowing Air Canada and United to coordinate on these routes would likely reduce competition on key Canada-U.S. routes and lead to higher prices for travellers,” stated Interim Commissioner of Competition Jeanne Pratt.
Watchdogs concluded that allowing Air Canada and United to coordinate rather than compete on these city pairs would remove direct rivalry.
Regulators discovered that Air Canada and United together control 100% of all nonstop passenger traffic on five of the affected routes.
With substantial barriers preventing other airlines from launching competing services, the agency warned that the arrangement would likely cost consumers millions of dollars annually.
A persistent chill in U.S.-Canada travel
The route contractions come as airlines manage an uneven post-pandemic recovery in leisure travel between the U.S. and Canada.
That broader slowdown is reshaping where travelers allocate their discretionary budgets. A nationwide consumer survey revealed that 60% of Canadians report being less open to traveling to the U.S. than at any point over the past year.
Almost two-thirds (63%) of those hesitant travelers said they are more likely to travel within Canada instead of choosing other options, according to the Leger Fall 2026 Travel Trends Report.
Related: United’s CEO defends charging travelers extra for a better seat
South of the border, tourism groups have sounded similar alarms over the decline of their largest source of international visitors. A 10% decline in Canadian visits could result in $2.1 billion in lost U.S. visitor spending and 14,000 fewer supported jobs, The U.S. Travel Association estimated in February 2025.
Airlines operating in the region have responded by systematically pruning cross-border capacity. Earlier this month, WestJet confirmed it was cutting service across 10 U.S. routes after seeing a sustained drop in transborder passenger demand, as reported by TheStreet.
That pullback followed Air Canada’s decision to drop its seasonal Toronto-Charleston service for summer 2027, after seasonal demand failed to rebound, as previously reported by TheStreet’s senior travel reporter Veronika Bondarenko.
What affected travelers should know
For flyers booking these corridors, the loss of direct service means trading convenience for connections.
On routes such as Los Angeles to Toronto or Newark to Vancouver, travelers can still find nonstop options operated by Air Canada and Porter Airlines on the former route and Air Canada on the latter, according to route data from The Aviation Hub.
For city pairs where United was the exclusive nonstop carrier, such as Chicago to Edmonton, passengers must now route through connecting hubs (e.g., Denver or Toronto), adding hours to transit times.
Under U.S. Department of Transportation rules, passengers are entitled to an automatic refund to their original form of payment when an airline cancels a flight to, from, or within the United States or makes a significant change to the itinerary, provided they do not accept alternative travel arrangements or compensation.
Related: CDC introduces new requirement for all flyers coming to U.S.
