United warms up with more direct flights and new route

United Airlines is adding more direct flights with cheap airfares to beach destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean and a new route from Washington DC to Nassau, Bahamas, the second largest tourist destination in the region.

The airline will start to serve the new routes starting December 15. Tickets for the new routes go on sale today, while weekend tickets will be available October 15.

Depending upon when tickets are booked, the airline is saying fares should be very competitive.

In addition to the DC-Nassau route, there will also be a roundtrip service from DC and Montego Bay to Punta Cana and St Maarten, along with trips from Denver to Cozumel and Chicago to Cabo San Lucas.

For the second consecutive year, the airline has increased its presence in Mexican and Caribbean holiday destinations, in an effort that optimistic senior vice president Greg Taylor said would "bolster our international service".

He added: "Our new service to Nassau increases the number of beach destinations we offer our customers in the Washington, DC, area, and provides access to another vacation hot spot for all our customers to enjoy."

The new flights should also strengthen United's presence in the American capital, a place where the company has lost money recently due to the growth of cheap airlines like Southwest and JetBlue Airlines.

In any case, the news means that getting to a warmer climate is now easier than ever at an affordable price.