Island Hopper: United Airlines’ Pacific Ocean Puddle-jumper

   Where we are in the world

United Airlines operates one of its hubs in Guam, an isolated American territory in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. From here, the airline operates an island-hopping route that connects various Pacific Island nations (Marshall Islands and Micronesia) with Honolulu, Hawaii.

The stops included on the journey in between Honolulu and Guam are: Majuro (Marshall Islands), Kwajalein (Marshall Islands), Kosrae (Micronesia), Pohnpei (Micronesia), Chuuk (Micronesia)

For other maps on airline routes, check out Israel/India Flights and Chicago ORD Expansion. 

See the interactive Google Map at the bottom of the post!

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   Three key facts about this map

There are always four pilots on board this Island Hopper route

When the Boeing 737 aircraft leaves Honolulu for its first stop in Majuro, Marshall Islands, there are 4 pilots on board – the first 2 fly the first 5-hour leg, while the second two pilots swap at Majuro for the remainder of the flight. This is due to limits on the hours that pilots can physically fly the plane without rest, and because the airline does not base any pilots (or flight attendants) in the Pacific Island stops between Honolulu and Guam.

“Normal” passengers cannot disembark at the Kwajalein airport stop

The second stop, Kwajalein, is home to a US Army installation, the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site. Due to the sensitive nature of the work, flight attendants announce that no photos are allowed during landing, while on the ground, and during takeoff. If passengers are in transit (Kwajalein is not your final destination), they are not allowed to disembark

Fire engines are required due to short runways at the Island Hopper stops

Because the runways at the five intermediary stops are shorter than normal, the breaks on teh 737 aircraft are stretched to their limits. Fire engines greet the planes at the end of the runways to cool off the overworked breaks. 

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   Additional links and sources

• Traveler review on the Island Hopper route (link, published in 2022)
• Conde Nast review on the United Airlines route (link, published in 2016)
• CNN article on the Island Hopper route (link, published in 2018)

Have you ever flown on United’s Island Hopper route?

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