United's Washington Dulles cuts - how to cope

United Airlines and its regional partner United Express are cutting five routes from UA's Washington Dulles (IAD) hub. These flights will vanish by September 2. Fuel prices are driving the decision to axe the routes.

Gone will be nonstop service from Dulles to Birmingham, AL (BHM), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Little Rock (LIT); San Jose, California (SJC), and Springfield, IL (SPI).

How to cope: Discount airline Southwest offers frequent nonstop service from Birmingham to Baltimore/Washington (BWI).

If you're headed down to Fort Lauderdale from DC consider discount airline JetBlue's nonstop service from Dulles to FLL, discount airline AirTran Airways' flights from BWI, US Airways' nonstops from Reagan Washington National (DCA), or discount airline Spirit's nonstop service - also out of National.

United Express' exit from the IAD-Little Rock route means the most direct way for Arkansas flyers to get to the nation's capital is via discount airline Southwest's nonstops into Baltimore/Washington.

Unless someone else steps in to fill the void, it appears the Beltway will be bereft of nonstop service to San Jose after United's nonstop pullout. The best alternatives are multiple-stop (but no change of plane) service on Southwest from BWI, or one-stop service via American Airlines or discount airline JetBlue from Dulles.

If Springfield is your destination, the best bet will be to fly to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) on United, and then connect down to SPI from there on United Express.

© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler