United international route rumors

photo: "N646UA", by Drewski2112

There have been a few rumors floating around that United Airlines might start some new international routes. Among them:

• Chicago - Moscow. Aeroflot used to fly this route but stopped in 2001, and United holds the dormant route authority for the route, which it obtained in a deal with Pan Am back in 1991. (If United did fly this route, it would probably skip Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) and instead fly to Domodedovo Airport (DME) because its fellow Star Alliance carriers fly there.) But the US-Russia market is currently served by a lot of routes - Delta flies Moscow - Atlanta and Moscow - New York (JFK), and Aeroflot flies Moscow - New York (JFK), Los Angeles, and Washington (IAD).
  
• Chicago - Milan. If United did fly this route, it would compete with Alitalia.
• Chicago - Düsseldorf. United used to fly this route but stopped in 2001. Star Alliance partner Lufthansa flies it with an Airbus A319, but is supposed to upgrade the route to an Airbus A330 in May.

It has also been rumored that United would upgrade some of its Boeing 767-300s, including a switch from a two-class domestic configuration to a three-class international one, and an engine upgrade. These upgraded 767s would be used on the route.