Fifth freedom flights have long been a favourite among frequent flyers and our miles-savvy readers, offering a unique chance to experience long-haul cabins on short-haul routes – often at excellent redemption rates.
With fewer of these niche routes around these days, it’s always exciting when a new one launches, especially close to home and with award seats up for grabs.
United Airlines is now adding to the mix, with not one but two intra-Asia fifth freedom links between Hong Kong and both Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City from late October 2025, and the best news? Polaris Business Class is on the cards, and it’s bookable with KrisFlyer miles.
United Airlines
Hong Kong ⇄ Bangkok Schedule
From 26th October 2025
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
 |
UA822 787-9 |
||||||||
| HKG 09:00 |
BKK 10:50 |
||||||||
| Duration: 02:50 | |||||||||
|
UA821 787-9 |
||||||||
| BKK 16:40 |
HKG 20:45 |
||||||||
| Duration: 03:05 | |||||||||
United ended its daily Boeing 747-400 flights between Bangkok and Tokyo Narita on 30th March 2014, so this service will see the carrier return to the Thai capital for the first time in over 11 years.
The Hong Kong – Bangkok city pair is a popular one. United will compete against Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Greater Bay Airlines, HK Express, Hong Kong Airlines and Thai Airways on this route.
United Airlines
Hong Kong ⇄ Ho Chi Minh City Schedule
From 26th October 2025
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
UA152 787-9 |
||||||||
| HKG 21:15 |
SGN 22:55 |
||||||||
| Duration: 02:40 | |||||||||
|
UA153* 787-9 |
||||||||
| SGN 06:00 |
HKG 09:35 |
||||||||
| Duration: 02:35 | |||||||||
* From 27th October 2025
United ended its daily Boeing 737-800 flights between Ho Chi Minh and Hong Kong on 29th October 2016, so this service will see the carrier return to the exact same route some nine years later, this time with wide-body jets.
United will compete against Cathay Pacific, VietJet and Vietnam Airlines on this route.
(Photo: Carlos Yudica / Shutterstock)
Polaris Business Class
All of United’s Boeing 787s – including the 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 – are now equipped with the airline’s latest Polaris Business Class product, following a retrofit programme.
This features a 1-2-1 direct aisle access layout, offering good privacy, though it lacks closing doors.
(Photo: United Airlines)
It’s a significant evolution for the airline in recent times, and is now also installed on the carrier’s Boeing 777-300ERs and Boeing 767-300ERs.
United chose the Zodiac (now Safran) Optima seat for this cabin, with customisation and design by Acumen and PriestmanGoode.
All the seats convert to fully flat beds, with bedding provided by Saks Fifth Avenue, and are aligned either slightly towards the aisle or are in line with the aircraft fuselage.
(Photo: United Airlines)
Whether you choose a window seat tucked away from the aisle or one closer to it, you’ll still enjoy a good external view – most seats feature at least one actual window. That said, be aware that on the Boeing 787-9, windows at Rows 4, 8, and 12 are misaligned, while seats 5A and 5L have a missing window.
(Photo: United Airlines)
Couples or friends travelling together get a nice middle pair option, but there’s a privacy divider between those seats in case you’re seated there alongside a stranger.
(Image: aeroLOPA)
There’s also a more intimate four-row mini-cabin behind the second pair of main doors, which may offer a quieter experience.
‘Premium Plus’ is included
United’s refitted Boeing 787-9s also include the carrier’s Premium Plus cabin, which means a Premium Economy offering on these short intra-Asia flights too.
(Photo: United Airlines)
The Premium Plus cabin, United’s first dedicated Premium Economy product, features:
- A 2-3-2 configuration on the Boeing 787
- 38″ seat pitch
- 6″ seat recline
- 19″ seat width
- Adjustable leg rest and footrest
- Upgraded dining and free alcoholic beverages
- A larger IFE screen
- Saks Fifth Avenue bedding
You can read more about United Premium Plus here.
Award redemptions
United is already offering award space on these intra-Asia “fifth freedom” flights, via its own MileagePlus programme.
The airline is also offering award space in Economy Class to partner Frequent Flyer Programmes (FFPs), including to KrisFlyer members.
Here’s the award pricing based on using some popular FFPs to redeem, plus the approximate taxes and fees payable in Singapore Dollars.
| United Airlines Award Rates |
||||
| FFP | Hong Kong ⇄ Bangkok | Hong Kong ⇄ Ho Chi Minh | ||
| Economy | Business | Economy | Business | |
 |
16,500 |
47,500 |
16,500 |
47,500 |
 |
20,000 | 30,000 | 15,000 | 30,000 |
 |
20,000 | 24,500 | 20,000 |
24,500 |
 |
20,000 | 35,000 | 20,000 |
35,000 |
 |
35,000 |
50,000 | 35,000 |
50,000 |
| Taxes & Fees | S$34-40 |
~S$40-60 | ~S$29-46 | ~S$29-66 |
While Business Class award seats have not yet been released to partner FFPs, we expect availability to follow in due course – particularly given that “fifth freedom” routes operated by lesser-known carriers typically don’t attract significant demand.
That said, be sure to also check cash fares before jumping on any redemption opportunity. United isn’t offering any headline-grabbing deals just yet, but that’s likely to change as competition on these niche routes means the airline will no doubt look to fill empty seats with local traffic closer to the time.
Summary
United Airlines is launching two new intra-Asia “fifth freedom” routes from late October 2025, connecting Hong Kong with both Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City.
These new services offer a rare opportunity to experience the carrier’s latest Polaris Business Class product on short-haul flights, using Boeing 787-9 aircraft equipped with United’s refreshed long-haul cabins.
Award space is already available in Economy Class through KrisFlyer and other partner programmes, with Business Class redemptions expected to follow in due course.
(Cover Photo: PriestmanGoode)