United is to operate its Dreamliner aircraft on the Houston-London Heathrow route on a temporary basis from February 4 2013.

In addition to the previously-announced service from its Denver hub to Tokyo Narita, starting March 31, 2013, the airline will operate nonstop 787 service five days a week between its Houston hub and Lagos, Nigeria, beginning January 7, 2013.

United will also operate daily, nonstop 787 service between its Los Angeles hub and its Narita hub, beginning Jan. 3, 2013, and Los Angeles to Shanghai, beginning March 30, 2013.

United will also operate daily, nonstop 787 service from its Houston hub to Amsterdam and London Heathrow on a temporary basis. Houston to Amsterdam service begins December 4, 2012, and Houston to London Heathrow service begins Feb. 4, 2013.

“The 787 is the right aircraft for these routes because of its many passenger-friendly amenities and superior operating economics,” says United’s Senior Vice President of Network, Greg Hart. “With 50 787s on order, we look forward to the many new route opportunities that will become available to United and our customers in the future.”

The 787 aircraft will display for sale for these routes on united.com and other distribution channels beginning August 25, while Denver to Narita service is available for sale now.  In the near future, United will announce plans for initial domestic flying for the 787, which will precede the launch of international flights described above.

Configured with 36 seats in United BusinessFirst, 72 seats in United Economy Plus and 111 seats in United Economy, the Dreamliner is expected to revolutionise the flying experience for United customers and crews while delivering unprecedented operating efficiency, comfort and lower emissions.

Customers will benefit from improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other passenger-friendly features.