The message from United Airlines is clear: bail us out or we are going to start laying off massive number of workers. Earlier today I shared that United Airlines will reduce international service by 95% in April. Domestic service...
United Airlines Will Reduce International Schedule 95% In April, Cut All Longhaul Service

Blaming depressed demand and government restrictions, United Airlines will cut 95% of international travel in April, leaving service to only a handful of cities in Mexico. United Airlines Suspends All Transatlantic Service United is suspending all service to Europe,...
The Last Supper In The Polaris Lounge…

United has shuttered all of its Polaris lounges, hopefully just on a temporary basis. What are we missing during this time? Dinner In United Polaris Lounge Newark Last week, I enjoyed linner (lunch and dinner in one sitting) in...
United Airlines Closes Additional United Clubs

3/20/20 Update United will close five more clubs; two effective today and three on Saturday: Now closed: Raleigh-Durham – RDU – United Club London Heathrow – LHR – Arrivals Lounge Tomorrow (3/21), the following three lounges will close: Mexico...
Here Are The Domestic Routes United Will Suspend Next Month

United Airlines will suspend several domestic and transborder Canadian routes next month, though the cuts are not as deep as I originally anticipated. Only one city, Mammoth Lakes, California, will lose service completely. Other cities will see cuts from...
United Will Operate Only 45 Daily International Flights In April 2020

United Airlines will dramatically reduce its international service in April 2020, operating only about 45 daily flights and 36 routes. United Arlines International Schedule For April 2020 United will reduce international flights in April by 85% over 2019 levels....
United’s Schedule Change Policy: Refunds Will Come…In One Year

With United Airlines facing financial uncertainty like it has at no point in company history, United will defer schedule change refunds for a period of one year from date of booking. I’ve covered the schedule change saga in depth....
United Airlines Projecting 20-30% Load Factors And Warning Unions Of Cutbacks

In a sobering letter to employees, United warned of plummeting demand, more flight reductions, and a need to reduce payroll expenses. The memo came from outgoing CEO Oscar Munoz and incoming CEO Scott Kirby and paints a bad and...
United Airlines Reduces Service To Latin America, Halts Buenos Aires

The spread of COVID-19 in Latin America has depressed demand for airfare in a region that was until recently better insulated than Asia and Europe. United Airlines is responding by a series of suspensions and frequency reductions. United Suspends...
United Rescinds Onerous Schedule Change Policy, But It’s Still 3X Worse Than Before

United Airlines (as I predicted) rolled back its onerous (and downright unethical) schedule policy that only explicitly permitted refunds if the schedule change was 25 hours or more. But in its place United still has a rule that is...
United Airlines Suspends Service To Italy, Reduces Service To Israel

United Airlines will suspend service to Italy and reduce service to Israel in light of developing threats and government bans. United Suspends Service To Italy With Italy on nationwide lockdown and all but essential services like grocery stores and...
United’s Doomsday Strategy May Lead To Kirby Kutbacks…

Earlier today I wrote about United’s aggressive steps to combat an unprecedented drop in demand and revenue. But what might some of these measures mean for customers? Are Kirby Kutbacks Coming? Incoming United CEO Scott Kirby has been a...
United Airlines Enters Survival Mode

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst is a catchphrase United is aggressively embracing in light of continued uncertainty over domestic and international travel. In a startling keynote address at the J.P. Morgan 2020 Industrials Conference yesterday, incoming United...
United Airlines Suspends 13 Routes

In April, United Airlines will suspend service on 13 routes and reduce service on 170 more as coronavirus fears continue to depress travel demand. Last week, I wrote that United planned to cut April international capacity by 20% and...
American and United Match Delta’s More Flexible Change Fee Waiver

American and United quickly matched Delta’s decision to further loosen its change fee waiver, a move that was long overdue, but nevertheless better late than never. Up until this point, the “Big 3” U.S. airlines have used change fee...
Review: United Airlines 737-900 First Class

What is traveling across the country on a 737-900 like in United’s domestic first class on one of its longest transcontinental fights? My TAP Air Portugal ticket only got me as far as Boston. From Boston, I booked a...
United’s New Schedule Change Policy Is Indefensible

Over the weekend, United clandestinely updated its schedule change policy in a dramatically customer-unfriendly way. There is no justification for the policy change. None. New United Schedule Change Policy Up until Saturday, a schedule change that resulted in an...
United Won’t Loosen Premier Qualifications (Yet), But Will Extend Status Matches

United Airlines will not loosen the requirements to re-qualify for premier status in 2021…yet. But it will give travelers participating in a status match challenge more time to complete the challenge. United is sending out a lot of email...
United Airlines Attempts to Assuage Our Fears

United Airlines reached out to every MileagePlus member with an email on COVID-19, meant to assuage fears and calm frayed nerves. The letter, written by outgoing CEO Oscar Munoz, talks about United’s current travel waiver, how aircraft are cleaned,...
Leaked Memo: United Airlines Responds To Coronavirus

United Airlines will tackle weakened travel demand by reducing or suspending more routes, offering unpaid leave, freezing all non-essential hiring, and postponing raises for non-union employees. In a lengthy memo to United employees, outgoing CEO Oscar Munoz and incoming...