United Airlines will add 40 mainline aircraft to its fleet in 2019, the most since 2010. While United will retire nine narrow-body aircraft this year (three 757-200s, two A319s, and four A320s), it will more than offset the retirements...
In 20-Hour Canada Delay Incident, United Captain Failed
A United captain failed a crucial loyalty test during the extended delay of a United flight in Canada earlier this week. I wrote about the incident here, working through the the timeline of events to argue that United handled...
United’s Upgrade Waitlist Is A Game Of Scrabble
On United, the upgrade waitlist displays the first initial as well as the first three characters of the last name. That often results in a game of scrabble, but sometimes unscrambling is not even necessary. A reader in Singapore...
United Blocking Award Space On Singapore, TAP, Thai Airways
You may have noticed that award space on Singapore Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, and Thai Airways has been missing lately on united.com. Unfortunately, United is deliberately blocking the space and has offered no timeframe for a fix. United has...
Reflections On Dr. King From United Airlines CEO
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) day in the United States. United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz offers reflections each year on this holiday that I am pleased to share with you. Here’s his note to employees shared by...
Don’t Blame United For Horrific 20-Hour Delay In Canada
Don’t blame United Airlines for a horrific delay that kept passengers on a cold plane for 14-hours and ultimately delayed passengers by nearly a day. United 179, from Newark to Hong Kong, departed Newark Saturday afternoon at 3:00PM. Five...
This Man Has Flown Over 20 Million Miles On United!
Tom Stuker, United’s all-time most frequent flyer, recently crossed over the 20 million lifetime mile mark. It is almost sobering to think how much flying 20,000,000 miles actually is. Over the years, he has clocked in: 803 times around...
United Orders Additional 737 + 777 Aircraft
Buried in the news of United’s excellent financials was a new Boeing aircraft order. As the airline continues to expand, United has placed a firm order for 24 additional 737 MAX aircraft and four additional 777-3o0ER. The deal was...
How A United 777 Ended Up In London Stansted
You may have seen a United 777 recently parked at London Stansted Airport. No, United is not starting service to STN. But, as part of its wider partnership with Sony Pictures, United is playing a role in the new...
Oh, United…The New Uniforms
United has unveiled new uniforms for more than 70,000 employees. My reaction as armchair fashion critic is a big sigh. I wrote about the new uniforms back in 2017. That was just after the Dao incident and the title...
United CEO Praises Employees For Exceptional 2018 Performance
Earlier today I wrote about United’s surprisingly strong 2018 financial performance. United is clearly pleased about the results and CEO Oscar Munoz wants his employees to know. A FA shared the following note with me she received from Munoz...
United Reports Healthy 2018 Earnings, Rosy Outlook For 2019
United reported healthy fourth quarter earnings and an optimistic outlook on 2019, sending shares soaring in after hours trading. Let’s do the numbers first. Feel free to skip over this portion if you want to find out what these...
Dining Menu At United Polaris LAX Lounge
The new United Airlines Polaris Lounge at LAX offers an a la carte menu in addition to an elaborate buffet. Here’s a look at the menu. First, note that all food and drink is complimentary in this lounge. Tipping is...
Apple Should Be Proud Of Its Lucrative United Airlines Contract
While United Airlines appears to be in hot water for the leak of information concerning its top corporate contracts, I tend to think this is much ado about nothing. Apple does a lot of business with United Airlines. Wow,...
How United Reclaimed Its Rank As World’s #2 Airline
By at least one measure, United has surpassed Delta as world’s second largest airline. Under Scott Kirby’s leadership, United has been in expansion mode for the last year. Denver is expanding. Houston is expanding. Chicago is expanding. In fact,...
Pictures: Beautiful New United Polaris Lounge At LAX
United Airlines has unveiled its beautiful new Polaris Lounge in Los Angeles. The pictures suggest it was worth the wait! Before we get to the pictures, here’s some key facts about the new lounge: More than 12,000 square feet...
Hot Lunch: Where American Airlines Nicely Beats United
Each week, my Meal of the Week feature examines an airline meal from my travels over the years. This may be a meal from earlier in the week or it may be a meal served over a decade ago. The big-three...
Dear United, Please Don’t Ruin Your Great Mobile App!
Dear United, It’s me, one of your most loyal customers. In fact, some accuse me of being a United “fanboy” (and I can see why my love affair article played into that…). I understand that you are redesigning the...
United CEO Issues Stern Challenge To Employees
In a year-end letter to employees, United CEO Oscar Munoz stressed the importance of building upon the successes of 2018 while implying, ever so sternly, that employees have the choice to make 2019 a winning or losing year. Munoz...
United Airlines Bans All Emotional Support Animals On Longhaul Flights + Puppies And Kittens On Shorter Flights
United Airlines is drastically tightening up its emotional support animal policy, banning such animals on all flights over eight hours. Puppies and Kittens will also no longer be accepted as emotional support pets. Effective immediately, United will only accept...
