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. Some meals...
United Announces 787-10 International Routes
United Airlines will operate its Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner on six transatlantic routes from Newark beginning in March 2019. United previously announced that its 787-10s would initially operate on premium transcontinental routes between Newark and Los Angeles/San Francisco beginning...
Is United Airlines Cheating Flight Attendants With “Long Sit” Policy?
Flight attendants are accusing United Airlines of circumventing new federal minimum rest rules through the use of short overnight layovers classified as extended breaks. The recently passed Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill includes a provision that grants flight attendants...
Manila To Osaka Via Koror And Guam, All On A United Airlines 737!
When you think about which airline to fly from Manila to Osaka, your first thought is probably not on United. It wasn’t mine either. But I could not resist. United has a hub in Guam. This was once a...
United CEO Reflects Upon Veterans Day
As the world commemorates the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, United Airlines’ CEO Oscar Munoz weighed in with his own thoughts. Thanks to a FA friend for passing on this note, which reflects upon the...
United Airlines Flight Attendants Protest Staffing Cuts, Warn Of Poor Service Onboard
Flight attendants from United Airlines are resisting management efforts to reduce staffing on international flights. Earlier this week, I wrote about a memo to FAs from VP John Slater. Citing competitive pressures, he informed FAs that on certain international...
A United Airlines Trip Report From An American Airlines Executive
An American Airlines Executive VP just flew United Airlines…and offered her thoughts on Twitter. Elise Eberwein is AA’s Vice President of People, Communications, and Public Affairs. She was flying from Chicago to Salt Lake City yesterday on United 521, a...
Review: United Polaris Lounge Houston (IAH)
The United Polaris Lounge in Houston (IAH) offers a tremendous upgrade to international business class passengers versus the United Clubs. I spent two hours in the lounge but could have easily spent much longer. United calls this its “boutique”...
More United Polaris “Enhancements” On The Way
Starting in February, United will reduce the number of flight attendants on some international flights by one and start pre-plating meals in business class. In a leaked memo to flight attendants, VP John Slater defended this change and offered...
United Airlines And The Mystery Bamboo Forest
I recently wrote about United’s new ad campaign, which represents a tapestry of instruments from around the world weaving together Rhapsody in Blue. But keen observers have fairly questioned whether United knows the difference between China and Japan. As...
Clarification On My United Compensation Story
My story about proactive United compensation caused quite a stir yesterday. Some speculated whether I was on the United payroll while others wondered if I was the only passenger who received compensation due my oft-United-focused blog. Apparently a journalist...
United CEO: Increased Baggage Fees Make Flying BETTER
Oscar Munoz, United Airlines’ CEO, argues that confusion drives passengers to complain about baggage fees. While I tend to agree with his overall point, the optics of insinuating that higher baggage fees improve the flying experience for the average...
Surprise: United Sent Me Unrequested Compensation…
It’s always nice to receive compensation from an airline, especially when you have not requested it… I connect to wireless internet on almost every United flight I take. Unfortunately, the internet often does not work or works slowly and...
United Wants Employees To Be Vigilant Of One Another
United Airlines wants employees to keep an eye on one another, watching for situations that seems suspicious. Ollantay Corujo is the perfect example. He may have looked like a uniformed United employee and produced a convincing story and ID...
United Airlines Will Serve Tahiti Year Around
United Airlines marked the inaugural flight of its new San Francisco to Tahiti service with news that the flight will operate year-around. The flight was originally set to run from October 30, 2018 until March 28, 2019 but now will operate...
Unruly Passenger Attacks United Flight Attendants, Forcing Diversion
A United Airlines flight returned to London after a boisterous woman cursed at her seat-back entertainment then attacked flight attendants. Michelle Vanbuskirk certainly had a bad day on a flight from London to Washington on September 25th. The woman, who...
Succulent Rack Of Lamb In United First Class
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. As a...
My Best United First Class Trip Of All Time
Yesterday, I wrote a eulogy for United’s international first class product. There, I promised to offer a report on my best first class trip of all time on United. There’s a difference, I think, between best and favorite. I have...
Saying Goodbye To United International First Class…
United Airlines has officially retired its international first class product, most recently known as United Polaris First. This post serves as a eulogy for first class on United. When I first started flying United in 2004, the carrier offered...
Special Nonstop San Francisco – Barcelona Service On United Airlines
United Airlines will offer nonstop service between San Francisco and Barcelona next February…but only for two days. Barcelona is hosting the 2019 Mobile World Congress and United will offer these special nonstop flights to cater to the Silicon Valley crowd...
