With Delta and WestJet forming closer ties, including a transborder joint venture, Air Canada is looking to strengthen its relationship with United Airlines. Earlier this year, Delta and WestJet agreed to seek antitrust immunity from regulators, with the goal of...
United Wants Fewer 1Ks, I’ll Oblige
United announced on Friday afternoon that they would increase the spending requirement for their 1K (100,000-mile elite) members from $12,000 per year to $15,000. This is an effort to thin the herd as they have too many top-tier elite...
United Makes 1K Status More Exclusive, But Less Valuable
Yesterday, United Airlines announced a number of changes for MileagePlus members with elite status. While not all bad news, I’d say the changes are more negative than positive. Let’s analyze each one. Better boarding Effective on September 18, 2018...
United Flight Attendant Removes Woman From Business Class Due To Her Crying Baby
For all the noteworthy progress United Airlines had made over the last year, it just takes one bad story to sink the ship. We may have our story… Imagine you are a young mother and step onto a 14-hour...
United Makes Searching For Award Space More Difficult
It’s a small extra step, but an annoying one… Traditionally, you’ve been quickly able to check award space on United Airlines without logging in. Simply enter your airport city pairs, check off the award search box, and click “find...
Review: United Airlines 767-300 Polaris Business Class Amsterdam To Newark
United’s retrofitted 767-300 Polaris Business Class cabin provided great comfort during a recent morning flight from Amsterdam to Newark. I checked in online and totally bypassed the check-in counters at AMS. After spending a bit of time in the...
First Impressions: United Boeing 767-300 Polaris Class
Last week I had the chance to fly a recently retrofitted United 767-300 from Amsterdam to Newark in Polaris Business Class. United has updated the 2-1-2 business class seating aboard many of its 767-300s to a new 1-1-1 configuration...
Back To The Future: United’s Latest Boarding Process Is Blast From Past
United Airlines has revamped its boarding process…and the new process looks rather familiar. Here’s the rationale for the change: The feedback from customers and employees was clear: we needed to improve our boarding process. As part of our ongoing...
United Airlines Executives Discuss Future Of LAX Hub
Chris Sloan of The Points Guy recently sat down with two United Airlines leaders. Comments on the Los Angeles hub caught my attention. Sloan interviewed Greg Hart, United’s chief operations officer, and Andrew Nocella, United’s chief commercial officer. During the...
United Threatens To Abandon Newark Hub
United Airlines has threatened to abandon its Newark hub if New Jersey lawmakers follow through on a proposed tax increase at Liberty International Airport that would only affect United. Currently, New Jersey only taxes the fuel on a plane...
The Sleeping United Pilot Story Was Fake News
Earlier this week I defended a United Airlines pilot who took a nap during an overnight flight from New York to Scotland. As it turn out, the whole story may be a hoax. According to an eyewitness onboard, the...
I Just Flew With The Trumps On United…In Economy Class
I knew something was up when a Secret Service officer appeared at the gate of my United flight from Newark to San Francisco prior to boarding. “They’re just going to walk right on. No stopping,” the agent specified. You...
Remembering United Flight 93 at Newark Airport
Today marks the 17th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 09/11/01, a tragic day that catapulted the world into a new era of uncertainty. Four planes were hijacked and used as weapons of mass destruction, but one of them…United...
The Ridiculous “Story” Of The Sleeping United Pilot
United Airlines passengers stunned when pilot changes out of uniform and takes a NAP in first class an hour into the flight –UK Daily Mail United Airlines passengers stunned to see pilot take off clothes and fall asleep in first...
An Award Ticket Horror Story On SWISS
Let’s call this Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Disappearing Award Ticket. Perhaps, with our collective deductive reasoning, we can get to the bottom of this. An Award Expert client was traveling from San Francisco to Milan with...
United Wants To Send “Hardest Working Person In America” To Tahiti
United Airlines wants to send you to Tahiti in business class, put you up in nice hotels, and give you some spending money…if you work hard enough. It’s a contest, but one of the best ones I have seen...
Why China Is Angry At United Airlines
A good compromise leaves both sides mildly discontent, but when one side has a stronger 剑 (sword), compromises do not hold up long. Mainland China is angry at United Airlines. It views the carrier’s “compromise” on the sticky Taiwan issue...
Sale: United Discounts Asia + Pacific Awards 20%
United Airlines has discounted economy class awards to Asia and Pacific destinations by 20% in celebration of Labor Day. You’ll see the sale already reflected on united.com, but note these guidelines: Ticketing Period: August 30-September 7, 2018 Travel Period: August...
United Airlines Add Service To Naples + Prague + Amsterdam
United Airlines will add year-around service between San Francisco and Amsterdam as well summer seasonal service between New York/Newark and both Prague and Naples, Italy. United teased us on Twitter yesterday with a hint at these routes using anagrams,...
United Adds Two Great New Destinations From Denver
United Airlines is adding two new destinations from its Denver hub, including a destination United has never served before. Starting on March 8, 2019, United will begin daily service ice to Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport (STS), about seven miles...
