United Airlines posted a dismal January in terms of operational performance and all employees are likely going to feel the pain. Data released on Thursday shows that United ended the month of January a distant fourth place (behind American,...
1-Day-Sale: Up To 40% Off United Awards To Tahiti
United Airlines is offering up to 40% off springtime award tickets to Tahiti for MileagePlus members. Depending upon your MileagePlus status, you can pay anywhere from 42K-49K round-trip for a trip to Tahiti in economy class. Taxes/fees will run...
Bombardier CRJ 550: A New Regional Jet Experience On United
United revealed a brand new aircraft today, the CRJ-550, that I call the business-friendly regional jet. It’s quite a leap from United’s current 50-seat jet. Currently, United operates CRJ-200s through its various United Express partners. These 50-seat aircrafts are single-cabin,...
United Massively Increases Premium Cabins Across Fleet
United Airlines announced it will add 1,600 United Polaris Business and United First Class seats to almost 250 international and domestic aircraft. I’d call 25-50% increases in the size of premium cabins massive. Last week I wrote about the increase...
Still No Fix For Key Partner Award Redemptions With United MileagePlus
Last month I noted that United is blocking partner award space on Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, and TAP Air Portugal. The problem has not been resolved. United still blames technical issues on the partner side for this problem and...
United Polaris Dining: The Sad New State Of Affairs
Just how important is meal presentation in offering a premium business class product? United Airlines is betting that it simply doesn’t matter. At least that’s the only explanation I can come up with for its choice to begin pre-plating...
Review: United Airlines 787-9 Business Class Los Angeles To London
My flight from Los Angeles to London on United was a comfortable, consistent, and frankly boring. That’s a good thing on a flight you just want to sleep on. I reviewed this very flight two years ago and not...
United’s 2019 Growth Strategy: Target Hubs
After a year of robust “easy” growth, now United will try a riskier growth strategy: small-city growth from its hubs. United’s domestic growth last year was predicated on “low hanging fruit”. The Chicago-based airline increased service to Hawaii and...
United Dramatically Enlarges Business Class Cabin On 767-300
United Airlines will take delivery of its first “premium heavy” 767-300ER later this month, featuring a dramatic increase in business class seats. Last year I wrote a piece entitled Will United Remove Seats From Business Class? after United’s Executive Vice President Andrew...
Live TV Now Free On United Airlines
United Airlines is making over 100 channels of live DIRECTV available free of charge from gate-gate, effective immediately. 211 Boeing 737s in the United fleet are equipped with seat-back live television, totaling more than 30,000 seats. All live channels of...
Rebuttal: Passengers Of Size To Blame, Not Poor Passenger In Middle
Reader Blake sent me the rebuttal below to my story yesterday on the fat-shaming passenger on United. I am publishing it, in full, because it is well-intentioned and does not denigrate others. Matthew, Your over-the-top political correctness blinded you to key...
Fat-Shaming Passenger Has Meltdown On United Airlines
A fat-shaming passenger was escorted off a United flight after complaining bitterly about having to sit between two passengers of size in economy class. The flight occurred on January 2, 2019 from Las Vegas (LAS) to Newark (EWR). Norma Rodgers,...
United Stays Consistent: 787-9 LAX-LHR (Mini-Review)
On Thursday evening I flew from Los Angeles to London on United in business class. The experience was virtually unchanged from similar flights last year and the year before. Consistency is a good thing when done right. United has...
My First Impressions Of LAX United Polaris Lounge
Last night I flew United in Polaris Business Class from Los Angeles to London and finally had the chance to check out the recently-opened Polaris lounge at LAX. In fact, I made a day out of it… The new...
Testing Out The New United App
With much trepidation I downloaded version 3.0 of the United app yesterday. As I wrote about earlier this month, I just don’t like change…especially unnecessary change. The app worked fine for me. So why change it? But, much to...
United Airlines’ 2019 Fleet Plan
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...
