United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby claims he flies coach all the time, explaining it in a way that will resonate with many families who travel.
United Airlines CEO Says He Flies In Coach “Often”
Kirby sat down with David Lazarus of KTLA, a local station in Los Angeles. His interview with Kirby was fairly broad and shallow, but did produce an interesting nugget about Kirby’s flying habits.
Lazarus asks, “As someone who flies coach a lot, it just seems like the seats are getting smaller and passengers are getting bigger.”
Laughing, Kirby responded, “You obviously are not flying United enough, becuase we’ve invested hugely in the coach cabin as well. Now, the sexier pictures that show up on TV are typically the premium cabins, but you go get on one of the United airplanes and we’re either buying new airplanes and we’re updating 100% of the other ones. A big seatback monitor. Bigger overhead bins where every single customer on the airplane can bring onboard a larger roller board and have room in the overhead bin.”
Lazarus then asked, “Do you ever fly coach?” Kirby responded:
“I do, often! I have seven kids so I often take my turn in the back with the kids.”
It sounds like he’s a gentleman and his wife Kathleen flies up front while he deals with his kids in the back. At least they rotate…
While I haven’t heard of any reported sightings of Kirby in economy class, I’ll take him at his word…and think it is very important that CEOs fly in economy. If United wants to charge a revenue premium for economy class, it must offer things like seatback screens, decent snacks, edible food for purchase, and functioning Wi-Fi. To its credit, it does all those things and is increasingly doing them well.
There’s a danger to over-investing in economy class, though, becuase ultimately it seems to me that most economy class passengers are booking based on price and when faced with competition, many folks will not pay even slightly more for United versus a competitor.
But Kirby is convinced that offering a solid economy class experience will build brand-loyal customers who will not even shop other carriers when purchasing air travel.
> Read More: United Airlines CEO Thinks Customers Are “Sticky”
As Kirby tells it (not in this interview), he tried to resist the removal of monitors while President at American Airlines, but was overruled. I’m not sure about that, but he has realized that people appreciate seatback screens and his “United Next” initiative will indeed transform the entire United mainline fleet, with seatback screens on every aircraft (except the high-density 777s in economy class, which themselves may be retrofitted if they remain in the fleet).
You can watch the entire interview here. Here’s part one:
And here’s part two:
Finally, I would have assumed that Kirby has lifetime positive space first class booking rights for American Airlines and United Airlines for him and his entire family, so I am surprised he flies in economy class ever.
At least he wears a tie when he does public appearances or interviews. The reporter had no tie. Few people wear ties now, even executives and reporters out in the field. The attire looks incomplete without a tie if you are wearing a jacket.. Maybe we need different types of shirts if we aren’t going to wear ties with jackets.
Pft. Are you @Un doing a bit? No, ties are necessary. This isn’t 1955, and we’re flyin’ a L-1049.
I am not sure what you mean. What does we are flying a L-1049 mean? What does @un doing a bit mean?
The reporter looks bad without a tie. Period. If you are on camcra wear a tie. If you are in the office, then no big deal to not wear a tie, but for public appearances,top execs and reporters should wear ties.
L-1049 is a Lockheed Super Constellation, which by the way, United never operated.
Ahh, Scott… a man of the people… (except when ‘negotiating’ contracts with his flight attendants…)
There is such a huge difference between “often” and “all the time”. I want to see him un a middle seat in coach on a long international flight.
Yes, for instance, let’s start with +14 hours on EWR-NRT on United’s 773-ER, which has the tight 3-4-3 configuration in Economy, and, more specifically, row 58, seat E or F (middles, limited recline, surrounded by the lavatories), and with a single-mom with her screaming young child, and a disabled passenger on the other aisle, none of whom speak much English. Oh, and that particular day, the flight is delayed, 3 hours, on the tarmac. No real reason. Pilot blames ‘FAA staffing.’ Oops, the baby just spilled something on him!
Surely he’s not telling the truth. This is the guy that took a private jet, essentially between two of his airline’s hubs, when the operation was having a meltdown and he wanted to go on vacation.
If someone spotted Kirby in coach, it would certainly show up on Flyertalk
2023. I looked it up because I did not want to accuse unjustly. On that occasion he sneaked out. How embarrassing to be caught abandoning both customers and employees during the meltdown to fly private.
I’d love to believe him about flying in back but considering the sheer volume of lies the man has spouted he has destroyed any possibility of trusting what he says.
On a separate note, notice the way he weasels out of the question about personal space in coach? You may be crammed in like a sardine but you have a spacious overhead bin!
Things you’ll never see Cousin Eddie in ATL doing….
@Matthew: While I understand you need to show ads on your blog to make some money, the ads are out of control when reading on a mobile device. They sometimes take the entire screen, are hard to close and super obnoxious.
Huge +1.
Please make it ease up.
“Laughing, Kirby responded, “You obviously are not flying United enough, becuase we’ve invested hugely in the coach cabin as well. ”
Yeah the 10 across on your 777 aircraft, which I just got off of, is to die for.
Don’t bitch if you are flying economy. You got what you paid for.
There are some delightful economy class products out there. On a 3 hour flight, I’d rather be in Garuda Y than in the ‘premium cabin’ of Finnair, LH, AM, or AA.
In my humble opinion, flying in economy class on any flight longer than 4 hours (even if it’s in the back of the plane and next to the window) significantly reduces the quality of the trip.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Unless you are sitting in an economy Extra legroom seat.
The desert to Athens was unedible. He needs to test his taste buds.
The food in Polaris from DEN to Munich on Saturday was horrific especially compared to the food on my LH flight from Munich to Athens. Great weight loss strategy.
I guess the optics wouldn’t look great of 9 seats in a 12 seat domestic first class cabin being taken up by the CEO, his partner and his kids.
A long time ago we used Virgin Atlantic frequently and on several occasions spotted Richard Branson in coach. Of course, back then there was more room in every airlines’ economy seats, and he isn’t a bulky man.
How do I delete? Thought my msg didn’t post so rewrote. Now dupes.
Years ago we flew Virgin Atlantic frequently and often saw Richard Branson in coach. Of course, all airlines had more room in economy back then and he isn’t a bulky man, but he was still giving up their great first class.