Four years after the novel coronavirus became a global pandemic, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is reflecting on how those pivotal days in early 2020 changed the course of his airline.
United Airlines CEO Kirby Reflects On 4th Pandemic Anniversary
The world was about to change in a very big way the last time we had a February 29th on the calendar…in 2020. COVID-19 was no longer constrained in East Asia and was quickly spreading across other parts of the world, including Italy and the West Coast of the USA. Days later, a global pandemic was declared and much of the world economy, including air travel, would grind to a halt.
In a video message to employees reflecting on the fourth anniversary of the pandemic, Kirby explained that United faced two choices:
What happens in adversity is most companies, you have two ways you can respond. One, you can be frozen. You can worry about the things. You can feel sorry for yourself. You can be fearful of the consequences. But if you do that, you’re frozen and you can’t take action.
The second alternative is to accept what has happened and immediately begin attacking the problem. And even though it may not be your fault, figure out how to attack it and come out stronger on the other side.
Kirby heralded United for taking that second approach and recognizing that from the very beginning recovery would come, unlike competitors like American Airlines and Delta Air Lines:
That’s what we did when COVID started. It’s what we did all the way through that crisis. And it allowed us to be the only airline in the world, not only that saw COVID coming, but also the only airline in the world that believed there would be a full recovery in travel demand. That could use that as an opportunity to keep all of our airplanes, unlike our competitors around the globe who shrank and downgraded pilots. It let us prepare for the recovery and prepare for the future. And I am really proud of everything that all of you have accomplished and what we’ve done to achieve that goal.
Kirby has staked his legacy on United’s response to the pandemic. While other carriers reduced fleet size and projected there would never be a full recovery, United used the pandemic to not only keep its existing fleet, but grow it through massive aircraft orders, a transformation of the longhaul fleet into a constant Polaris business class product, and now a transformation of the narrowbody fleet in a project it calls United Next.
Thus, Kirby reasons that United is on its way to being the biggest and the best airline in the world:
And so today, I’m just asking each of you to take a few moments to puff your chests out a little and feel proud of what you have accomplished. It’s also important to think about the biggest thing that we’ve done in those four years is really about the culture. We created a no-excuses culture where we deal with situations when they happen, we attack the problems. We created a culture where we have a vision to be the biggest and the best airline in the world. A culture where we want to be the best.
I’m happy to see that Kirby did not claim United is already the biggest or the best (as he claimed before). Critics often deride such a lofty goal, but without a goal, you cannot reach it…progress is guided and measured against the stated goal and Kirby has set the bar quite high.
As a customer and analyst, I recognize the great discernment United exercised early in the pandemic in recognizing what was coming, but also recognizing that recovery would eventually come. I laud United for its ambitious plan to grow and for its willingness to be nimble, particularly with its international route map.
Looking back, however, I hope that Kirby has also learned a few lessons over the last four years. The draconian and punitive vaccine mandate was a critical error. Slashing onboard service instantly but taking years to restore it does not encourage the sort of premium traffic that United believes it is competing with Delta for. Finally, while United’s frequent flyer program remains competitive, it has lost a lot of its edge through devaluation and upgrade monetization. The case for pursuing status in 2024 is much harder to make.
CONCLUSION
It is proper to look back on February 29, 2020 as a day of transformation for United. Over the last four years, United has made a lot of right calls and is on better footing today than it was going into the pandemic. But the work is not done: instead of taking “a few moments to puff your chests out” the better action now is to keep working toward that elusive goal of biggest and best…
image: @scottkirby / Instagram
The pandemic is ongoing. People are still dying.
Vaccination rates are way down. Nobody wears masks. People don’t think twice in avoiding crowds. That is terrible.
COVID-19 is still dangerous. I wear an N-95 mask when looks don’t matter. You want to risk death or long Covid at the grocery store? Unless you’re trying to find a hot date at the supermarket, wear a mask there. On a flight, do you want to get sick like Matthew recently did? Just wear a N-95 mask especially when flying to start a vacation. Also it’s easy to get your yearly Covid shot. There’s evidence that twice a year might be better but at least yearly and not “never since 2021”.
No, thank you. I’m done with that.
Derek.. have to agree with Matthew on this one..
There is a mental health crisis in the US that was exacerbated by Covid.
Before Covid, the symptoms of the mentally unwell could be hidden and people wouldn’t notice.
Now we can see those around us in need of the most help.
It’s time that we stop enabling this irrational, paranoid behavior and compassionately force people to get mental health treatment.
Especially those masking their children.
It’s child abuse.
Completely agree. I get my annual jab.
But yes you can see the mental health and anti-social behavior out there… and also “covid” has become an excuse to wear a mask, gloves, face shield, whatever, even today and provide crappy customer service.
I’ve had two people in the last year sit down next to me on an airplane and ask where is my mask. Uhh… somewhere back in like 2021? I’ve always carried wipes with me and sanitized hands frequently (working in an airport, ten years ago we even gave agents a little 1-2oz bottle that clipped to your lanyard). Have always wiped down my seatbelt buckle, armrest, and tray on a plane. People being nasty is nothing new. But this “I have my bubble and OMG DO NOT COME NEAR ME DONT SIT BY ME DONT TOUCH ME” needs to stop. Especially when it’s a flight attendant.
“Especially those masking their children.
It’s child abuse.”
No, it isn’t.
meaning that you are anti-vax opposed to Covid vaccination? Sure, just drink bleach and ivermectin???
Didn’t Matthew just get severely ill with coughing?
The Covid “vaxx” didn’t work and doesn’t work as a true vaccine.
At best it’s a therapeutic.
You can get a flu shot every year but that doesn’t preclude you from getting the flu…that’s why they don’t call it the flu vaccine.
Just as it’s completely irrational to force people to take a flu shot it was entirely irrational to force the Covid “vaxx.”
Vaccines, therapeutics and preventatitives certainly have their benefits but everything around Covid was and is political.
“The Covid “vaxx” didn’t work and doesn’t work as a true vaccine.”
Based on…?
Ditto, and there’s no clinical evidence to support wearing a face diaper unless you are high risk.
I agree. Face diapers are ineffective. N95 masks are effective. When 2000 people per day were dying and NYC was short on ventilators, ICU doctors and nurses wore N95 masks and didn’t get Covid.
I dumped United back in 2017 for their poor customer service and canceled my MileagePlus card, but they won me back during the pandemic. I think it’s ok to feel good about your hard work and accomplishments without crossing the line into arrogance. “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” …… from the Book of Matthew…..lol
This bag of dicks fired employees for not taking the jab, even before the White House could even do anything. That is Kirby’s and UA’s legacy regarding the pandemic.
Serious question…from the lockdows, to social distancing, to masking and then ultimately the “vaxx”…was there one thing that our Betters got right?
We survived, so I guess they were more right than wrong.
Is that a joke?
The only joke here is you.
Man, I don’t know…. ever since getting that first jab, my RF finder goes bonkers whenever I wave it over my arm…
Was that the third arm you grew after getting the vaccine?
You survived because you were at VERY low risk of dying.
The contrived policies and snake oil science had nothing to do with it.
Nah, I survived because I took the vaccine and exercised the proper caution and behavior when going outside. Stop being pro-plague.
Here’s a more relevant question, because I was specifically talking about this bag of dicks’ firing of employees because of the jab mandate, and not everything everyone did in the pandemic: Did UA employees come out ahead of AA and DL employees out of the pandemic?
Hint: No
Bottom line: Kirby is a bag of dicks
What metrics are you using?
Since I wasn’t able to reply on your other comments I will reply here.
The “vaxx” didn’t work because millions of “vaccinated” people still got Covid.
Do you remember the J&J “vaxx?”
Did you know that you were encouraged/eligible for a booster 60 days after receiving? How many single shot vaccines require a booster almost immediately?
I had the J&J shot and the side effects were actually worse than having Covid.
I also had a Moderna booster and that nearly resulted in a trip to the ER for heart palpitations. A subsequent EKG at my annual physical was abnormal and while I can’t prove they are related the timing sure is suspicious especially since I exercise four to five days a week.
Social distancing was not a precaution based on any science.
The boxes of masks we were given had disclaimers right on them that they didn’t stop the spread of Covid so its lunacy that they were mandated.
The governments refused to differentiate those who dies from Covid to those who died with Covid.
Why is that?
And why weren’t exercise and nutrition pushed as the key defenses to getting sick?
At one point, in NYC, the hardest hit areas were the government housing projects (the Rockaways were bright red).
Are you curious as to why? Could poor nutrition, unsanitary living conditions, lack of exercise all be contributing factors?
I say absolutely yes, but I have been on to the public housing scam for years.
The lack of introspection of how poorly Covid was handled is maddening.
JH is right… JFK did not die from a bullet through the head, he died with a bullet through the head. The WTC did not collapse because of the plane crashing through it on 9/11, but collapsed with it. Therefore, Oswald and bin Laden are ok???? No
@JH (below)
The accusation that the vaccine didn’t work because some vaccinated people got Covid is the wrong metric. What if that metric is applied to snow tires?
Snow tires don’t work because cars can still slip and slide on ice.
The wrong conclusion would then be “therefore, don’t use snow tires and use summer performance tires in snow and ice”. It is wrong because summer tires really slip and slide even if there is only a little melted slush.
The correct metric is that people with up to date vaccination have fewer deaths and fewer serious illnesses. They likely have fewer cases of long Covid.
90%-95% of Kirby’s efforts in the pandemic were exactly right. He deserves kudos for that, and the employees to stuck around deserve kudos also.
I know someone that’s dead from COVID.
I know someone that’s suffering from long COVID.
I know someone that’s suffering from moderate symptoms of long COVID.
Do people want to cuss at them and dishonor their memory by not learning lessons?
Why are doctors and nurses still wearing masks in hospitals? Because masks are effective.
You know Derek, I think you should consider never leaving your house at all. With Amazon, Instacart, and all those other delivery services you could stay in your safe, germ-free home indefinitely. You should probably still wear an N95 though, especially if you live in a humid climate. Mold spores can make you sick so you should probably wear it when you sleep too.
You should consider wearing a helmet in public. You never know what can hit your head!
That’s exactly the problem. People misjudge risks. There not much risk to head injury and helmets can worsen neck injury. On the other hand, there is a real risk of Covid and repeated Covid.
How can you expect politicians to be good at medicine when ordinary people have really lousy medical judgment?
The vaxx is poisonous.
Maybe but the Covid vaccine is not poisonous.
Think of what many in the public are doing…. no precautions, not recently vaccinated so immunity is waning or minimal. Is it that people bury their heads in the sand? Or they convince themselves that Covid is nothing?
How about seat belts? Do you get tired of it and then stop using them? Or convince yourself that seat belts don’t work?
Basically, it shows that many in the public have terrible medical judgment. Just like Trump.
What is a vaxx? Is it some new QAnon idiot nonsense?
Further, to honor this anniversary, everyone comes on LALF to argue over vaccinations and masking. A reminder of the bygone era of armchair epidemiologists.
There should be no argument…none of it worked.
Except it did. Next you are going to start telling us the Earth really as flat as a pizza…
Not even a Thank You to the US taxpayers who saved his ass. Nice.
“The case for pursuing status in 2024 is much harder to make.” Amen. It has definitely lost its edge. I’m gold for life. Not much incentive left to chase anything above it even though I’ve been a 1K for years. I’m taking a new approach this year, and so far enjoying the freedom, especially more travel on foreign carriers.
Let’s just face it, masks can be uncomfortable and some are afraid that shots hurt so they are anti-vaxxers and anti-mask. Some are also afraid of looking nerdy with a mask.
Matt
You should do an article on the hotel industry that still has som many things being done like it was with Covid and still being done.
I am a Hyatt Globalist and so many still have their clubs closed and the breakfasts are just like during Covid, the rooms are not cleaned daily unless you push it. I think the hotel industry will never be the same.