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Home » United Airlines » As Recovery Looms, United Airlines Takes A Victory Lap
United Airlines

As Recovery Looms, United Airlines Takes A Victory Lap

Matthew Klint Posted onJune 25, 2021November 14, 2023 15 Comments

a white airplane on a runway

United Airlines is patting itself on the back for how it has positioned itself to emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever. It has also made clear that the operational difficulties American Airlines is currently experiencing will not happen at United. While hubris is a dangerous inclination, United’s superior planning and strategic vision are unquestionably paying off as travelers once again take to the skies.

United Airlines Claims 2021 Will Not Be A Summer Of Discontent

In a memo to employees from Chief Operating Officer Jon Roitman,  reviewed by Live and Let’s Fly, United Airlines contrasts itself to American Airlines, noting that it will not fall the trap American Airlines finds itself in, an operational meltdown due to inadequate pilot staffing that has led to flight cancellations surpassing more than 100 per day:

Over the last several days, you’ve likely seen media reports that detail the operational challenges faced by some of our competitors and the disruptive schedule changes they’ve implemented to compensate for them.

Many of you have asked what United is doing to manage those same challenges.

The truth is that our situation is different primarily because we have been planning for this moment for more than a year – and that planning has given us a big advantage in running our business and caring for our customers.

United says it has:

  • Outperformed competitors at matching schedule to demand
  • Improved communication between network planning teams and operating groups
  • Kept pilots ready to fly through an agreement last summer to avoid furloughs and keep pilots current – United says it has a “deep reservoir of pilot talent…that we can tap to fly our schedule”
  • Established an integrated working group across all departments to plan how United could execute against a sudden surge in travel demand, with an emphasis on resource readiness and aircraft availability
  • Used labor concessions and the Payroll Support Program (PSP) to “maximize flexibility” and prepare for a sudden recovery.

CONCLUSION

United Airlines actually deserves to take a victory lap here. More so than another airline, it has been nimble and willing to quickly adjust schedules during the pandemic in order to meet present demand. Its agreement with pilots last summer to keep them fully employed and trained was pivotal in avoiding the sorts of cancellations we see on American Airlines today.

As this pandemic has taught us, much can change in a very short time. In that sense, any victory lap remains premature. But it is hard to fault United for congratulating itself and thanking its employees for so effectively weathering the storm. The future looks bright for the U.S. aviation industry (even American Airlines), but particularly so for United.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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15 Comments

  1. GS Guy Reply
    June 25, 2021 at 12:51 pm

    Yeah, they also deserve credit for their deft and successful efforts (along with their unions) at raping taxpayers for billions$.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      June 25, 2021 at 1:00 pm

      Stay tuned for part II, which addresses exactly that point.

      • Gravelly Point Guy Reply
        June 25, 2021 at 3:12 pm

        I vow myself to thee, Lord Klint!!!Lol Finally, something on which both you and I can agree on!!!

  2. Jerry Reply
    June 25, 2021 at 1:36 pm

    It wouldn’t say it’s roses and tulips 😉 all over the place…

    I was having a discussion with a former UA flyer here in AUS the other day, and we both agreed it seems like they’re sort of relenting to AA’s expansion. AA, DL, NK, F9, WN and a slew of foreign carriers have grown in Austin, but United hasn’t done anything here at all. They don’t serve a single unique market (except SFO, assuming OAK/SJC don’t count) and are not competitive on price or schedule. I wouldn’t be surprised if the UC never reopens and becomes the expanded Admiral’s Club we’ve been hearing about forever.

    • Troy KImmel Reply
      June 25, 2021 at 6:38 pm

      Jerry.. as an Austinite (and the “s&&tshow” this city has become) and pretty much a UA flyer previous to CV19.. I wonder exactly the same thing. While UA AUS has been slowly increasing frequencies (and is scheduled to be back at about 32 flights a day – which is about what they were pre-CV19 – by November) but still no UC (yeah.. the rumors are out there for Labor Day)?? Late to the AUS party, UA!

  3. Greg Reply
    June 25, 2021 at 2:09 pm

    UNITED rising

  4. Bob Reply
    June 25, 2021 at 2:30 pm

    United is about to announce new orders on Tuesday with Boeing and Airbus for nearly 300 new narrowbody aircraft along with several onboard improvements like larger overhead bins, seatback entertainment, and best in class wifi. Everyone can complain about the taxpayer bailout but its still pennies compared to nearly any other industry. I think UA is a sleeping giant and they’re about to wake up.

    • Alisa Reply
      June 29, 2021 at 8:56 am

      You’re a very intelligent person.

  5. Drew Reply
    June 25, 2021 at 2:37 pm

    Last paragraph, third sentence – “fault United” not “fault Untied”. If anyone’s untied at the moment, it’s American.

  6. CSR 2.0 Reply
    June 25, 2021 at 2:46 pm

    I’ve moved most of my business over from DL to UA during the pandemic and I’m likely to continue to do so.

    I love that United offers Lay Flats on so many routes. Even the worst lay flat is better than a brand new recliner seat IMO.

    Delta’s operation at LAX right now is a true nightmare, I’m avoiding it as much as possible until construction is done. They also are still running the garbage Delta One from JFK – LAX, and the lack of food has been a joke.

    My only UA complaints – crew is definitely not as friendly, and I’ve been surprised at some of the mileage plus redemption prices – higher than Sky Miles for the same routes/dates!

  7. Hey_It's_That_Vaxx'd_Guy! Reply
    June 25, 2021 at 5:19 pm

    I see this as nothing more than meeting the minimum expectation. Businesses should be prepared for the future to the best of their abilities. They seem to have done just that in this case. Planning and Prep for potential outcomes aka Forecasting.

    Rather than see at it as a reason for a victory lap, look at the numbers. Is AA failing to meet demand, yes. What’s the root cause? Are the number of passengers equal between both airlines?

    I’m by no means a superfan of either airline, I’ve had great experiences from both companies I am in fact a “BlueMan” JetBlue. I prefer to scrutinise and compare metrics and move forward from there with a comparison. Either way I see this as United meeting the minimum expectation, no more no less. This is what shareholders expect from management.

  8. L Reply
    June 25, 2021 at 10:57 pm

    The downfall of United since the merge with CO (think Smiksek) has been hard for loyal United fliers to watch. However, this new management team has been superb in redirecting United and steering it through this pandemic. And their vision for the future is impressive.
    AA management could learn a thing or two here.
    Kudos to United.

  9. emercycrite Reply
    June 26, 2021 at 5:58 am

    Let’s not put up the bunting quite yet, shall we.

  10. David Gomez Reply
    June 26, 2021 at 2:02 pm

    When a company has a second to none Executive Team in place, is not a surprise to see such results in its operations. United has done an amazing job during this pandemic and I have no doubt this is just the beginning of prosperous times ahead. Scott Kirby and his Team deserve big kudos!

  11. DC not in DC Reply
    June 26, 2021 at 10:56 pm

    AA and UA did the same in Spring 2020. AA had numerous cancellations daily while UA and others had far fewer. I have flown every week during Covid, on UA, AA, AS, and DL.

    UA pivoted to having pilots fly cargo on widebodies worldwide. That brought in new revenue, keeping pilots and planes active. Did AA do this?

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