United Airlines

United Airlines, Inc.
IATA ICAO Callsign
UA UAL UNITED
Founded April 6, 1926 (1926-04-06) (as Varney Air Lines)[1]
Commenced operations March 28, 1931[2]
AOC # CALA014A[3]
Hubs
Frequent-flyer program MileagePlus
Alliance Star Alliance
Subsidiaries
Fleet size 743
Destinations 342
Company slogan "Fly the Friendly Skies"
Parent company United Continental Holdings
Headquarters Willis Tower, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Key people
Revenue Decrease US$ 36.556 billion (2016)[9]
Operating income Decrease US$ 4.338 billion (2016)
Net income Decrease US$ 2.263 billion (2016)
Total assets Increase US$ 39.210 billion (2015)
Total equity Decrease US$ 2.396 billion (2015)
Employees 86,000 (2016)
Website united.com

United Airlines, Inc., commonly referred to as United, is a major American airline headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.[10][11][12] It is the world's third-largest airline when measured by revenue, after American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. United operates a large domestic and international route network, with an extensive presence in the Asia-Pacific region.[13] United is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's largest airline alliance. Regional service is operated by independent carriers under the brand name United Express. Its main competitors are American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines.

United was founded in 1926 as Varney Air Lines[1] and was later known as United Air Lines (UAL).[14] Just prior to the use of the United Airlines name, The Boeing Company operated a predecessor airline.

United operates out of nine airline hubs located in Chicago, Denver, Guam, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.[15] Chicago-O'Hare is United's largest hub, both in terms of passengers carried annually (16.8 million in 2016) and in terms of departures (181,488 in 2016). This passed George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, which carried 15.5 million with 178,019 departures.[16] United operates maintenance bases in Cleveland and Orlando in addition to the maintenance locations located at United's hubs.[17]

The company employs over 86,000[9] people while maintaining its headquarters in Chicago's Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower).[18] Through the airline's parent company, United Continental Holdings, it is publicly traded under NYSE: UAL with a market capitalization of over $18 billion as of September 2014.[19]

History

United Air Lines route map, 1940
United Boeing 727-200 in the Stars and Bars Friend Ship livery at Los Angeles International Airport in August 1974
The United Airlines "Friendship" A320-232 taxiing at Denver International Airport
United Boeing 747SP in the 1974–1993 Rainbow Scheme
The "Tulip" was the United Airlines logo from 1973 to 2010
Three United Boeing 777-200ERs and a Boeing 747-400 at San Francisco International Airport in 2008
Airliner takeoff. The jet's nose is angled upwards as it lifts above the runway, with landing gear still deployed.
The first Boeing 777 in commercial service, United Airlines' N777UA, taking off from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in 2005. This aircraft has since been repainted in the United-Continental livery.
N778UA, the second Boeing 777-200 to enter commercial service, bearing the post-merger livery, with the Continental globe and United name

United Airlines traces its roots to the Varney Air Lines air mail service of Walter Varney, who also founded Varney Speed Lines from which Continental Airlines had originated. Founded in Boise, Idaho in 1926, the carrier flew the first contract air mail flight in the U.S. on April 6, 1926, marking the first scheduled airline service in the country's history with flights between Pasco, WA and Elko, NV via Boise.[20][21][22]

In 1927, aviation pioneer William Boeing founded his airline Boeing Air Transport to operate the San Francisco to Chicago air mail route.[23][24] In 1929, Boeing merged his company with Pratt & Whitney to form the United Aircraft and Transport Corporation (UATC) which then set about buying, in the space of just 28 months, Pacific Air Transport, Stout Air Services, Varney Air Lines and National Air Transport, as well as numerous equipment manufacturers at the same time.[25][26] On March 28, 1931, UATC formed United Air Lines, Inc. as a holding company for its airline subsidiaries.[27]

In 1933, United began operating the Boeing 247 airliner.[28] It was able to fly a transcontinental flight in 20 hours, making it 50 percent faster than its predecessors.[29] After passage of the Air Mail Act in 1934, which barred common ownership of airplane manufacturers and airlines, UATC was broken up. All manufacturing interests east of the Mississippi became United Aircraft (the future United Technologies), while all manufacturing interests west of the Mississippi became a revived Boeing Airplane Company. UATC's former airline interests were folded into a single airline, United Air Lines.[30]

After World War II, United gained from a boom in customer demand for air travel, with its revenue per passenger-miles jumping five-fold in the 1950s, and continued growth occurring through the next two decades.[31] From 1953 until 1970 United offered "Men only" flights which forbid children and women (with the exception of two female flight attendants per flight). The airline allowed passengers to smoke and offered complementary cigars as well as drinks, and a steak dinner.[32][33][34]

In 1954, United Airlines became the first airline to purchase modern flight simulators which had visual, sound, and motion cues for training pilots. Purchased for US$3 million (1954) from Curtiss-Wright, these were the first of today's modern flight simulators for training of commercial passenger aircraft pilots.[35]

United merged with Capital Airlines in 1961 and regained its position as the United States' largest airline. In 1968, the company reorganized, creating UAL Corporation, with United Airlines as a wholly owned subsidiary. In 1970, the UAL Corporation acquired Western International Hotels, and its name was later changed to Westin Hotel Company. The 1970s also saw economic turmoil, resulting in "stagflation" and labor unrest. The 1978 Airline Deregulation Act, resulting in industry shakeups, further added to the carrier's difficulties in a loss-making period.[25]

In 1982, United became the first carrier to operate the Boeing 767, taking its first delivery of 767-200s on August 19.[36] In May 1985, the airline underwent a 29-day pilot strike over management's proposed "B-scale" pilot pay rates.[37] Then-company CEO Richard Ferris changed United's parent company's name from UAL Corporation to Allegis in February 1987, but following his termination, the company reverted to the name UAL Corp. in May 1988, and divested non-airline properties.[38][39]

In 1985, United expanded dramatically by purchasing Pan Am's entire Pacific Division, giving it a prime Asian hub at Tokyo's Narita International Airport, and in 1991 purchased routes to Heathrow Airport from ailing Pan Am,.[40] making it one of two US carriers permitted exclusive access to Heathrow under Bermuda II until "open skies" took effect in 2008 (American Airlines being the other, after it purchased TWA's Heathrow landing slots). The aftermath of the Gulf War and increased competition from low-cost carriers led to losses in 1991 and 1992.[25][41] In 1994, United's pilots, machinists, bag handlers and non-contract employees agreed to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), acquiring 55% of company stock in exchange for 15–25% salary concessions, making the carrier the largest employee-owned corporation in the world.[42] The carrier also launched a low-cost subsidiary in 1994, Shuttle by United a high frequency, west coast-based operation, in an attempt to compete with low-cost carriers; the subsidiary remained in operation until 2001.[25]

In 1995, United became the first airline to introduce the Boeing 777 in commercial service.[43] In 1997, United co-founded the Star Alliance airline partnership. In May 2000, United announced a plan to acquire US Airways for US$11.6 billion, but withdrew the offer in July 2001 before the United States Department of Justice barred the merger on antitrust grounds due to widespread objection from employee unions, customers and political leaders.[25][44] May 2000 also saw a bitter contract dispute between United and its pilots' union over pay cuts and concessions to fund the ESOP and overtime work, causing summer flight cancellations until a salary increase was agreed upon.[45]

During the September 11, 2001 attacks, two of the four airliners hijacked and crashed by al-Qaeda members were United Airlines aircraft (United Airlines Flight 175 was flown into the south World Trade Center tower; United Airlines Flight 93 was crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after the passengers fought back against the hijackers). An airline industry downturn resulted, and coupled with economic difficulties, skyrocketing oil prices, and higher labor costs, the company lost US$2.14 billion in 2001. In the same year United applied for a US$1.5 billion loan guarantee from the federal Air Transportation Stabilization Board established in the wake of the September 11 attacks.[46] After attempts to secure additional capital failed, UAL Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2002 and the ESOP was terminated.[47]

United's bankruptcy operations resulted in furloughing thousands of workers, closing all U.S. city ticket offices, cancelling several existing and planned routes, downsizing its Miami operations, closing maintenance bases, replacing employee pensions, and fleet reductions. The carrier also negotiated cost cuts with employees, suppliers, and contractors, and terminated feeder contracts with United Express carriers Atlantic Coast Airlines and Air Wisconsin. The carrier launched a new, all coach, low-cost carrier named Ted in 2003, and a luxury "p.s." (for "premium service") coast-to-coast service on re-configured 757s in 2004. In 2005, United cancelled its pension plan in the largest such default in U.S. corporate history.[47]

In 2005, United announced it had raised US$3 billion in financing to exit bankruptcy and filed its Plan of Reorganization, as announced, on September 7, 2005. United Airlines emerged from bankruptcy on February 1, 2006.[48] In late 2006, Continental Airlines participated in preliminary merger discussions with United.[47][49][50] On June 4, 2008, United announced it would close its Ted unit and reconfigure the subsidiary's aircraft for a return to mainline configuration.[51][52]

On April 16, 2010, United resumed merger talks with Continental Airlines. (The two airlines had previously discussed merging in 2008.)[53] The board of directors of both Continental and UAL Corporation's United Airlines reached an agreement to combine operations on May 2, 2010. While United would be the surviving airline, the merged airline would adopt Continental's logo and livery. Continental's CEO Jeff Smisek would head the new company. The merger was contingent upon shareholder and regulatory approval.[54]

The United-Continental merger was approved by the European Commission in July 2010 and by the US Justice Department on August 27, 2010.[55][56] On September 17, 2010, United's shareholders approved the merger deal with Continental Airlines.[57] On October 1, 2010, UAL Corporation changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc. to reflect that both United Airlines, Inc. ("United") and the Company ("Continental") are its wholly owned subsidiaries.[58] Both carriers planned to begin merging operations in 2011 to form the world's biggest carrier.[59] The airline began operating under a single operating certificate from the FAA on November 30, 2011, in the process retaining Continental's air operator's certificate, and surrendering the one of the original United.[60]

On March 3, 2012, United & Continental merged their passenger service systems, frequent-flier programs, and websites, virtually eliminating the Continental brand in the eye of the consumer.[61]

In October 2015, United Airlines appointed Brett J. Hart as its acting CEO, four days after chief executive Oscar Muñoz suffered a heart attack.[62]

Corporate identity

Two United Airlines Boeing 777s in different liveries at San Francisco International Airport. The 777 on the right, which bears the "Battleship Gray" scheme, is on its takeoff roll on 28L, while the one on the left with the "Rising Blue" paint has some more taxiing to get to the same runway. Both have since been repainted with the United-Continental colors.
Boeing 787s feature a wavy gold stripe along the sides of the fuselage.

Original brand image

The pre-merger United logo, commonly nicknamed the "tulip", was first developed in the early 1970s after the airline commissioned designer Saul Bass to develop a new brand image.[63] The logo skillfully represented the airline's monogram as well as a modernized version of the airline's shield logo[64] which had been adopted in the 1930s, but fell out of use by the late 1960s. The ribbon-like rendering has also been said to symbolize the motion of flight.[65]

Marketing themes

United's earliest slogan, "The Main Line Airway", emphasized its signature New York-Chicago-San Francisco route, and was replaced in 1965 with "Fly the Friendly Skies". The "friendly skies" tagline was in use until 1996 in its first iteration.[66] The "It's time to fly" slogan was created in 2004. After the merger of United and Continental in October 2010, the slogan changed to "Let's fly together" until September 2013.[66] On September 20, 2013, United announced a return of the "Fly the Friendly Skies" slogan in an ad campaign to start the following day.[67] The resurrected slogan would be accompanied by the 1924 George Gershwin song "Rhapsody in Blue" as its theme song, and a voiceover provided by Matt Damon.[66]

United licensed its theme song, "Rhapsody in Blue", from Gershwin's estate for US$500,000 (equivalent to $2,104,386 in 2016) in 1976.[68] "Rhapsody" would have entered the public domain in 2000, but the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 extended its copyright another 20 years. United announced that it would continue to use "Rhapsody in Blue" as its theme song following the merger with Continental.[69]

Sponsorships

United is a major sponsor of six of Chicago's seven major professional sports teams—the Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Fire, Sky and White Sox. It had previously served as a sponsor of the Chicago Cubs, however, the club signed a deal with United's O'Hare rival American Airlines in 2015.[70]

Through its merger with Continental Airlines, United also became the official airline of the Brooklyn Nets, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Angels, New York Giants, Denver Broncos,[71] New Jersey Devils, Houston Dynamo, Houston Texans, Houston Astros, and all of the New York Road Runners races (which after the merger, in 2015, became the title sponsor of the New York City Half Marathon).[72]

Corporate affairs

Headquarters

United Continental Holdings World Headquarters, Willis Tower. United is the building's single largest occupant.[73]

In 2007, United Airlines moved its headquarters and its 350 top executives from its headquarters at 1200 East Algonquin Road in suburban Elk Grove Township to 77 West Wacker Drive after considering alternate locations in Denver, Colorado, and San Francisco, California.[74][75] The Elk Grove Township campus was renamed an Operations Center and United Airlines consolidated several of its offices in the suburbs of Chicago into the Elk Grove Township campus.[76]

After the City of Chicago submitted a US$35 million (2010) incentive, including US$10 million (2010) in grants for United to move its remaining employees to Chicago, United proceeded to schedule a move of about 2,500 employees out of the former Elk Grove Township headquarters and into Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower) in downtown Chicago. Monica Davey of The New York Times said that the move may have contributed to United's decision to base the newly merged United Continental Holdings out of Chicago instead of Houston.[77] On May 31, 2012, United opened its new operations center at Willis Tower in downtown Chicago.[78] The company occupies 16 floors of the Willis Tower.[73]

Other facilities

United ticket office in Tamuning, Guam

The Elk Grove Township former headquarters campus was gradually annexed into the Village of Mount Prospect,[79][80] and now serve as an IT operations facility, including a new 172,000 sf. data center constructed on the property in 2013.[81] United also continues to maintain a large presence in downtown Houston, and announced in 2016 that they would be leasing 225,000 sf of space (seven floors) for occupancy in late 2017.[82]

United also has training facilities for its flight crews in Denver and Houston, a major aircraft maintenance center in San Francisco, and call centers centers in Houston and Chicago.

UAL, United Airline's parent company prior to its merger with Continental Airlines, previously held majority ownership stakes in several major travel and leisure companies, but sold or spun off most of its assets not related to its core airline operations during the 1980s and '90s. UAL's former subsidiaries included international hotel chains Westin Hotels and Resorts, and Hilton Hotels Corporation as well as global car rental company Hertz. UAL[83]

United formerly owned the Waikiki Seaside Hotel, a hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii which was used by its flight crews and was sold in February 2012.[84]

Environmental efforts

On August 23, 2011, United announced a conversion to paperless flight decks and deployed 11,000 iPads to all United pilots. Each iPad, which weighs less than 1.5 pounds, replaced approximately 38 pounds of paper operating manuals, navigation charts, reference handbooks, flight checklists, logbooks and weather information in a pilot's flight bag. The electronic flight bags (EFBs) replaced conventional flight bags full of paper materials that contains an average of 12,000 sheets of paper per pilot, and as a first for major network carriers, provide pilots with paperless aeronautical navigational charts through an iPad app. The green benefits of moving to EFBs include reductions in paper use, printing, and fuel consumption. Distribution of the iPads began in early August 2011, and all pilots were using them by the years end.[85]

On November 7, 2011, United Airlines flew the world's first commercial aviation flight on a microbially derived biofuel using Solajet™, Solazyme's algae-derived renewable jet fuel, and fueled with 40 percent Solajet and 60 percent petroleum-derived jet fuel. This was operated by the "Eco-Skies" Boeing 737-800 aircraft on a flight from Houston to Chicago.[86]

On July 12, 2012, United announced an order for 100 Boeing 737 MAX 9s, a new, more fuel efficient version of the Boeing 737 family. These aircraft will be used to replace the less fuel efficient domestic fleet of Boeing 757-200s.[87]

On January 15, 2013, Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) announced that United had placed an order to retrofit its existing Boeing Next Generation 737s' Blended Winglets with APB's new Split Scimitar Winglet. The program consists of retrofitting 737NGs' winglets by replacing the aluminum winglet tip cap with a new aerodynamically shaped "Scimitar" winglet tip cap and by adding a new Scimitar tipped Ventral Strake. This modification demonstrated significant aircraft drag reduction over the basic Blended Winglet configuration. The new APB winglet technology was estimated to save United more than $250 million per year in jet fuel costs fleet wide.[88]

Labor

All United Airlines pilots are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association. A new Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement was ratified by a majority of the United/Continental pilots on December 15, 2012,[89][90] which struck down a scope clause that disallowed Continental from outsourcing the flying of regional jets with 70 or more passenger seats.[91]

Animal transport

In 2013, after pressure from PETA, United announced that it would no longer transport monkeys to laboratories. United was the last North American passenger airline to transport these animals to laboratories.[92][93] However, United has come under fire for numerous pet death incidents that have gone viral on social media, e.g. the giant rabbit death occurring in Q1 of 2017.[94][95]

Cyber security

United awarded airline miles as "bug bounties" to hackers who could identify gaps in the carrier’s web security. Two hackers have each been rewarded with 1 million miles of air travel as of July 15, 2015. This cyber security program was announced a few weeks before the company experienced two software glitches. The first incident delayed 150 United flights on June 2 due to a problem with its flight dispatching system. Six days later, United’s reservation system delayed flights by not allowing passengers to check in. In addition to the "bug bounty" program, United said it tests systems internally and engages cybersecurity firms.[96][97]

Hubs

Current hubs

United operates eight domestic hubs and one international hub.[98]

Former hubs

Destinations

A United Airlines Boeing 787-8 and Boeing 777-200ER at Tokyo's Narita Airport

United Airlines operates to 235 destinations and 138 international destinations in 60 countries across Asia, Americas, Europe, and Oceania. United operates a domestic route network from its seven domestic hubs and is a leading U.S. carrier between Hawaii and the continental U.S. United also operates international hubs in Guam and Tokyo. The carrier was one of the few airlines to fly to all six inhabited continents, along with Air Canada, Air China, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Qantas, Qatar Airways, and South African Airways. However, since 30 June 2016, scheduled services to Africa have been discontinued.[117]

As of June 2017, United is the only US airline with service to the cities of Hamburg, Geneva, Birmingham (until October 5, 2017), Melbourne, Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap, Delhi, Mumbai, Kwajalein, Majuro, Sendai, Sapporo, Taipei, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Xi'an.[118]

UA hubs listed by departures including UA Express (Qtr. 4: 2016)
Rank Airport Flights Destinations
1 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 530[99] 182[99]
2 Houston–Intercontinental, Texas 496[100] 177[100]
3 Newark, New Jersey 397[103] 161
4 Denver, Colorado 372[106] 137[106]
5 San Francisco, California 275[108] 99[108]
6 Washington–Dulles, Virginia 215[110] 102[110]
7 Los Angeles, California 139[112] 56[112]
8 Guam 30 22
9 Tokyo–Narita, Japan 18 11

Africa

United inaugurated service to Accra, Ghana on June 20, 2010, which was the carrier's first African destination.[119] With this addition, United has provided service to all continents except Antarctica. United's service to Accra was extended to Lagos, Nigeria which was the carrier's second African destination on December 12, 2010,[120] with nonstop service commencing on November 16, 2011, and terminating on December 18, 2011 - although Lagos was still serviced by the carrier, albeit with a non-stop flight from Houston.[118] United later terminated services to Accra altogether on July 3, 2012.[118] United's last remaining service to Africa from Houston to Lagos was terminated on June 30, 2016.[117]

Asia

In 1988, the bilateral (though not reciprocal) treaty with Japan was amended to allow additional routes between the two countries. United's application to fly from Chicago-O'Hare to Tokyo-Narita, a significant gap in its routes previously, was approved.[121] On October 18, 2013, United filed an application with the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to fly from San Francisco to Tokyo's Haneda Airport; the airline launched flights in October 2014.[122] On February 28, 2014, the USDOT tentatively granted approval for the airline's San Francisco-Haneda route;[123] which launched on October 26, 2014.[124]

United is the leading U.S. carrier to the People's Republic of China in terms of capacity, with nonstop flights to Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Xi'an, as well as the former British territory of Hong Kong, from its hubs in Chicago, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. In September 2007, United was granted a route from San Francisco to Guangzhou but the route was never launched.[125] On May 20, 2011, the airline was granted service from Los Angeles to Shanghai that launched.[126] On June 9, 2014, the airline introduced nonstop service to Chengdu from San Francisco, operated with a Boeing 787.[127] United introduced nonstop seasonal service to Xi'an from San Francisco beginning May 8, 2016 operating until October 27, 2016, which will be operated with a Boeing 787.[128]

On January 29, 2016, United Airlines introduced a daily nonstop service from San Francisco to Singapore operated with a Boeing 787, from June 1, 2016, making it the first U.S. airline to offer nonstop services from the United States to Southeast Asia and surpassing Delta's Atlanta-Johannesburg route to currently make it the longest flight operated by any U.S carrier. The eastbound journey will take 15 hours 30 minutes and 16 hours 20 minutes westbound. With the introduction of the nonstop service, previous service from Singapore Changi Airport to Tokyo Narita has been terminated.[129][130] Star Alliance partner Singapore Airlines, on October 23, 2016 started a daily nonstop service to San Francisco. This service is operated with an Airbus A350-900.[131]

On October 27, 2017, United Airlines will start daily nonstop service from Los Angeles to Singapore using Boeing 787 aircraft.

Australasia

United has service to Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, both with daily flights from Los Angeles and daily flights to Sydney from San Francisco. United also launched service three times weekly to Auckland, New Zealand from San Francisco on July 1, 2016. This flight now operates daily with a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft.[132]

Europe

As of May 2016, United serves 27 cities in the western, southern and northern parts of Europe with direct year-round or seasonal flights, most of them from Newark, Chicago-O'Hare or Washington-Dulles.[133] The country with the most airports served is the United Kingdom with 5 destinations,[134] followed by Germany with 4 destinations.[133] Services to Copenhagen, Denmark were terminated in September 2012. United ended service to Belfast on January 9, 2017.[135]

Middle East

United offers service to Tel Aviv from Newark and San Francisco. United previously launched service to Kuwait City via Bahrain on April 18, 2010[136] and Doha via Dubai on May 1, 2012.[137] Services to Bahrain, Kuwait City, Doha and Dubai were terminated due to competition from Middle Eastern airlines.[138]

Pacific Islands

United has an "island hopper" service that operates as Flights 154 and 155. It operates between Guam and Honolulu, with intermediate stops at Majuro, Kwajalein (refueling stop only), Kosrae (twice a week only), Pohnpei, and Chuuk. A Boeing 737-800 is used to operate on this service.[139]

Domestic

During winter months, United has made a point of increasing its flights into regional airports that serve ski resorts, such as Aspen, Bozeman, Jackson Hole and Montrose, as the airline has found it a profitable niche. This is in addition to its major hub service in Denver. With more than 300 weekly flights into regional ski town airports, United has more than triple the ski service of the next closest airline, Delta.[140]

United had requested to do a slot swap at New York-JFK and New York-Newark (EWR) by giving Delta its 24 JFK slots in return for 24 of Delta's EWR slots. This is a direct result of the movement of United's transcontinental p.s. flights from JFK to EWR around the same time. However, this would further increase United's monopoly at EWR beyond the current 73%, causing any such deal to face a great amount of scrutiny. As of November 2015, the US DOJ has sued UAL and DAL to block the slot swap.[141]

Codeshare agreements

United codeshares with the following airlines:[142]

Fleet

As of August 2017, its fleet consists of the following:[143]

United Airlines Mainline Fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Ref Notes
F B E+ E Total
Airbus A319-100 63 1[144] 8 — 42 78 128 [145]
Airbus A320-200 97 — 12 — 42 96 150 [146] One aircraft is painted in the United Friendship retro livery
Airbus A350-1000 — 35[147]
TBA
 Order under review for conversion to Airbus A330s or Airbus A350-900.[148]
Deliveries scheduled to begin in 2019 or later.[149]
Boeing 737-700 40 — 12 — 40 66 118 [150] To be reconfigured into 126-seat configuration.[151]
36 78 126 [152]
Boeing 737-800 138 3[153] 16 — 48 90 154 [154]
48 102 166 [155]
54 96 166 [156]
— 16 42 108 166 [157] Guam-Manila island hopper configuration.
Boeing 737-900 12 — 20 — 42 117 179 [158]
Boeing 737-900ER 136[144] — 20 — 51 96 167 [159] Three aircraft are painted in special livery;
March of Dimes, Eco Skies and Continental Airlines Retro
42 117 179 [158]
39 120 179 [160]
Boeing 737 MAX 9 — 61[161]
TBA
 Deliveries begin in 2018.
Boeing 737 MAX 10 — 100[161]
TBA
 Converted from original 737 MAX 9 orders.
Deliveries begin in 2020.[162]
Boeing 747-400 14 — 12 52 70 240 374 [163]
Boeing 757-200 56 — — 16 45 108 169 [164]
28 42 72 142 [165] United p.s. configuration.
Boeing 757-300 21 — 24 — 57 132 213 [166]
Boeing 767-300ER 35 — 6 26 71 80 183 [167] To be reconfigured into 2-class configuration with new Polaris seats.
— 30 49 135 214 [168]
— 30 46 138 214 [169] Installed with new Polaris seats.
Boeing 767-400ER 16 — — 39 63 140 242 [170]
Boeing 777-200 19 — — 28 102 234 364 [171]
Boeing 777-200ER 55 — 8 40 113 108 269 [172]
— 50 72 145 267 [173]
Boeing 777-300ER 14 4 — 60 102 204 366 [174] Will Replace 747-400[175]
Boeing 787-8 12 — — 36 70 113 219 [176]
Boeing 787-9 20 4[161] — 48 88 116 252 [177] To be delivered through 2017.
Boeing 787-10 — 14[161]
TBA
 Deliveries begin in 2018.[178]
Total 748 222

United received its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner on September 22, 2012, becoming the first U.S. carrier to do so.[179] The airline announced plans to place the Boeing 787 into scheduled passenger service effective November 4, 2012, on U.S. domestic routes from Houston to Chicago, New York Newark, Washington-Dulles and San Francisco prior to operating the Dreamliner in scheduled international service. However several Dreamliner battery incidents caused all 787s to be grounded for four months from January 2013; and United's 787s did not resume operations until mid-May that year.[180] United is also the North American launch customer for the 787-9 and 787-10, stretched versions of the base 787-8 model.

Historical fleet

United Airlines Retired Fleet[181]
Aircraft Year retired Replacement Notes
Boeing 80A 1934 Launch customer (as Boeing Air Transport)
Boeing 40A 1937 Launch customer (as Boeing Air Transport);[182] also operated by Varney Air Lines
Boeing 247 1942 Launch customer; all 59 of the base model were built for United[183]
Ford Trimotor Operated in 1931 on a transcontinental route between New York City and San Francisco.[184]
Laird Swallow J-5 Single seat biplane used to carry US Air Mail (CAM 5) by predecessor Varney Air Lines.[185]
Douglas DC-3
Boeing 377 Stratocruiser 1954
Douglas DC-7 1964
Convair 340 1968
Vickers Viscount 1969 Boeing 727 & 737 Former Capital Airlines aircraft. Only mainline turboprop aircraft type ever operated by United.
Douglas DC-6 1970 Fleet included DC-6 and DC-6B aircraft
Sud Aviation Caravelle 1970 Boeing 727 & 737 Only U.S. operator of the Caravelle in scheduled passenger service
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar[186] 1989 McDonnell Douglas DC-10 Purchased from Pan American World Airways and later sold to Delta Air Lines.
Boeing 720 1976 Boeing 727 Launch Customer.
Douglas DC-8 1992 Boeing 757-200 Largest DC-8 operator.
Fleet included stretched DC-8 "Super 60" series (DC-8-61) and re-engined "Super 70" series (DC-8-71) aircraft.
United accomplished the re-engining of its Super DC-8 aircraft in-house via its maintenance dept. One crashed in 1960 (UA 826).
Boeing 727-100 1993 Boeing 737-500
Boeing 747SP 1995 Boeing 747-400/Boeing 777-200/-200ER inherited from Pan Am
Boeing 747-100 1999 Boeing 777-200/-200ER
McDonnell Douglas DC-10 2001 Boeing 777-200/-200ER Launch Customer. Fleet included original DC-10-10 variant and larger, longer range DC-10-30 variant. One crashed in 1989.
Boeing 747-200 2000 Boeing 777-200ER
Boeing 727-200 2001 Airbus A320 family
Boeing 737-200 2001 Airbus A320 family
Boeing 737-300 2009 Airbus A320 family
Boeing 737-500[187] 2009, 2013 Airbus A320 family,
Boeing 737-900ER		 The United 737-500 and 767-200ER fleet had been retired by 2009 and 2005, respectively. The 737-500s and 767-200ERs inherited from the merger with Continental Airlines were disposed of by 2013.
Boeing 767-200ER[188] 2005, 2013 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

Cabin

United Polaris First

United Polaris First seat on the Boeing 747.

United Polaris First is United's international first class product, and is offered on all Boeing 747-400s, as well as select Boeing 767-300ERs and Boeing 777-200ERs. A standard Polaris First suite is 6.5 ft (2.0 m) long and reclines into a fully flat bed. All seats are equipped with a personal LCD television with Audio-Video-on-Demand (AVOD), an adjustable headrest, an iPod adapter, a US-style 120-volt power outlet, a large tray table, and other amenities.[189] United launched a new turn-down service which is available on all long-haul international flights.[190] United Polaris First is used as a temporary brand for existing 3-class aircraft until they are reconfigured or retired.[191]

United Polaris Business

The new United Polaris business class seat shown on board the Boeing 777-300ER
United Polaris Business with a front/rear facing configuration on a Boeing 767-300.
United Polaris Business seats aboard a Boeing 767-300. These seats can be found on all Boeing 787 aircraft, Boeing 767-400 aircraft, Boeing 757-200, and select Boeing 777-200ER aircraft.

United Polaris Business is offered on all wide-body aircraft (with the exception of certain domestically configured 777-200s), as well as all Boeing 757-200s. United Polaris Business passengers check in at separate counters and can use priority security screening where available. On international flights, in-flight services include pre-departure beverages, table linens and multi course meals designed in partnership with Charlie Trotter-affiliated chefs via the airline's partnership with the Trotter Project.[192] Passengers are also given priority with boarding and baggage handling and access to the United Polaris Lounge where available, as well as the United Club and partner airline lounges when traveling on international routes. All Polaris Business seats recline 180 degrees into a full, flat bed. On Boeing 747-400, select Boeing 777-200ER and Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, the seats alternate facing forward and backwards. On the Boeing 787, Boeing 767-400, Boeing 757-200 and select Boeing 767-300ER and Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, all seats face forward.

Other domestic routes, especially hub-to-hub service and certain non "United p.s." transcontinental flights, regularly see internationally configured aircraft with United Polaris Business (and sometimes United Polaris First) seating for operational reasons (such as transferring international aircraft from one hub to another). While the physical seats and entertainment are the same as on international flights, the service, catering and other amenities are the same as in domestic first class. Unlike routes marketed as United p.s., these flights are eligible for complimentary premier upgrades.

On June 2, 2016, United introduced their new, redesigned international business class seat that will replace current business class seats. The new United Polaris Business seat will be featured on Airbus A350-1000, Boeing 777-300ER, and Boeing 787-10 aircraft, and will be retrofitted later on Boeing 767, Boeing 777-200ER, and Boeing 787 aircraft. The Polaris seat converts into a 6' 6" flat bed in a 1-2-1 configuration, providing all-aisle access for every seat. The seat boasts multiple storage areas, mood lighting, multiple charging ports, lumbar support, and improved dining and amenity services.[191]

United p.s.

p.s. (short for "Premium Service") is a sub-brand for transcontinental flights between Newark and Los Angeles or San Francisco, as well as, since July 1st, 2017, from Boston to San Francisco.[193] Initially launched in 2004, these flights utilize Boeing 757-200s, with 180-degrees-flat Polaris Business seats. The premium cabin also features international style catering, while all seats have access to inflight wi-fi, on demand entertainment, and power outlets. Business class passengers also have access to the United Club at Newark, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.[194]

All p.s. flights were moved from New York JFK to Newark Liberty Airport on October 25, 2015.[195]

United p.s. routes are not eligible for Complimentary Premier upgrades, although MileagePlus members can upgrade using Regional Premier Upgrades, Global Premier Upgrades, or MileagePlus award miles.[196]

Beginning July 1, 2017, passengers in Premium Economy will receive a complimentary hot entree, dessert, fruit, pre-arrival snack, and alcoholic beverages. [197]

United First and United Business

United First is offered on all domestically configured aircraft. When such aircraft are used on international services such as services to Canada, Central America and the Caribbean destinations, this cabin is branded as United Business. United First seats on narrowbody aircraft have a 38 in (96.5 cm) pitch, while United First seats on re-configured domestic Boeing 777-200 aircraft feature fully flat bed seats. Passengers receive priority boarding and baggage handling, pre-departure beverages, complimentary meals and separate check-in desks.[198]

In 2015, United released their new domestic first class seat design. The new leather seats feature cradling headrests, granite cocktail tables, and a tablet stand. These seats will debut on Airbus A319 and Airbus A320 aircraft, and will eventually be installed on all domestic aircraft.[199]

Economy Plus

Economy plus seats on a Boeing 767.

United Economy Plus is available on all aircraft. Economy Plus seats are located in the front few rows and exit rows of the economy cabin and have 2 inches (5.1 cm) more recline and at least 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm) of additional seat pitch totaling 4-7 inches of recline (aircraft dependent) and 35-37 inches of pitch. Economy Plus is complimentary for all MileagePlus Premier members. Premier 1K, Platinum and Gold members may select an Economy Plus seat when booking, while silver members can select an Economy Plus seat at check-in.[200] It can also be purchased depending upon availability by other passengers.

Prior to the merger between United and Continental, United Airlines aircraft offered Economy Plus, while Continental did not. Following the merger, Economy Plus was rolled out across the combined fleet.[201]

Economy Class

New slimline economy seats on an Airbus A320-200.
Older economy seats on a Boeing 747-400; these seats can also be found on some Boeing 767 aircraft.

United Economy is available on all aircraft, and usually have a pitch of 31 inches (30 inches on aircraft refurbished with Slimline seats, and 32 inches on Boeing 787s) and a recline of 2-5 inches. All economy seats feature an adjustable headrest and some form of entertainment, ranging from AVOD, inflight wi-fi, personal device entertainment, or overhead entertainment. Economy seats on Boeing 767, Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 aircraft feature a personal 7 inches (18 cm) touchscreen television at the back of each seat with United Private Screening. Boeing 757-300, Boeing 747 and select Boeing 737 aircraft feature overhead entertainment. On Airbus A319, A320, select Boeing 737, Boeing 747, select Boeing 757-300 and domestically configured Boeing 777 aircraft feature personal device entertainment, and WiFi. Other Boeing 737 and Boeing 757-300 aircraft feature DirecTV.

Food and snacks are available for purchase on domestic, Caribbean, and some Latin America flights. These include snacks, fresh meals, and snack boxes, depending on flight time and distance. Meals are complimentary on all other international flights. Only beverages are complimentary in economy on North America flights. Alcoholic beverages are available for purchase on North America flights, but are complimentary on long-haul international flights.[202] On flights where meals are served, a cocktail snack with a beverage is served shortly after takeoff, followed by a main course, then dessert. Longer international flights feature a pre-arrival meal, which usually consists of a light breakfast or snack. United announced that it will offer free snacks on domestic, Caribbean, and Latin America flights beginning in February 2016.[203]

Basic Economy

United Basic Economy is available on select routes and in addition to standard fares. Basic Economy tickets are limited to travel between Minneapolis/St. Paul and seven of United Airlines' U.S. hubs (Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Houston Bush International, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington Dulles).[204][205] Intended to be United's lowest fare, Basic Economy fares provide most of the same inflight services and amenities with standard United Economy Class.[206] But with Basic Economy, group/family seating, seat selection/upgrades and to bring full-sized carry-on bags are not allowed. Also, certain MileagePlus and Premier member benefits are not available.[207]

Reward services

MileagePlus is the frequent flyer program for United Airlines[208]

United Club is the airline lounge associated with United Airlines and United Express carriers. The United Club replaced the former United Red Carpet Club and Continental Airlines Presidents Club prior to the merger with Continental.

Accidents and incidents

1930s NC13304 Flight 6 Flight 4[209] NC13323[210] NC13355[211]
1940s 41-24027 Flight 521 Flight 608 Flight 624
1950s Flight 129[212] Flight 610 Flight 615 Flight 409 Flight 629 Flight 718 Flight 736
1960s Flight 826 Flight 859 Flight 297 Flight 823 Flight 389 Flight 227 Flight 266
1970s Flight 553 Flight 2860 Flight 696 Flight 173
1980s Flight 811 Flight 232 Flight 2885 Flight 2415
1990s Flight 585 Flight 6291 Flight 5925 Flight 826 Flight 863
2000s Flight 175 Flight 93
2010s Flight 3411

Controversies

United has been involved in several instances of controversy during the last several years.

United 3411

On the evening of April 9, 2017, a paid passenger was forcibly removed by law enforcement from United Airlines Flight 3411 at O'Hare International Airport, bound for Louisville.[226] United announced that they needed four seats for airline staff on the sold-out flight.[227] When no passengers volunteered after being offered vouchers worth $800, United staff selected four passengers to leave; three did so, but the fourth, a doctor named David Dao, declined as he said that he had patients to treat the following morning. He was pulled from his seat by Chicago Department of Aviation security officers and dragged by his arms down the aisle. Dao sustained significant injuries as a result: a concussion, broken teeth, a broken nose, and other injuries.[228] The incident was captured on smartphone cameras and posted on social media, triggering an angry public backlash. Afterwards, the CEO of United, Oscar Munoz, described Dao as "disruptive and belligerent", apologized for "re-accommodating" the paying customers, and defended and praised the staff for "following established procedures", which was widely criticized as "tone-deaf".[229] Munoz later issued statement calling what happened a "truly horrific event" and accepting "full responsibility" for it.[230] After a lawsuit, Dao reached an undisclosed settlement with United Airlines and airport police. In the aftermath, United's board decided that Munoz would not assume the role of Chairman for the company and that executive compensation would be tied to customer satisfaction.[231] Airline passenger complaints increased by 70 percent.[232]

See also

References

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  201. ↑ "United Airlines to Retain Economy Plus, Expand to Continental Aircraft Beginning in 2012 - Yahoo! Finance". March 6, 2011. Archived from the original on March 6, 2011. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
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  217. ↑
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  220. ↑ Jethro Mullen, "Owners of dead giant rabbit want United to pay up," CNNMoney, 9 May 2017.
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  225. ↑ TEGNA. "Houston family says dog died on United flight". KHOU. Retrieved 2017-08-10.
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