United Airtime

At a 90-year-old business, there are so many stories that are handed down from one generation of employees to the next. United Airlines is no exception. And just as United has a long legacy in aviation, many employees have begun legacies at United that have grown to include their own children and grandchildren. As many of our employees proudly say, “Once the airline business gets in the blood, it stays there.” Here is just a selection of the hundreds of families that share a love of working for United: Father and daughter reunite at O’Hare Anetha Kazmer, a United customer service representative at Chicago O’Hare, hadn’t seen or heard from her father in nearly 20 years, so it’s understandable she was in shock after learning...

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When a Swallow aircraft took off from Pasco, Washington, on an airmail route bound for Boise, Idaho, on April 6, 1926, it marked the beginning of 90 years of aviation firsts for United Airlines. Since then, United has connected more than 4 billion people to important business meetings, family events, new experiences and cultures, and most importantly, each other. “On our 90th birthday, I couldn’t be more proud of our rich heritage and the exciting future ahead of United. I want to thank our customers for your loyalty over the years, and we look forward to serving you for many more as we continue to elevate our customer experience today and into the future,” said Oscar Munoz, United’s president and CEO. “I also want to express my...

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The Chicago Business Journal crowned the champion of its four-part airline food fight series on Thursday, and United took home the proverbial trophy as they deemed our food superior to American Airlines’ offerings. What gave us the edge? “United’s entrees across the board were stronger — especially the fillet of turbot with lobster sauce and diced vegetables,” reporter Lewis Lazare wrote. “That turbot gets the prize for best single dish of anything I was served by either carrier. So, for that reason, along with a feeling there was more of a sense of overall plentitude in United’s international first class food service, I have to crown United Airlines the victor in this food fight.” United’s Food Services...

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San Francisco and Tel Aviv are two of the world’s most tech-centric cities, and beginning today, the entrepreneurs and business leaders who often fly between them can now get there faster and more conveniently. We are the first U.S. airline to operate nonstop flights between the San Francisco and Tel Aviv and the first U.S. carrier to serve Israel from the U.S. West Coast. The new service represents a significant commitment to our many customers who have been requesting these direct flights. In fact, as part of our evaluation for introducing the nonstop service, we considered the opinions of thousands of customers who petitioned for it through sfotlv.org, as well as our longstanding corporate customers’ needs. “Providing corporate...

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In the four months since we announced we’re bringing illy’s world-class coffee to our aircraft, the renowned Italian company has been perfecting the billions of beans that will go into the signature scuro dark roast we’ll be featuring. Literally – they’re inspecting every, single, bean. That’s 4.5 billion beans a year just for United. Illy tracks the precise origin of 100 percent of its beans – which are purchased directly from farmers in 14 growing regions in nine countries on four continents – and conducts more than 100 different quality checks on every single bean before it’s selected. We’re excited to announce that the coffee will be ready to serve on board our aircraft beginning in July. In addition to scrutinizing...

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With commercial flights set to open up between the United States and Cuba, a new poll shows just how strongly Americans want to take part in this new travel opportunity: Nearly one third (31 percent) report being somewhat or very interested in traveling to Cuba. That interest rises dramatically among younger Americans, ages 18-29, to nearly half (44 percent). Interest in traveling to Cuba is highest in the West (37 percent) and Northeast (36 percent), which aligns well with United’s proposed daily nonstop flights to Havana from New York/Newark, and Saturday service from Houston and Washington, D.C. would each provide roundtrip connections to 20 U.S. locations based on a summer schedule, including key points throughout the West and...

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At United, we consider ourselves more than just an airline or a transportation company. We are a conduit for connecting people to others across the world and for providing an opportunity for rich cultural exchange. Last month, the U.S. and Cuba signed an arrangement to restore commercial air service between the two countries for the first time in more than a half century. The outpouring of support that United’s proposal to provide nonstop flights to Havana, Cuba, has received from cultural institutions makes it clear that the demand is strong for U.S.-Cuba cultural exchange opportunities from regions across the country, particularly the markets United has applied to serve. Cultural organizations writing letters to U.S. Department of...

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When approximately 150 of our customers boarded Flight 708 departing from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on March 11, they became part of a milestone in commercial aviation. The Boeing 737 was powered by a blended biofuel made from agricultural waste and other natural byproducts. “It’s great to be part of this flight, and it’s exciting to be the first U.S. airline using renewable energy to power our flights,” said United First Officer Ernesto Alessio, one of Flight 708’s pilots. United has now moved the U.S. aviation industry beyond demonstration flights and is, for the first time, using biofuels in regular commercial operations. We agreed to purchase up to 15 million gallons of sustainable biofuel from AltAir Fuels...

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Oscar Munoz returned full time to his roles as President and CEO on Monday, March 14. He posted the following message for United employees. Hello team, Today’s my first day resuming my full-time role as your President and CEO. As you know, I’ve spent the last couple of weeks traveling around the system, as I did when I first arrived, and I continue to be energized by the level of enthusiasm and support you have not just for each other but for our customers. I have many priorities on my first day back, but at the top of my list is my meeting today with our labor leaders. I believe that, together, we can resolve our contract issues so that we can focus on the most important thing: running the greatest airline in the world. I...

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Uniforms make a big difference in how employees feel at work, and they also make an important impression on our customers. Many United employees have expressed frustrations about the durability and functionality of certain pieces of their uniforms, so at the end of last year we began discussions about enhancements and redesigns with our uniform partner, Cintas. After meeting with more than 3,500 front-line employees and capturing their input, we developed new garments that feature upgrades such as higher-quality fabrics, additions like extra pockets, and action-back construction for better mobility. These new uniforms will now be test-driven by more than 100 front-line employees in the coming months. We recently brought these “wear...

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