First-of-its-kind digital flight filter helps determine which aircraft can accommodate different sized chairs, better ensuring safe and secure handling for these special items
In another industry first, United will reimburse customers for any increase in fare if an alternate flight is needed to accommodate their personal wheelchair
28 September, 2023
United Improves Travel Experience For Customers Who Use Personal Wheelchairs
25 September, 2023
United Names New Chief Financial Officer
Michael Leskinen promoted to CFO and Executive Vice President; also becomes member of airline's Executive Team
United Airlines today announced that Michael Leskinen has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President. In his new role, he will oversee corporate finance, treasury, financial planning and analysis, tax, accounting, investor relations, procurement, internal audit, risk management and corporate strategy. Leskinen will also join the airline's Executive Team.
"With two decades of experience on Wall Street and five years as a leading finance executive at United, Mike brings a unique understanding of the public markets combined with an in depth understanding of our airline and our industry," said United CEO Scott Kirby. "He is the best person to help us drive a culture within our finance team that's focused on moving fast, hitting our targets with no excuses, and being disciplined about capital and cost decision-making that supports our United Next plan. I know Mike will bring a strong and independent strategic perspective to the table when we're making decisions about United's future."
Leskinen joined United in 2018 as managing director of Investor Relations and was promoted to vice president of Corporate Development and Investor Relations in 2019. In 2021, he added the title of President of United Airlines Ventures (UAV), an industry-first corporate venture capital fund that identifies and invests in opportunities to decarbonize air travel and enhance the customer travel experience. UAV has invested in carbon capture and utilization technologies, advanced biologic feedstocks including micro-algae, electric fixed-wing regional aircraft and electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL).
23 September, 2023
United to buy 1 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel ......
21 September, 2023
United makes new leadership promotions
Josh Earnest promoted to Executive Vice President of Communications and Advertising
Terri Fariello promoted to Executive Vice President of Government Affairs and Global Public Policy
16 September, 2023
United signs agreement to buy up to 1 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel from Cemvita
13 September, 2023
United Opens Two New Clubs in Denver, Including Its Largest Club in the World
New 35,000 sq.ft. United Club at Denver International Airport debuts as the airline's largest club, coinciding with the airline's nearly $1 billion investment to improve the customer experience in Denver
United today announced the opening of its largest United Club at Denver International Airport. This new, 35,000 sq.-ft. club is located in the B Concourse, providing a modern take on the United Club experience with a new feature bar offering beer flight boards to taste a seasonal rotation of premium local and craft beers. This club is the second in a series of new locations to open in Denver this summer; last month, a new 24,000 sq.-ft. United Club opened in the A Concourse, featuring a luxurious ski lodge aesthetic and thoughtful design touches inspired by the Colorado outdoors.
The air carrier will open an additional revamped club location in 2025, and once open, Denver International Airport will feature more than 100,000 sq.-ft. of United Club space – nearly the size of two football fields – across three United Club locations and United Club Fly, a unique grab-and-go concept offering enhanced food and beverage for United Club members with quick connections. With more than two-thirds of United customers connecting to other places in Denver, the new clubs are expected to accommodate more than double the number of travelers than before.
The opening of these new clubs comes on the heels of United unveiling a new club concept, United Club FlySM, in Denver last year, that is a first-of-its-kind concept for a U.S. airline. Since opening, United Club Fly has been visited by more than 100,000 travelers who've enjoyed the elevated convenience to grab food or beverages on the way to their flight.
"The new United Club locations are designed and operated to reflect feedback from our customers and match the way their travel has evolved in recent years," said Alexander Dorow, United's Head of Clubs & Lounges. "We're growing our hub in the Mile High City, and the expansion and renovation of United Club locations represents our commitment to Colorado and our customers' experience."
B Concourse United Club
Located on the eastern side in the B Concourse near gate B44, this new club location touts 35,000 sq.-ft. across three levels and more than 600 seats, making it the largest club in United's network. The space reflects Denver's beer scene with brewery-inspired elements and a new beer tasting experience at the feature bar on the mezzanine level. At the feature bar, travelers can choose from a seasonal rotation of 10 local and craft beers on tap, with selections from Colorado breweries New Belgium, Great Divide, Denver Beer Company, Upslope, among others, to enjoy from United customized tasting boards and beer glasses. The feature bar area is distinguished by five Vestaboards displaying personalized messages and menu offerings and a custom, vibrant blue mural by visual artist Charlo Garcia Walterbach that explores the joy and discovery of new places that travel brings to life.
05 September, 2023
United experienced a systemwide technology outage that stopped all flights.
11 August, 2023
United Airlines Introduces Bag Drop Shortcut at London Heathrow
Great news for United Airlines passengers flying from London Heathrow as the carrier announces a bag drop shortcut service is now available at Heathrow, becoming the first international United station to offer this facility.
United’s bag drop shortcut was originally unveiled in 2021, initially introduced at the airline’s Chicago, New York/Newark, Washington D.C., Houston, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco hubs and subsequently at a further 46 airports across the U.S. Bag drop shortcut simplifies the lobby and bag drop process for customers, allowing them to skip the queue, check their bag in a minute or less on average, and get to their flight. According to customer surveys, the bag check process can be one of the more stressful and time-consuming parts of the travel experience and United was the first airline to streamline the process in this way.
Here's how bag drop shortcut works:
- Complete check-in on the United app or .com and select the number of bags before arriving at the airport
- Find the bag drop shortcut location at the airport designated in green with the bag drop shortcut icon. (detailed instructions available right in the app)
- At the bag drop shortcut location, customers place their bag on the scale and tap their phone using the United app (or scan their boarding pass at stations using scanners)
- The United team will check the customer's ID, apply the bag tag and they're on their way!
Since the initial unveiling of bag drop shortcut in 2021, more than seven million bags have been tagged using this facility and following the recent introduction at London Heathrow, Terminal 2, Zone D, more than 8,000 bags were tagged during the first two weeks alone.
“We're very excited to be United’s first international station to offer the bag drop shortcut service,” said Aaron Smythe, Director Airport Operations London Heathrow, United Airlines. “Travelling can be a stressful experience, and bag drop shortcut helps remove that stress by providing our customers with a quick and efficient process to drop their bag and be on their way in just a few minutes. Our customers are already telling us how much this new facility has improved their airport experience and in response to customer demand, we have already expanded the number of bag drop shortcut desks at Heathrow.”
United in the U.K.
United Airlines has been serving the U.K. for over 30 years. The airline this summer is offering up to 23 daily flights from London Heathrow to its hubs at Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington/Dulles, as well as to Boston. United also offers year-round service from Edinburgh to New York/Newark and seasonal service from Edinburgh to Chicago and Washington/Dulles.
All flights are conveniently timed to connect at United’s U.S hubs with an extensive network of services to destinations throughout the Americas. Customers can book by visiting united.com or calling 0845 607 6760, or their travel agent.
07 August, 2023
United logo proudly displayed on Wrexham AFC's shirts
Flying high with United! Newly promoted Wrexham A.F.C. kick off the new season in the EFL League Two, proudly showcasing their new home shirt for the first time featuring the United Airlines logo as the official front-of-shirt sponsor.
03 August, 2023
United Airlines introduces a new transcontinental amenity kit......
The new kit features skincare products from Venus Williams-backed brand
New kit features Asutra cleansing face towelette, lip balm and hand lotion – for business class passengers flying premium transcontinental routes between west coast hubs and the New York City area
New kit features Asutra cleansing face towelette, lip balm and hand lotion – for business class passengers flying premium transcontinental routes between west coast hubs and the New York City area
31 July, 2023
United adding flights for US College Football matches...
The airline has added more flights and will be flying larger planes to select cities for the following games:
27 July, 2023
United becomes the first U.S. airline to add braille to aircraft cabin interiors
26 July, 2023
United's sustainable flight fund grows to nearly $200 million and adds strategic partners....
United plane fueled with SAF.
22 July, 2023
United Airlines grows the carrier's electric battery portfolio with an investment in EPS
Electric Power Systems (EPS) modules are a technology that could be compatible with and used in support of United's future decarbonizing investments
United is targeting EPS modules for potential use in airline's current ground operations, while eyeing an all-electric flight academy in the future
19 July, 2023
United to become first U.S. Airline to fly direct to Manila from the continental U.S.
United adds more nonstops to Tokyo, Hong Kong and Taipei
United adds more nonstops to Tokyo, Hong Kong and Taipei
United will serve a total of 15 different long-haul international destinations across the Pacific this winter, more than all other U.S. airlines combined
San Francisco – Manila, Philippines*
Los Angeles – Hong Kong*
Los Angeles – Tokyo/Narita
Increased Flying to Taipei*
Australia & New Zealand Expansion
Becoming the only airline to offer non-stop service to Christchurch, New Zealand with new service from San Francisco*Building on its position as the largest U.S. airline to Auckland by adding four weekly flights from Los Angeles*Serving as the largest carrier between the U.S. and Brisbane with a new route from Los Angeles*Offering daily flights between San Francisco and Brisbane and Melbourne and twice daily flights between San Francisco and Sydney
13 July, 2023
United has just introduced a new domestic first-class seat that includes a wireless charging station in every armrest.
New domestic first class seat offers three types of charging outlets, vegan leather upholstery, larger seatback screens and tray tables, Bluetooth connectivity, privacy screens, Italian quartzite cocktail tables and an ergonomist-designed cushion
Travellers will start seeing the new United First seat on planes this summer as the airline expects to have the new seat on 200+ planes by late 2026
03 July, 2023
United's boss sends letter to all staff over recent flight chaos.
24 June, 2023
United's new app feature helps customers re-book and receive meal and hotel vouchers automatically
Mobile app tool saves time and reduces stress if a flight is delayed or cancelled – first-of-its-kind feature reflects the airline's continued investments in digital technology
United announced a new mobile app feature that aims to save customers time and reduce stress if their travel plans get disrupted. Now, instead of waiting in line to talk to an agent or search for new options, the airline's new self-service tool automatically presents travellers with personalized re-booking options, bag tracking information and meal and hotel vouchers when eligible if their flight is delayed or cancelled.
While United had the lowest mainline flight and seat cancellation rates of any airline in the country during the first three months of the year, the carrier still has the most flights impacted by weather given the location of its major domestic hubs.
According to the airline, nearly 50% of its customers already turn to the app or united.com to self-serve during disruptions, so United began beta testing the new feature at the end of last year. United found that customers responded well to having alternate travel options automatically served to them in the app and that airport employees appreciated reducing the number of people physically waiting in line.
"Our goal is to get our customers to their destination on time, but we know things don't always go as planned and that's when a tool like this can make a real difference," said Linda Jojo, Chief Customer Officer for United. "Our new mobile app feature offers more transparency, saves time and reduces stress for our customers, and it shortens lines at customer service desks so our employees can better assist passengers with complex issues or questions. Plus, it's another example of United's continued investment in new technology and tools."
- Get notified: Click the link in the automatic text notification or enter flight details in the mobile app or united.com to open the tool. For customers who have their reservation already loaded in the app, they'll see a prompt right on the home screen.
- Check flight and re-booking status: Confirm the status of your flight and see if you've been re-booked. Customers also have the option to look at other flight options and book based on their preference.
- Track your bags: Follow the status of your checked luggage to see when it is checked-in, loaded on your flight and received at your final destination.
- View eligible vouchers: Receive hotel, meal and/or rideshare vouchers if eligible.
- Connect to a United customer service agent virtually: Call, text or video chat with one of hundreds of United agents who can offer the same assistance as the agents at the airport.
For those without the United mobile app, the self-service tool is accessible on a mobile device or computer at united.com, and customers still have the option to connect in-person with a customer service agent.
This new feature is the latest way United uses technology to give travelers more transparency and improve the customer experience. For years, the airline has led the industry on implementing new technologies and policies across its operation to increase customer transparency, including:
- Free family seating: United is the first and only airline to offer a dynamic seat map feature that makes it easier to seat children under 12-years-old next to an adult in their party for free – even travelers in Basic Economy.
- Automatic customer communications: United sends personalized, real-time updates via text notifications with timely information about boarding, gate location, travel disruptions, bag tracking and more, providing awareness into flight plans or status.
- Flexible refunds and travel credits: United offers a 24-hour flexible booking policy, and in September 2021, United launched more self-service options to easily find, apply and combine credits at check-out.
- No change fees: In August 2020, United got rid of change fees, offering more flexibility for travel plans, and started complimentary standby travel, becoming the only U.S. airline that lets all customers in all classes of service fly same-day standby for free.
19 June, 2023
United Airlines picks Pratt & Whitney GTF Engines for 120 Airbus A321neo and A321XLR aircraft
09 June, 2023
Wrexham AFC gets new shirt sponsor .........United Airlines
This week, U.S. mega carrier United Airlines was named as the official front-of-shirt sponsor of Wrexham AFC, the recently promoted Welsh football team, beginning with the 2023-2024 season for both the men’s side and women’s side. As part of their broader partnership with Wrexham AFC, the United Airlines name and logo will emblazon the front of Wrexham AFC shirts during the club’s home and away games.