Archive for the 'United Airlines' Category
November 15 2007
You’ve no doubt read about the (possible) merger talks between United and Delta. Yes, there are synergies in their route structures — it would create an airline giant with a massive global footprint. But let’s get real. Airline mergers have not failed because of route overlap. They fail because of workforces (see: US Airways/America West); because of technology (see: US Airways/America West); because of fleet integration issues (they would have a laundry list of aircraft); and because the supposed synergies of a largescale integration never arrive.
Is this merger impossible? No. Is this merger unlikely? Yes. Are the operational issues of merging these two groups together virtually insurmountable? Absolutely. US Airways and America West announced their merger 2 1/2 years ago, and it’s still an operational mess (see: website). And those were small(ish) airlines compared to these two. Just because a merged United would fly to Cape Town, Kiev, and Seoul does not make this a great idea.
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August 21 2007
Good news if you’re a United flyer and you’ve had enough of filthy planes: The airline said that it’s going to use part of its capital improvement budget to "deep clean" their aircraft more frequently. They can spin that how they want, but that must mean their planes get extremely dirty. And that means you’ve been sitting on an extremely dirty plane. Ew.
On the plus side, they’re also going to upgrade their domestic in-flight entertainment systems over the course of 2008.
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July 24 2007
I forgot to mention this yesterday, but United Airlines has announced that it will begin introducing lie-flat seats in their international business class cabins beginning this fall. The seats will be available on its 747s, 767s, and 777s (though it will take 2 1/2 years to fully outfit the fleet). These will be the best seats available on a US carrier (as if that matters). The downside is that the new configurations will drop the number of business class seats available significantly (21 fewer on the 747s) — so, bye bye upgrades.
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January 22 2007
United Airlines revised its frequent flyer program policies over the weekend so miles now expire after 18 months. Worse, this is retroactive to July 1, 2006. It’s almost worth reading the press release I linked to because somehow they make it sound like this is a benefit to consumers. Impressive. Remember, though, you can keep the account active by making a small purchase through the United Airlines shopping site.
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January 10 2007
If you’re a frequent flyer, you’ve probably received some sort of communication from your favorite airline asking you to beg congress to grant them a new route to China. Unless your favorite airline is United, you’re out of luck. The DOT granted United the right to fly from Washington, DC, to Beijing, beginning in March.
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December 15 2006
A United executive outlined plans for a new "base fare" scheme where customers would pay a lower "base" fare for a flight that did not include many elements now bundled into the price. For example, you would now have the option to pay a bit extra for frequent flyer miles, seat assignment, or checking bags. The plan, which echoes similar moves by Air Canada and other European carriers, has not yet been formalized, but (as I’ve written here before) this is the future of airline pricing. I think that in the end consumers will grow to like it — your fare now includes the price of checking a bag whether you check a bag or not. I’m sure we’ll hear griping soon enough, though…
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December 05 2006
(Thanks to reader Gloomy Joe for the heads up):
You have 300,000 or so Mileage Plus miles? You want to spend 2 hours in one of United Airlines’ flight simulators? Yes? Good. You can bid on that experience here.
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July 31 2006
Delta purchased the rights to serve London from New York’s JFK airport for $21 million. United had served the route to Heathrow (after it purchased the route from Pan Am years ago), but Delta will have to fly into the less-desirable Gatwick. United noted that the route had not been profitable for them, but that won’t stop Delta, which called the route the "crown jewel" of its JFK operation. Crown jewels are usually flashy and cost too much. Delta’s assuming, though, that the large feeder service it’s built at the airport will make it possible from them to make the route profitable when United couldn’t do it. They face tough competition from British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Continental, American, Air India and an assortment of others. BA and Virgin have 19 daily flights between them. Good luck!
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July 26 2006
Hm. This is an odd one. "TV Star" Mo’Nique was kicked off a United Airlines flight after a confrontation with flight attendants over a hair dryer. I can’t be bothered to share the details. Ms. Nique later told a radio station that United’s employees were racist, saying, "I felt like I was being treated like an animal…This
happens to black people all the time, and they don’t have a voice. I
have a voice."
Doesn’t she know that EVERYONE who flies is treated like an animal? Sheesh!
Crazy Passengers and United Airlines | 4 Comments » Print This Post
July 25 2006
In a day many thought would never come, United Airlines will post its first profit in six years when it releases its earnings on July 31. Oh the turmoil! Oh the bankruptcy! Oh the layoffs! I don’t usually bother talking about finanical news here, but you gotta give credit where it’s due. The company will have a $119 million profit for the 2nd quarter, compared to a $1.43 billion loss for the same quarter last year. Sure, it wasn’t pretty, what with the layoffs and pensions issues and whatnot. But a profit is a profit. Well done.
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Delta/United Merger: Good Luck with That