Tag Archives for united airlines.
United CEO Scott Kirby keeps insisting airfares should rise, and that airlines are too timid to charge what passengers will pay. But after years of predictions that have not panned out, the flaw in his theory is simple: airlines hate empty seats, and supply and demand still set fares no matter how badly CEOs want prices higher.
A United passenger tried to move ahead during deplaning, got blocked, and then posted her own profanity-filled argument as if it would prove she was right. Instead, the video turned into a deplaning etiquette referendum: wait your turn, move only when there is a clean opening, and do not make your case by screaming around kids.
Sixty five United passengers alleged antisemitic abuse after their Tel Aviv flight was diverted back to Newark, including claims that crew blamed “the Jews” and that passengers were held for hours with little help. But because this was an international flight, the court never reached whether the allegations were true — the Montreal Convention barred the claims before the facts mattered.
Robert Isom addressed the airline deal rumors employees were already talking about internally: United, Alaska and Spirit. United is a hard no, Alaska is the partnership American wants to expand, and Spirit is not a fit — though American would consider assets and stranded passengers.
United CEO Scott Kirby did not just admit he tried to buy American Airlines — he published the sales pitch after American had already said no. That is not how companies usually talk about dead deals, and the real audience now is what’s interesting about the message.
A United flight attendant was injured on a work trip, went on medical leave, and later received a company letter telling her she had an extra year to return before losing her job. Then United told her the date in its own letter was wrong, fired her anyway, and even tried to stick her with legal costs after she sued.
United CEO Scott Kirby says the airline is in talks to buy assets from another carrier, a remark that immediately raises the question of whether he means pieces of Spirit or JetBlue. United has been openly hunting for ways to strengthen weak spots in Florida and New York without waiting for a full merger.
Passengers on a United flight from Chicago to New York were told to brace for an emergency landing, then ordered to leave everything behind and run after the plane diverted to Pittsburgh over a possible bomb on board. The episode triggered a 7700 emergency squawk, a runway evacuation, and a rapid response from bomb technicians, even though officials were still describing it as a security issue rather than confirming an actual explosive device.
American Airlines says it is not in merger talks with United, but its carefully worded response does more than just shut down one specific rumor. By backing broader airline consolidation while ruling out a United deal, American appears to be drawing a line against the merger it cannot survive politically while leaving open the possibility of other combinations that might better fit both antitrust realities and the Trump administration’s dealmaking instincts.
United’s free Starlink internet rollout is still supposed to take until the end of next year, but passengers are now reporting that free Wi-Fi has quietly spread to some non-Starlink aircraft as well. If that holds, it means United has started delivering one of the biggest quality-of-life upgrades in domestic flying faster and more broadly than it has publicly said.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
