united airlines

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Family Reports Their Two Year Old Has Been Banned From United Airlines After Refusing To Keep Mask On

by Gary Leff on December 12, 2020

Dec 12 2020

A husband and wife who say they are Silver elite members of United’s MileagePlus program report their family has been banned from United Airlines “forever” because their two year old was unwilling to keep a mask on. The child’s mother, a trainer and health coach, shares on Instagram that they ‘always fly United’ and have flown with their child four times during the pandemic without issue. So why now?

Video of the incident has been viewed over 2.3 million times in less than 24 hours.

How United Airlines May End Up Saving The Environment

by Gary Leff on December 11, 2020

Dec 11 2020

United Airlines has announced that they’ll reduce greenhouse gas emissions 100% by 2050, making a bolder claim than world airlines through trade association IATA which commit to a 50% reduction in carbon footprint by 2050. Both goals are far enough off as to be largely symbolic, but what’s got great potential here is the path United plans to pursue to get there.

The airline will invest in directly removing carbon from the atmosphere – not feel-good measures like planting trees where the accounting is murky. The technology is too expensive today, but payment processor Stripe just announced their own investments here. Adding United and perhaps soon others could help bring about critical mass that makes this technology viable to solve our environmental problems.

United Now Offers Airport Customer Service Agents – Who Are Virtual

by Gary Leff on December 8, 2020

Dec 08 2020

What this also allows United to do over time is have fewer agents, or at least fewer agents per passenger. Instead of having agents deployed at airports across the terminal in case customers need them, and having down time throughout the day, they can locate agents centrally and optimize staffing based on predicted needs.

That makes this the perfect ‘United under Scott Kirby’s leadership’ initiative: it fosters on-time performance while reducing cost.

Frequent Flyer Miles Are The Only Reason United And American Haven’t Filed Bankruptcy

by Gary Leff on December 4, 2020

Dec 04 2020

How important are airline frequent flyer programs? United, Delta, and American Airlines have each mortgaged their frequent flyer programs for between $6.5 billion and $9 billion apiece. Stifel analyst Joe DeNardi says that without the ability to attract this cash, both American Airlines and United Airlines would be in bankruptcy.

Speaking on a panel at the Loyalty Summit online conference on Wednesday, DeNardi made this bold claim – but one that’s backed squarely by the numbers around cash burn and how much airlines have raised.

United Airlines Offers 4 Ways Elite Status Will Be Easier To Earn In 2021

by Gary Leff on November 12, 2020

Nov 12 2020

Following American AAdvantage announcing reduced qualification levels for elite status earned in 2021 last month, United MileagePlus is out with its 2021 elite qualification rules and they’re layering on four different boosts towards status along with making it easier to earn confirmed upgrades for those continuing to fly beyond the 1K level.

Taken together lower status requirements, a hard start for current elites towards status, along with bonus qualifying spend for status in the first quarter, and a relaxed restriction on using credit card-earned elite qualifying spend towards top status United has laid out ways that status will be easier to earn than ever this year.

Flight Diverts to Alabama To Remove Woman Wearing Only T-Shirt And Underwear

by Gary Leff on November 10, 2020

Nov 10 2020

United Express flight UA4332 from Jacksonville, Florida to Houston diverted to Mobile, Alabama last Thursday when a 25 year old passenger on the CommutAir plane ‘became disruptive’ and stripped down to her underwear according to the airline.

Every Day From February 1 Onward United Has Tons Of Transcon Business Class Saver Award Space

by Gary Leff on November 10, 2020

Nov 10 2020

Traditionally non-stop cross country flights in premium cabins are tough to get but that is a lot of premium cabin inventory at a time that business travelers aren’t flying. Or – perhaps this is an early mistake on United’s part that won’t last. But every single day between the February 1 start of service and the end of the airline schedule 11 months from now has numerous business class saver award seats open.

United Airlines Re-Opening More Clubs, Discounting Days Passes

by Gary Leff on November 9, 2020

Nov 09 2020

This will give United 11 open clubs. They’ll also be offering “more pre-packaged fresh food items” at Denver, Chicago and Honolulu “including breakfast partfaits, sandwiches, wraps, salads, desserts…”

One time passes valid for a year are currently discounted to $39 rather than $59.

United Airlines Sued For Charging Higher Prices To Older People

by Gary Leff on November 5, 2020

Nov 05 2020

A year ago United Airlines offered a 10% discount to 18-22 year olds who booked through the United mobile app. At the time I put this as “older people pay more” while many readers didn’t feel this was a fair characterization. Now a court will decide.

United Airlines Is Asking California Voters To Support Affirmative Action

by Gary Leff on November 3, 2020

Nov 03 2020

In 1996 California voters adopted proposition 209 which provided that “the State shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.” It banned affirmative action.

Today California voters consider proposition 16, to repeal that affirmative action ban. United Airlines weighed in, and they want to see affirmative action in California.