united airlines

Tag Archives for united airlines.

American Airlines CEO Calls Out United For Illegally Reducing Employee Pay

by Gary Leff on May 6, 2020

May 06 2020

The point of shoveling out billions of dollars of airlines was to get airlines through the worst of the depression in travel so that workers all still had jobs, and to keep workers whole until then. That’s not how United Airlines is using the money, and American Airlines CEO Doug Parker calls them out for it.

United is likely correct on the law, Parker correct on the intention behind it. The way the CARES Act was drafted was sloppy, allowing United to take billions in government grants while reducing employee pay, pocketing more money to protect shareholders than the law intended. If airline’s had made clear how they’d behave after getting the bailout, it would never have passed.

United Says They’ll Deny You Boarding If They Think You’ve Been Exposed to COVID, Or Refuse Testing

by Gary Leff on May 5, 2020

May 05 2020

They can deny you boarding if they merely suspect you have coronavirus, or if they want you to obtain a test showing you do not have the virus and you decline. What will lead them to suspect someone may have the ‘rona? It could be temperature checks. It could be data shared via an app or the government in the future. It could be information about known exposures, including on a prior flight.

Consider this part of the new normal that we’re figuring out – we do not know what is going to happen in practice but United is updating its rules to allow them to take action based on what sort of testing or screening occurs.

United Airlines Imposing Unpaid Time Off, Planning For Huge Layoffs With No Severance

by Gary Leff on May 4, 2020

May 04 2020

Despite getting billions in federal aid precisely to ensure that employees do not see layoffs or a reduction in pay, United Airlines is reducing pay for non-union staff, including administrative help, by enforcing unpaid vacation time. They’re also planning to lay off at least 30% of this group October 1, as soon as CARES Act restrictions lift – and they’ve adopted a new policy that says any of these employees laid off will receive zero severance.

Will Social Distancing Finally Give Us An Orderly Deplaning Process?

by Gary Leff on May 4, 2020

May 04 2020

When planes pull up to the gate passengers unbuckle their seat belts, not waiting for the captain to turn off the seat belt sign. Then everyone begins to jump up, and get into the aisle. Everyone crames body-to-body in the aisle. They’ve been cramped into airline seats for the duration of the flight, and strangely decide to cramp themselves even closer together in the aisle.

United Airlines has a new approach to deplaning that starts today, that they hope will bring social distancing to get off the plane that way that airlines are trying to implement for boarding and blocking of middle seats.

United Cuts Denied Boarding Compensation By 75%

by Gary Leff on May 1, 2020

May 01 2020

United Airlines set the world on first when David Dao was dragged off of a United Express plane and bloodied three years ago. United’s CEO Oscar Munoz apologized… for having to re-accommodate him.

The worldwide outcry was so great that airlines had to revisit their policies for involuntary denied boardings. Now, as United does everything possible to reduce costs, it is scaling back efforts to control the sort of denied boardings that led to David Dao’s being dragged off a plane.

United Is Planning For Zero Net Passenger Revenue Into 2021

by Gary Leff on May 1, 2020

May 01 2020

During this morning’s earnings call, United Airlines President Scott Kirby told investors and journalists that the carrier is “planning for zero net passenger revenue for rest of year and into 2021.”

They hope demand recovers but they have plenty of places to go for cash and are driving down expenses. Come the fall the only place left to go for cuts will be reducing employee headcount. They even talked about taking loans out against the MileagePlus program.

United Is Still Flouting DOT Refund Rules For Cancelled Flights

by Gary Leff on April 29, 2020

Apr 29 2020

United is effectively saying that they will not provide refunds for cancelled flights, only for significant delays, because cancelled flights do not exist. They are treating DOT rules – which specifically provide for two separate reasons for a refund – as though they only provide for one.

If an airline used to fly 8 times a day between two cities, and now flies just 3 times a day, that airline has cancelled 5 flights even though the airline can still accommodate the customer. United disagrees, but that is absurd on its face.

Wow: United MileagePlus Devalues Partner Award Travel

by Gary Leff on April 29, 2020

Apr 29 2020

Yesterday United Airlines removed partner award charts from its website. The only reason a loyalty program removes award charts is so that they can raise the price of awards while trying to hide what they’re doing. I have never seen a program eliminate award charts and become more valuable.

We now know exactly why United pulled these charts yesterday without any notice to members. Seriously, they’re doing this now?

United Removes Star Alliance Award Chart From Its Website, Says Pricing Is All Dynamic

by Gary Leff on April 28, 2020

Apr 28 2020

United said that partner awards would continue to price as they always had even once award charts were removed for United flights. This wasn’t true – since they were charging extra for booking partner flights close to departure.

Nevertheless they kept a copy of the Star Alliance award chart on their website. Now they’ve removed it. And a spokesperson says this is exactly what you should have expected!

United Makes Elite Status Harder To Earn When Flying Partner Airlines