History of United Airlines
This article needs to be updated.(July 2023) |
History
Beginnings
United Airlines was the creation of aviation pioneer
Varney was founded by
Through its string of successful acquisitions, United Air Lines provided coast-to-coast passenger and mail services by 1930. It took 27 hours to fly the route, one way. Boeing Air Transport hired
Following the
Expansion into a national carrier
This section needs expansion with: more information about events in the 1970s.. You can help by adding to it. (February 2011) |
United's early routes, formed by connecting airmail routes, was east-to-west from New York City via Chicago and Salt Lake City to San Francisco, and north–south along the West Coast. The early connections became the basis of United hubs in Chicago and San Francisco, and later in Denver and Washington, D.C.; these remain United's principal hubs.
In 1933, United introduced the Boeing 247; for the first time, passengers could fly across the United States without an overnight stop or changing planes. That summer, the fastest flight left Newark at noon (probably EST) and arrived at San Francisco at 6:55 PST after eight stops; the fare was $160 one-way, equal to $2,868 in today's value.[7]
On the night of October 10, 1933, a United
During
In 1954, United became the first airline with flight simulators that had visual, sound and motion cues for training pilots. Purchased for US$3 million (1954) from Curtiss-Wright, these were the first modern simulators for training of commercial pilots.[9]
From 1953 to 1970, United operated six-day-a-week afternoon non-stop extra fare "men only" flights between New York and Chicago ("The Chicago Executive" 642–643) and Los Angeles and San Francisco (665–666) on which women and children were banned. Advertised as a "club in the sky", they featured "cocktails, steak dinner, and cigar and pipe smoking permitted".
On November 1, 1955,
In the late 1950s, three United planes were lost in
On June 1, 1961, United merged with Capital Airlines, displacing rival American Airlines as the world's second largest airline behind Aeroflot of the Soviet Union. The merger resulted in United inheriting from Capital the British-manufactured Vickers Viscount, which was the only mainline turboprop aircraft ever flown by the airline. United also began operating French-manufactured Sud Aviation Caravelle jetliners and was the only American-based airline ever to operate the Caravelle in scheduled passenger service.[11] In 1968, the company reorganized, creating UAL Corporation with United Airlines as a wholly owned subsidiary.
In August 1970, United took delivery of their first Boeing 747s,[12] initially operating them on longer routes within the United States. A year later, United, along with American, were the launch customers for the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, which served as a workhorse in both airlines' fleets and others around the world for many years.
United Airlines is the only airline to have operated Executive One, the designation given to a civil flight carrying the U.S. president. On December 26, 1973, then-president Richard Nixon flew aboard a United DC-10 flight from Washington Dulles to Los Angeles.[13] White House staff explained that this was done to conserve fuel by not having to fly the usual Boeing 707 aircraft used for Air Force One.[14] In keeping with the practice of having two aircraft available at all times during Presidential travel, an Air Force aircraft followed in case of emergency.
United | Capital | |
---|---|---|
1951 | 1835 | 604 |
1955 | 3968 | 792 |
1960 | 5759 | 1492 |
1965 | 12249 | (merged 1961) |
1970 | 23768 | |
1975 | 26226[16] | |
1981 | 34787 | |
1985 | 41693[17] | |
1989 | 69589 | |
1995 | 102680 | |
2000 | 116533 | |
2005 | 113894 |
In August 1940, United scheduled flights to 37 airports. In August 1953, 66 airports on United and 51 on Capital; United flew to 91 in May 1968, and to 90 in November 1978.
Deregulation
United sought overseas routes in the 1960s, but the 1969
During the 1970s, economic turmoil and the "stagflation" that ensued, as well as labor unrest and the pressures of the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act, greatly hampered the industry and United, which incurred losses at a time when it was also undergoing changes at the top of both United and its parent company UAL Corp. Some changes were due largely to the retirement of long-term senior management members, as well as performance-driven changes at the very top in 1969 and again in 1985 following the pilot strike (discussed below).
In May 1981, a week after rival American Airlines launched
In 1982, United was the launch carrier for the
In 1984, United was the first airline to serve all 50 states with commercial airports when it started flights to Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis, Little Rock, Fargo, Casper, Jackson, and Charleston.
In 1985, United agreed to buy the ailing
Strike of 1985
On May 17, 1985, United's pilots went on a 29-day strike, claiming that CEO Richard Ferris was trying to "break the unions." The pilots used management's proposed "B-scale" pilot pay rates as proof.[19] American Airlines already had a non-merging B-scale for its pilots.[20] Ferris insisted United had to have pilot costs no higher than American's, so he offered United pilots a "word-for-word" contract to match American's, or the same bottom-line numbers. The United ALPA-MEC rejected that offer. The only choice left, to achieve parity with American's pilot costs, was to begin a B-scale for United's new-hire pilots.[21]
Ferris wanted that B-scale to merge in the captain's ranks, which was more generous than American's B-scale, which never merged at all. However, the ALPA MEC insisted they merge in the new pilot's sixth-year with the airline. In the final hours before the strike, nearly all issues had been resolved, except for the time length of the B-scale.[22] It appeared that would be resolved too as negotiations continued. ALPA negotiators delivered a new counter-proposal at 12:20 am in an effort to avoid the strike. However, MEC Chairman Roger Hall, who was hosting a national teleconference from the Odeum (a convention center in the Chicago suburbs) with F. Lee Bailey, declared the strike was on at 12:01 am on May 17, without further consulting the negotiators, some of whom believed they could find agreement on all contract terms if the negotiations were allowed to continue. Moments before the ALPA announced strike deadline, they began a "countdown of the final 30 seconds from Chicago" (the Odeum teleconference). Doing that made it impossible to extend the strike deadline so that the final issues could be resolved without a strike.[23][24]
In February 1987, Ferris changed United's parent company's name from UAL Corporation to Allegis, but the name change was short-lived.[25][26] Following Ferris' termination by the board, Allegis divested its non-airline properties in 1987 and reverted to the UAL Corp. name in May 1988.[25]
Record-setting flight
In 1988, United flew a two-stop around-the-world flight to raise money for the Friendship Foundation using a
Employee Stock Ownership Plan
The decline of
In 1994, United's pilots, machinists, bag handlers, and non-contract employees agreed to acquire 55% of company stock in exchange for 15% to 25% salary concessions. The flight attendants voted not to participate in the deal, and some initially wore buttons saying "we just work here." The Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) made United the largest
United used its employee-ownership in its marketing communications, with slogans such as "the employee-owners of United invite you to come fly the friendly skies," "we don't just work here," and "thank you for calling United Airlines; please hold and one of our owner-representatives will be with you shortly."
The financial outcomes of the ESOP were decidedly uneven for different players. As part of ESOP agreement, United CEO
During this period, United introduced its grey and blue color scheme; however, it was criticized for blending with the darkness during nighttime operations.[30]
Turn-of-the-21st-century developments
In 1989, United ordered the then-new Boeing 747-400. In 1993, United phased out the Saul Bass livery and introduced the "Battleship Gray" livery to their fleet. In 1995, United became both the launch customer of the Boeing 777, having significant input on its design. In 1997, United co-founded the Star Alliance with Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, and Thai Airways. That same year, United opened its southwest US hub at Los Angeles International Airport.
In 1997,
In 1998,
In May 2000, United announced plans to acquire competitor
May 2000 also saw a bitter contract dispute between United and its pilots' union. The pilots wanted their pay restored to the levels that existed prior to the pay cuts and concessions that were taken to fund the ESOP. Planning for the busy summer season, United had counted on its pilots flying overtime. However, the pilots could not be forced to work overtime, and most pilots refused to fly the extra hours. Although United knew they would have to cancel numerous flights if this were to happen, they did not hire new pilots to make up for the potential shortage. Over the summer, United had to cancel a large portion of its schedule at its major hubs. Eventually, CEO Jim Goodwin and the rest of the management had to get the pilots back in the cockpits and quickly offered them a 48% increase over four years with up to 28% upfront.[citation needed]
September 11 attacks
During the attacks of September 11, 2001, two of the four planes hijacked were United planes. One aircraft was N612UA, a Boeing 767-222 operating as United Airlines Flight 175, flown into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. The other was N591UA, a Boeing 757-222 operating as United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in rural Pennsylvania after the passengers fought back against the hijackers, and was suspected to have been directed towards the United States Capitol building, according to the 9/11 Commission.
Bankruptcy and reorganization
With a strong presence on the West Coast, United benefited from the dot-com boom, which boosted traffic (especially premium traffic) to the San Francisco hub. This increase was only temporary, and when the bubble finally burst, United was in a worse position than before because it had failed to keep costs under control, possibly due to giving its pilots pay raises of up to 28% in the summer of 2000.[35] Coupled with a battered network, the post-9/11 decline in air travel and skyrocketing oil prices, the company lost $2.14 billion in 2001 on revenues of $16.14 billion. That same year, United applied for a $1.5 billion loan guarantee from the federal Air Transportation Stabilization Board established in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.[36] When the IAM union failed to approve the loan guarantee—while all other unions approved it—the application was rejected in late 2002, and the company was forced to seek debtor-in-possession financing from commercial sources to cover the expected future losses. United made several attempts to obtain government loans, even enlisting several congressmen and senators for help. The government rejected the application, claiming United "could probably obtain the $2 billion in financing it needs to emerge from protection without a federal loan guarantee".[37]
Unable to secure additional capital, UAL Corporation filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2002. The ESOP was terminated, although its shares had become virtually worthless by then. Blame for the bankruptcy fell on 9/11, which triggered the financial crisis in all the major North American airlines, coupled with the economic slowdown that was underway.[38]
United continued operations during its bankruptcy, but was forced to cut its costs drastically. Tens of thousands of workers were
At the same time, the airline continued to invest in new projects. On November 12, 2003, it launched
Financial pressure on the airline was heavy. The 2003
United took advantage of its Chapter 11 status to negotiate hard-to-cut costs with employees, suppliers and contractors, including cancellation of feeder contracts with United Express carriers Atlantic Coast Airlines (which became Independence Air) and Air Wisconsin (which became a US Airways Express carrier). However, the most controversial of all was the 2005 cancellation of its pension plan, the largest such default in American corporate history. It renegotiated its contracts with the pilots' and mechanics' unions and the Association of Flight Attendants for lower pay. Criticism was also leveled at CEO Glenn Tilton for demanding pay cuts from employees while receiving the highest salary of any major U.S. airline CEO.[39]
Originally slated to exit bankruptcy protection after 2½ years in the third quarter of 2005, United requested yet another extension in light of record-high fuel prices. On August 26, 2005, the bankruptcy court extended the airline's exclusive right to file a reorganization plan to November 1, although it also stated firmly this extension would be the last. United announced at the same time that it had raised $3 billion in exit financing and filed its Plan of Reorganization, as announced, on September 7, 2005. On January 20, 2006, the bankruptcy court approved the restructuring plan, clearing the way for United to exit bankruptcy on February 1 and finally return to normal operations.
Beyond Chapter 11
On December 9, 2004, the airline made history when UA869, operated by a Boeing 747-400, landed at
On February 1, 2006, United emerged from
In the years following United's exit from bankruptcy, the financial firms Bank of America and Fidelity Investments accumulated shares to become the second largest owner with an 11 percent stake in the company.[48] The industry environment was ripe with pressures to merge and consolidate. Pardus Capital Management LP, a hedge fund that owned 7 million shares of Delta and 5.6 million shares of United, called for the two carriers to merge. This action sent shares of both airlines up, but became moot because Delta wedded Northwest.[49][50][51]
The surge in jet fuel prices caused disruption to United's impending start of non-stop long-haul services. Though the FAA had already awarded the SFO to
During this time of turmoil brought on by external forces, United explored options to re-establish its financial footing and raise capital. These changes included:[52]
- Divesting of the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul operations at SFO.
- Spinning off the cargo division.
- Spinning off the Mileage Plusfrequent flier program.
These spin-offs and divestitures have not come to fruition.
In May 2008, the American Customer Satisfaction Index scored United Airlines second-last among American-based airlines in customer satisfaction with a 21% decrease since the study began in 1994 and an 11% decrease over the previous year.[53] On April 27, 2008, it was reported that UAL Corporation and US Airways Group were in the advanced stages of merger negotiations as well. Sources stated that a merger was expected to be announced within two weeks of the report.[54] United pilots vociferously rejected the proposal and vowed to fight it.[55] Star Alliance co-founder and Lufthansa CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber threw his support behind a marriage of partner carriers United and US Airways.[56]
On June 4, 2008, United announced that it would close its
On September 8, 2008, the price of UAL shares fell by nearly 99% in fifteen minutes to $0.01 US amid rumors of another bankruptcy, before
In January 2009, United announced a code-sharing agreement with Aer Lingus for flights between Washington Dulles and Madrid. Aer Lingus would operate the service, which is permitted under recent open skies agreements between the United States and Europe.[63] In May 2009, the U.S. Department of Transportation rated UAL eleventh among 19 US carriers in lost, damaged, delayed, or pilfered baggage, with 3.67 complaints per 1,000 passengers.[64] In July 2009, the viral music video "United Breaks Guitars"[65] was released about a disputed damaged baggage claim with the airline. United said it wanted to use the video as a staff training tool to help the company improve its internal "corporate culture" relating to its customer relations in that area of its services.[66]
2008 recession, fuel efficiency issues and new jet orders
In April 2009, United eliminated the ability to call customer service, leaving reservations agents as the only reachable contact for the airline.[67]
In June 2009, United asked manufacturers Boeing and Airbus to submit proposals to sell the airline up to 150 jets in a winner-take-all competition. United took advantage of declining sales at both plane makers to reap steep price reductions; the large size of this prospective order would also influence pricing.[68] The Wall Street Journal cited the average ages of four types of jets in United's fleet as follows:
- Boeing 747-400 – 13 years
- Boeing 777-200ER – 10 years
- Boeing 767-300ER – 14 years
- Boeing 757-200 – 17 years
Merger with Continental
On April 16, 2010, United resumed merger talks with Continental Airlines. The board of directors of both Continental and UAL Corporation reached an agreement to combine operations to create the world's largest airline on May 2, 2010. The combined carrier would take the United Airlines name but use Continental's logo and livery. The carrier would be headquartered in Chicago, with Continental CEO Jeff Smisek acting as CEO of the combined airline.[69] The merger was contingent upon shareholder and regulatory approval, but was approved by the European Union.[70]
Continental and United revealed a new logo based on that of Continental, to be used for the post-merger United.[71] On August 27, 2010, the US Justice Department approved the Continental-United merger, partially due to the fact that the two airlines agreed to lease 18 take-off and 18 landing slots at Newark Liberty International Airport to Southwest Airlines.[72] On September 17, 2010, United shareholders approved the merger deal with Continental.[73] Both carriers planned to begin merging operations in 2011 to form the world's biggest carrier, and expected to receive a single operating certificate by late 2011.[74] The merged airline would use Continental's single operating certificate (SOC) (using the "United" name), while those of United and Air Micronesia would be surrendered.[75] On the other hand, the merged airline would use United's maintenance certificate and allow Continental's maintenance certificate to lapse.
On October 1, 2010, UAL Corporation completed its acquisition of Continental Airlines, and changed its name to
On March 31, 2013, United and Continental merged into a single airline. The integration of the two airlines was structured so that Continental would be the surviving corporate entity and a wholly owned subsidiary of UAL Corporation. Continental then changed its name to United Airlines, Inc.[77] The merged airline opted to retain the United name in order to conserve the built-in brand equity of pre-merger legacy United Airlines.[78]
2013 fine
The United States Department of Transportation fined United $1.1 million for lengthy tarmac delays at O'Hare International Airport in July 2012. It was the largest fine yet for leaving passengers stuck on planes. The fine was for 13 flights carrying a total of 939 passengers delayed longer than three hours during severe thunderstorms and lightning on July 13, 2012. Some flights were as little as two minutes over the limit, but one was held for 4 hours and 17 minutes. Two United Express regional flights had inoperable lavatories during part of the delays.[79]
2015 grounding of flights
On June 2, 2015, all United Airlines flights were grounded.[80] On July 8, all United flights were grounded again for over two hours after a computer glitch that was blamed on a router failure.[81]
2017 passenger removal controversy
On April 9, 2017, Dr. David Dao was bloodied and forcibly removed from United Express Flight 3411, sustaining injuries in the process. After the plane had been fully boarded, four members of staff presented themselves for the flight. The company offered compensation to seated passengers to give up their seats but had no volunteers, and four selected passengers were then told to leave the plane. Dao refused this instruction and law enforcement officers were called. The incident was recorded on video by several passengers and officials, and the resultant publicity and subsequent handling of the incident by United Airlines was a PR disaster.[82]
2018 planned growth through 2020
In January 2018, United stated that it planned to grow its company by adding between 4% and 6% to its passenger capacity and maintain that growth through 2020; this news caused all U.S. airline stocks to fall in value. Also, United applied for more routes to Tokyo Haneda Airport, from its 6 U.S. hubs that did not fly there. Most of these hubs would have their existing flights to Narita shifted to Haneda.[83]
2020: COVID-19
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in July 2020, United announced that it will be sending lay-off notice warnings to 36,000 employees including, 15,100 flight attendants, 11,000 in airport operations and 2,250 pilots among others.[84] On September 2, 2020, United Airlines, in a new memo to its employees, indicated that they planned to cut 16,370 jobs in nearly a month. The planned involuntary cuts included 6,920 flight attendants, 2,850 pilots, 1,400 management jobs, 2,010 mechanics and 2,260 in airport operations, among others.[85] In November 2020, United Airlines Holdings Inc. started manning flights to position shipments of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in the event that the shots are approved by the FDA and other regulators worldwide. The Federal Aviation Administration has stated it will allow United shipments of 15,000 pounds of dry ice per flight, a measure taken to ensure the vaccine does not spoil, which is five times more than normally permitted.[86]
In contrast to other US airlines, United didn't retire any planes during the pandemic.[87] In June 2021, United announced an order for 270 narrowbody planes, the largest in its history, in an effort to both revitalize its aging fleet[88] and grow its capacity.[87] The order was split between Boeing and Airbus: 150 737 MAX 10s, 50 MAX 8s, and 70 A321neos. It also plans to upgrade its entire existing mainline narrowbody fleet with new interiors, faster WiFi, and seatback entertainment by 2025.[89] In December 2022, United placed another order for 100 787s, for the purpose of replacing the 767s and older 777-200s. Kirby stated that he anticipates and aims for United becoming the flag carrier of the United States.[90]
As of mid-August 2021, United was the only major United States airline to require COVID-19 vaccines for their workers by October 25, 2021.[91]
Predecessors
United Airlines is a combination of a number of air carriers that have merged with each other starting in the 1930s, with the most recent being Continental Airlines (which had previously merged with or acquired several airlines during its history) thus reflecting changes in focus of both United and the U.S. air transport market.[92][93][94]
United was originally formed in 1931 from a merger of four airlines:
- Boeing Air Transport (formed in 1927)
- National Air Transport (formed in 1925)
- Pacific Air Transport (formed in 1926)
- Varney Air Lines (formed in 1926)
Other predecessor air carriers that form the present United Airlines include:
- Capital Airlines (formed in 1936, acquired by United Airlines in 1961)
- Continental Airlines (formed in 1934, merged with United in 2010)
- Air Micronesia (formed in 1968 as a division of Continental Airlines, later became Continental Micronesia and merged into Continental Airlines in 2010)
- New York Air (formed in 1980, merged into Continental Airlines in 1987)
- Pioneer Airlines (formed in 1939, merged into Continental Airlines in 1955)
- People Express Airlines (PEOPLExpress) (formed in 1981, merged into Continental Airlines in 1987)
- Frontier Airlines (formed in 1950, merged into People Express Airlines in 1986)
- Arizona Airways (formed in 1942, merged into Frontier Airlines in 1950)
- Central Airlines (formed in 1949, merged into Frontier Airlines in 1967)
- Challenger Airlines (formed in 1941, merged into Frontier Airlines in 1950)
- Monarch Airlines (formed in 1946, merged into Frontier Airlines in 1950)
- Frontier Airlines (formed in 1950, merged into People Express Airlines in 1986)
- Texas International Airlines (formed in 1944 as Trans-Texas Airways (TTa), Continental Airlines merged into Texas Air in 1982, with Texas Air changing its name to Continental)
- Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) (Formed in 1927, Pacific Division acquired by and merged into United in 1985, Heathrow Airportinternational traffic rights acquired by and merged into United in 1990. Pan Am was later forced to declare bankruptcy in 1991)
Many of these acquisitions and mergers were completed by Continental Airlines when this carrier was under the ownership and control of Texas Air Corporation from 1982 to 1987. During that time period, New York Air and Texas International Airlines (which were already owned by Texas Air Corporation before this company acquired Continental) were merged into Continental.[95] Texas Air Corporation subsequently acquired PEOPLExpress Airlines (which had previously acquired Frontier Airlines) and then folded these air carriers into Continental as well.[96] As for United, before merging with Continental it had acquired Capital Airlines in the 1960s and had also purchased Pan Am's Pacific Division as well as Pan Am's transatlantic route rights into Heathrow Airport during the 1980s.[94]
Brand history
Historical logos
United adopted a red, white and blue shield logo in 1936, but its use varied widely and was eventually abandoned altogether in the early 1970s. Before 1974 and after the use of the shield logo was discontinued, United advertisements and signage usually advertised to customers to "Come Fly the Friendly Skies of United" in a font identical to the "United" font on the "Friendship" livery of the early 1970s.
In 1973,[citation needed] the airline commissioned designer Saul Bass to develop a new logo and livery.[97] At the time, there was no real logo for the airline and Bass noted that the brand direction was not clearly evident. The "tulip" logo of colored stripes representing overlapping letter "U"s was in use beginning 1974, with only slight modification, until the Continental merger. Among employees at the time there was a suggestion that it was a double-U, i.e. "W", in recognition that United's acquisition of the Westin hotel chain had actually been the reverse, as Westin's president Ed Carlson had become United's CEO. The "Rainbow" (or "Saul Bass") livery, which was the first to feature the "tulip", had a primarily white fuselage, with red, orange and blue stripes along the "cheatline". This livery remained in use for 19 years, with a slight update in 1988 that moved the colored stripes further down the fuselage to allow the "UNITED" font to be larger than before. Marketing during this time continued the "Fly the Friendly Skies" slogan, and it was during this era that United acquired the rights to use Gerswhin's "Rhapsody in Blue", which started to be heard in broadcast advertisements. Other than the re-introduction in 1979 of the single word "AIRLINES" (once again appearing as "UNITED AIRLINES") in advertising and printed materials, the Bass branding would remain until early 1993.
At the request of then-CEO Stephen Wolf, in 1993 United completely revised its branding and livery, with the collaboration of CKS Group, to a primarily grey and dark blue fuselage, with blue stripes on the tail. A custom Times New Roman font, reading "UNITED AIRLINES" in white, replaced Saul Bass's previous lettering style. The familiar "tulip" logo remained, although slightly smaller. As a homage to the previous livery, narrow red, orange and blue stripes appeared between the grey and the dark blue. This so-called "Battleship" livery was intended to project a more business-like, global image for the airline, which was rapidly expanding internationally. Indeed, the words "Worldwide Service" were displayed near the front of the aircraft. Naturally, signage and printed materials reflected the change, often using the light blue on dark blue striped design of the aircraft tail-fin, along with the newly updated font and, of course, the "tulip."
In 1997, United commissioned Pentagram to update the brand. Pentagram soon decided to keep the "tulip", in view of its strong brand-recognition. Pentagram designed a new "UNITED" font that appeared in advertisements, signage and printed material, but did not appear on the aircraft themselves until United's next livery re-design. This arrived on February 18, 2004, when the "Rising Blue" (or "Blue Tulip") livery was introduced, intended to signal a fresh start once the company emerged from bankruptcy protection. As it turned out, United's bankruptcy took longer to resolve than expected; consequently the new branding was actually launched two years sooner. The fresh livery featured a white upper fuselage, replacing the dark grey of the previous design, and used a lighter shade of blue for the aircraft belly, tail and engines. In an echo of the previous two liveries, a series of progressively lighter blue lateral stripes lay between the white upper fuselage and the blue of the aircraft underside. The aircraft tail-fin featured an enlarged and cropped version of the "tulip," shaded with a bluish tint.[citation needed]
-
747 in pre-1974 "Stars and Bars" livery
-
Boeing 747-100 at Charles de Gaulle wearing Saul Bass-designed "Tulip" livery (1974–1993)
-
Boeing 747-400 at Los Angeles International Airport wearing "Battleship" livery (1993–2004)
-
Boeing 747-400 at O'Hare International Airport in "Rising Blue" or "Blue Tulip" livery (2004–2010)
-
Post-merger Boeing 747-400 at Beijing Capital International Airport in ex-Continental "Globe" livery (2010–2019)
-
Boeing 787-9 at Beijing Capital International Airportwearing the newest livery (2019–present)
On May 3, 2010, it was announced that United and Continental Airlines would merge.[98] The combined airline took the United name but used the Continental Airlines "globe" identity and livery, designed in 1991 by the Lippincott company.[97]
Mark Bergsrud, the head of the new United Airlines's marketing department, said that the new logo reflected United's worldwide network and the airline's efforts to attract corporate clients. Bergsrud said, "It fits who we are. We are not a niche player like Hawaiian, whose livery reflects the islands. Having some local flair is harder for an airline like us. Do we want to stand out? Absolutely. But spiffy liveries just have to fall to a lower level of priority."[97] After United announced its new logo, supporters of the previous United logo started a Facebook group called "Save the United Airlines Tulip" in order to convince the airline to change its logo back to the stylized U, or "tulip." The decision was also said to be unpopular with many marketing experts and graphic designers, claiming that the "tulip" had stronger brand recognition and was a stronger mark than the Continental globe. Much criticism was directed at CEO Jeff Smisek, who flatly admitted that he and former United CEO Glenn Tilton personally came up with the "new" brand and livery themselves, with no outside input or any consulting with either company's marketing departments.[97]
In conjunction with the newly adopted livery, in August 2010 the "United" lettering was updated in accordance with the previous Continental typeface, but presented entirely in upper-case lettering and slightly adjusted to bear a resemblance to United's own previous style. The merger was approved in September 2010, and the two companies merged on October 1, 2010.
United unveiled an updated livery on April 24, 2019. The new livery retains the white upper fuselage and gray belly. The "United" typeface is larger, there is a dark blue wavy cheat-line (derived from the modified livery used on Boeing 787s and 737 MAXes), the engines, winglets, and tail are painted in the same shade of blue as the 2004-2010 livery, and the globe on the tail is slightly enlarged and now in a lighter shade of blue.
Two United aircraft in regular service utilize heritage paint schemes. N75435 is a
Another eleven aircraft, including five
Slogans
The early slogan "The Main Line Airway," emphasizing its signature New York-Chicago-San Francisco route, was replaced in 1965 with "Fly the Friendly Skies." The "friendly skies" tagline was used until 1996, yet revived on September 20, 2013. Other United Slogans include:
- "The Extra Care Airline (1963–1964)
- "When you're friendly you do things for people" (1971)
- "The Great Wide Way to New York" (1971–1972)
- "Your Land is Our Land" (1972)
- "The Friendly Skies of your land" (also known as "Mother Country", 1973–1976)
- "You're the boss" (1976–1977),
- "United we fly" (1977–1978)
- "United all the way" (1979–1980)
- "That's what friendly skies are all about" (1980)
- "You're not just flying, you're flying the Friendly Skies" (mid-1980s)
- "Official Airline of the 1984 Olympic Games" (1984 Summer Olympics)[101]
- "From the ground up, rededicated to giving you the service you deserve. Come fly the friendly skies" (Late 1980s)
- "Come fly the airline that's uniting the world. Come fly the Friendly Skies" (late 1980s)
- "Come fly our Friendly Skies" (The early ESOP years)
- "Airline of the U.S. Olympic Team" (Used during the 1988 Summer Olympics)[102]
- "United. Rising." during the late 1990s
- "Come fly Chicago's hometown airline. Come fly the friendly skies."
- "Feel United ... Be United ... Worlds United ... Stay United ... United"[103] (the late 1990s)
- "It's important for the human race to stay United"
- "Life is a journey – travel it well; United"
- "We Are United" following the September 11 attacks; used until 2004
- "Relax, Stretch Out" with the rollout of EconomyPlus
- "It's time to fly" (2004–2010) This was used for the animated commercials (voiced over by Robert Redford), banners, and magazine advertisements of the campaign first unveiled during Super Bowl XXXVIII. The campaign was reintroduced in August 2008 when United premiered five new TV commercials during the 2008 Summer Olympics.
- "Let's fly together" (2010–2013)
- "Before they move us, we move them."/"Proud to fly Team USA for over 30 years." (2012–2021) (Used during the U.S. Olympic Team for more than 30 years. Matt Damon did a voice over for the United Team USA commercials, which premiered during NBC's telecast of the Summer Olympics on July 27, 2012.)
- "Fly the Friendly Skies" (2013–present)[104]
- "Connecting people. Uniting the world." (2017–present) [105]
- "Good Leads The Way" (2022–present)[106]
Former hubs
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport – United Airlines maintained a secondary East Coast hub at Cleveland until 1985, when it began a move to Washington Dulles. By the time the transition finished in 1987, Continental Airlines had established Cleveland as its fifth hub and first Midwest hub. United maintained the hub for four years following the 2010 United-Continental merger. On February 1, 2014, United announced it was dehubbing Cleveland due to lack of profitability and its proximity to the Chicago–O'Hare hub.[107]
- Pan Am's international routes from Miami to Europe and Latin America in 1991, Miami became a hub for the airline. In May 2004, MIA was dehubbed and its flights were transferred to Chicago.[108]
- Tokyo Narita International Airport – The ninth-largest hub for both destinations and flights and United's hub for Asia.[109] Narita was the smallest of United's six hubs before the United-Continental merger in 2010.[110] In its 2017 Annual Report United no longer listed Tokyo-Narita as a hub.[111]
- Stapleton International Airport – Both United and Continental operated hubs at Denver International Airport's predecessor airport, with both hubs active from 1972 until the airport closed in 1995. When Stapleton was replaced with DIA, United transferred operations, but Continental discontinued its Denver hub.[112]
Historical fleet
Aircraft | Introduced | Retired | Replacement | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Boeing 40A
|
1927 | 1937 | Launch customer Operated as Boeing Air Transport;[114] also operated by Varney Air Lines | |
Boeing 80A | 1928 | 1934 | Unknown | Launch customer Operated as Boeing Air Transport |
Boeing 247 | 1933 | 1942 | Unknown | Launch customer All 59 of the base model were built for United Airlines[115] |
Boeing 377 Stratocruiser | Unknown | 1954 | Unknown | |
Boeing 720 | 1960 | 1976 | Boeing 727 | Launch Customer |
Boeing 727-100 | 1963 | 1993 | Boeing 737-500 | |
Boeing 727-200 | Unknown | 2001 | Airbus A320 family | |
Boeing 737-200 | 1968 | 2001 | Airbus A320 family | |
Boeing 737-300 | 1986 | 2009 | Airbus A320 family | |
Boeing 737-500 | 1990 | 2009 | Airbus A320 family Boeing 737 Next Generation |
United's original 737-500 fleet had been retired by 2009. More 737-500s were inherited from the merger with Continental Airlines and these were retired by May 2013.[116] |
2012 | 2013 | |||
Boeing 747-100 | 1970 | 1999 | Boeing 747-400 Boeing 777-200/-200ER |
|
Boeing 747-200 | 1987 | 2000 | Boeing 747-400 Boeing 777-200/-200ER |
Acquired from Pan American World Airways
|
Boeing 747SP | 1985 | 1995 | Boeing 747-400 Boeing 777-200 Boeing 767-300ER |
10 taken over from Pan American World Airways. N539PA re-registeted as N148UA, leased to Amir of Qatar as VR-BAT (later as VP-BAT) from 1995 to 2018 and now as N7477S.
|
Boeing 747-400 | 1989 | 2017 | Boeing 777-300ER Boeing 787-9/-10 |
The last United 747, dubbed the "Friendship" – a reference to United's original branding for its DC-10 and 747-100 fleet in the 1970s – was taken on a hub to hub tour around the United States, before taking a final ticketed flight from San Francisco to Honolulu, reprising the inaugural scheduled flight of a United Boeing 747.[citation needed] |
Boeing 767-200 | 1982 | 2005 | Boeing 757-200 | Launch Customer. The launch order in 1978 for 30 767s, together with an order for 30 727-200s for the interim period, totaled $1.2 million, nearly twice the size of the previous largest ever airline order, PanAm's launch for the 747. |
Boeing 767-200ER[117] | 2011 | 2013 | Boeing 757-200 Boeing 767-300ER |
Inherited from Continental Airlines |
Convair 340 | Unknown | 1968 | Unknown | |
Douglas DC-3 | 1936 | Unknown | Convair 340 | |
Douglas DC-6 | 1947 | 1970 | Unknown | Fleet included DC-6 and DC-6B aircraft |
Douglas DC-7 | Unknown | 1964 | Unknown | |
Douglas DC-8 | 1959 | 1992 | Boeing 757-200 | Largest DC-8 operator Fleet included stretched DC-8 "Super 60" series and re-engined "Super 70" series aircraft. The re-engining of its Super DC-8 fleet was carried out in-house. One crashed in 1960 as Flight 826. |
Ford Trimotor | Unknown | Unknown | Boeing 247 | Operated in 1931 on a transcontinental route between New York City and San Francisco.[118] |
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar[119] | 1986 | 1989 | Taken over from Pan American World Airways
| |
McDonnell Douglas DC-10 | 1971 | 2001 | Boeing 747-400 | Launch Customer Fleet included original DC-10-10 variants and DC-10-30 variants One crashed in 1989 as Flight 232. |
Sud Aviation Caravelle | 1961 | 1970 | Boeing 727 Boeing 737-200 |
Only US operator of the Caravelle in scheduled passenger service, it was used primarily to provide frequent service between Chicago and New York. |
Laird Swallow J-5 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Single seat biplane used to carry US Air Mail (CAM 5) by predecessor Varney Air Lines.[120] |
Vickers Viscount | 1961 | 1969 | Boeing 727 Boeing 737 Original |
Former Capital Airlines aircraft. Only mainline turboprop aircraft type ever operated by United Airlines. |
References
- ^ Davies, R.E.G., Airlines of the United States since 1914, 1998, Smithsonian Institution Press, p. 75.
- ^ "United Airlines – Timeline (entry for March 28, 1931)". Archived from the original on 2011-09-19. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
- ^ History of Flight in the US Seventy-Five Years United
- ^ "Chasing the Sun – Ellen Church". PBS. May 15, 1930. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
- ^ American Aviation Vol 1 No 5. Aug 1, 1937.
- ^ "American National Business Hall of Fame, ANBHF W.A. "Pat" Patterson". Anbhf.org. Archived from the original on 2010-08-13. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
- ^ "Calculate the value of $160 in 1933". Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Working Overtime". Flight International: 497. 10 May 1945. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
- ^ "Airline Pilots Fly Anywhere in the world - Without Leaving the Ground." Popular Mechanics, August 1954, p. 87.
- ^ "Sabotage: The downing of Flight 629 – The Crime Library – The Crime library". Archived from the original on 2014-04-03. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, June 1, 1961, United Air Lines system timetable
- ^ Roach and Eastwood, 2003, p. 332
- ^ Herbers, John (1973-12-27). "Nixon Flies to Coast on Commercial Airliner". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- ^ "President / Commercial Airline Flight (CBS Evening News for Thursday, Dec 27, 1973) - Vanderbilt Television News Archive". tvnews.vanderbilt.edu.
- ^ 1951–75 from Handbook of Airline Statistics (biannual CAB publication); 1981–2000 from IATA's World Air Transport Statistics
- ^ Shut down for 16-day strike December 1975
- ^ Short strike
- ^ "United Airlines to Buy Pan Am Pacific Division". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. August 22, 1985. Retrieved 2013-11-20.
- ^ Warren, James; Jouzaitis, Carol (May 17, 1985). "5,000 PILOTS STRIKE UNITED". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2011-10-01. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "ALPA-MEC letter 6–7–85" Letter to all UAL pilots, explaining details of the last minute negotiations
- ^ "Hard Landing" 1995, by Thomas Petzinger, Chapter 10
- ^ "ALPA-MEC letter 5–17–85" Letter to all UAL pilots, explaining the remaining issues when the strike was called
- ^ "UAL letter, 5–21–85" Letter to all UAL pilots, explaining the remaining issues when the strike was called
- ^ "United Airlines Special Assistance". October 13, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ a b "United's Parent Is Again UAL." The New York Times.
- ^ Flanigan, James (February 20, 1987). "Allegis Needs to Make a Name for Itself Fast". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "United Airlines Friendship One Sets Short-Lived World Record-Setting Flight". Archived from the original on 2010-12-05. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
- ^ "United Airlines – Timeline". United.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
- ^ USA Today, "Workers took pay cut while others got rich," July 12, 1995.
- ^ Smith, Patrick (2003-05-09). "Ask the pilot – Salon.com". Salon.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- ^ a b Schmeltzer, John. "UNITED AIRLINES FIT TO BE UNTIED BY UNFRIENDLY WEB SITE[permanent dead link]." Chicago Tribune. September 19, 1997. Business p. 2. Retrieved on April 7, 2013. "United Airlines' Internet nightmare is located at www.untied.com, a Web site that United tried to persuade its creator to shut down because of alleged trademark infringements. The site collects and prints, in detail, complaints about service on the world's biggest airline. Open for a little more than four months, the site was created by Jeremy Cooperstock, an engineer who works for Sony Corp. It has collected dozens of complaints about what it calls rudeness, misinformation, incompetence, special-needs mistreatment and refund problems. It even contains complaints by United's best customers, its Premier Class fliers."
- ^ General OneFile and LexisNexis.
- ^ a b "Delta and United end frequent flyer partnership". Cincinnati Business Courier. 2003-07-28. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- ^ "FrequentFlier.com – News & Analysis". Archived from the original on 2008-12-27. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
- ^ Zuckerman, Laurence (April 24, 2001). "A Leapfrog Pattern in Pay Pacts for Airline Pilots". The New York Times. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
- ^ Mendis, Sean (November 23, 2002). "United, ATSB and Chapter 11". Airwhiners.net. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
- ^ Alex, Keith L.; Kehaulani Goo, Sara (June 18, 2004). "United's Bid For Loan Guarantee Rejected". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- ^ "Business | United Airlines files for bankruptcy". BBC News. December 9, 2002. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
- ^ "CEO Compensation". Forbes. 21 April 2005. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Press release detail". united.com. December 9, 2004. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
- ^ "United runs $335 million-plus bankruptcy tab". nbcnews.com. NBC News. March 10, 2006. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- ^ "UAL, Continental Discuss Merger As AirTran Presses Bid for Midwest." Carey, S.; Trottman, M.; Berman, D. K. The Wall Street Journal. December 13, 2006.
- ^ "United and Continental Discussing Possible Merger." Sorkin, A. R. and Bailey, J. The New York Times. December 12, 2006.
- ^ "UK's bmi seeks closer ties with United Air - paper". Reuters. April 4, 2007. Archived from the original on May 7, 2008. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Lagorce, Aude. "Bmi, United Airlines to form transatlantic alliance". Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ Carey, Susan (May 3, 2007). "United, Aloha to Expand Alliance". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ "United Airlines still looking for a merger, CFO says". The Denver Post. June 13, 2007. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ "Fidelity parent triples stake in United – The Denver Post". Bloomberg News. 10 September 2007. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ Hedge fund calls for Delta-United merger – South Florida Business Journal:
- ^ Compart, Andrew (November 18, 2007). "Delta rejects hedge fund's urge to merge". travelweekly.com. Archived from the original on November 16, 2007. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Mandaro, Laura. "Delta Air says it's not in merger talks with United". Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "U.S. close to rule on long haul flights". Reuters. January 20, 2007. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ "Airline Industry Scores". American Customer Satisfaction Index. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved May 15, 2008.
- ^ "United, US Airways in 'Very Advanced' Merger Talks". CNBC. April 28, 2008. Archived from the original on January 5, 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Crawley, John (April 29, 2008). "UAL pilots leader pans possible merger with US Air". Reuters.
- ^ "ATW: Lufthansa's Mayrhuber sees value in United-US Airways merger but not investment".
- ^ "Bloomberg.com: Worldwide". Bloomberg.
- ^ "UAL includes Canada in fee to check 1 bag". The Star. Toronto. June 13, 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2010.
- ^ Griffin, Greg (June 27, 2008). "United jettisons DIA route to London". Denver Post.
- ^ "Southwest to Add Flights; United, Northwest Cut Overseas Routes". Bloomberg. June 26, 2008.
- ^ "US Airways Terminates Skycaps AHN - August 8, 2008".
- ^ Ovide, Shira (September 12, 2008). "Single Web Hit Led to UAL Glitch, Tribune Says". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
- ^ Michaels, Daniel; Fottrell, Quentin (January 23, 2009). "United and Aer Lingus Extend Trans-Atlantic Partnership". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Air Travel Consumer Report Archived 2011-10-15 at the Wayback Machine Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, Aviation Consumer Protection Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, July 2009.
- ^ Christman, Zach (July 9, 2009). ""United Breaks Guitars" a Smash Hit on YouTube". NBCChicago.com. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Singer's revenge on United: A hit song United Press International July 9, 2009.
- ^ "No customer service phone line?". Archived from the original on August 13, 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ Carey, Susan (June 4, 2009). "United Plans Huge Jet Order". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ AP (May 2, 2010). "Continental, United airlines to combine". New York Post. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
- ^ "How to Manage Your United Airlines Flight Booking?". July 1, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ "New Visual Brand Identity for the New United Airlines". PR Newswire. August 11, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-01-15. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Johnsson, Julie (27 August 2010). "Justice Department approves United and Continental airlines merger". Retrieved 13 April 2017 – via Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "UAL and Continental shareholders approve merger". Reuters. 17 September 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ Clark, Andrew (September 17, 2010). "United and Continental merge to create world's biggest airline". The Guardian. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Flint, Perry. (September 6, 2010) United to transition to Continental operating certificate as part of merger. ATW Online. Retrieved on December 16, 2010.
- ^ "United gets FAA single operating certificate". Reuters. November 30, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ "SEC Filing - United Airlines Holdings, Inc". United Airlines. January 24, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Edwards, Jim (May 26, 2011). "Why United-Continental's Bizarre New Mashup Logo Is a Work of Genius". CBS News. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ "United Hit With Record $1.1 Million Fine in Tarmac Delays". Bloomberg. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- ^ Zetter, Kim (June 2, 2015). "All U.S. United Flights Grounded Over Mysterious Problem". Wired. Archived from the original on 2015-09-01. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ "United restoring flights after worldwide ground stop". CNBC. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ Christina Zdanowicz; Emanuella Grinberg (10 April 2017). "Passenger dragged off overbooked United flight". CNN. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ Airline stocks tumble after United unveils expansion plan Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 24, 2018
- ^ Bushey, Claire (9 July 2020). "United Airlines to send lay-off warnings to 36,000 staff". Financial Times. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- ^ "United Airlines plans to cut more than 16,000 jobs as coronavirus continues to hammer demand". CNBC. 2 September 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
- ^ Wolfsteller2021-06-23T22:44:00+01:00, Pilar. "United, with one of USA's oldest fleets, poised for huge aircraft order: reports". Flight Global. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "United Adds 270 Boeing and Airbus Aircraft to Fleet, Largest Order in Airline's History and Biggest by a Single Carrier in a Decade". United Hub. 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
- ^ Schaper, David (2022-12-13). "United Airlines places huge order for Boeing 787 Dreamliners". NPR. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
- ^ Muntean, Paul (2021-08-10). "3 major US airlines will not mandate shots for their unvaccinated workers". CNN. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
- ^ "Corporate And Legal History Of United Airlines And Its Predecessors And Subsidiaries 1925–1955" Chicago: United Airlines. 1965
- ^ Davies, R.E.G. "Airlines of the United States since 1914". Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. 1972
- ^ a b Fisher, David; William Garvey "The Age of Flight: A History of America’s Pioneering Airline" Greensboro, NC: Pace Communications, 2001
- ^ Weiner, Eric (August 10, 1990). "Lorenzo, Head of Continental Air, Quits Industry in $30 Million Deal". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2013-01-25. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ Salpukas, Agis (September 16, 1986). "TEXAS AIR BUYING PEOPLE EXPRESS FOR $125 MILLION". The New York Times. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Mouawad, Jad. "On Jet Exteriors, a Parade of Vanilla", The New York Times. December 23, 2011. Retrieved on December 24, 2011.
- CNNMoney, May 3, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
- ^ "N75435 UNITED AIRLINES BOEING 737-900ER". PlaneSpotters.
- ^ "N75436 UNITED AIRLINES BOEING 737-900ER". PlaneSpotters.
- ^ Cubz72 (6 October 2007). "1984 United Airlines Commercial #5". Retrieved 13 April 2017 – via YouTube.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ publisher73 (5 October 2007). "United Airlines commercial". Retrieved 13 April 2017 – via YouTube.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "YouTube – United Airlines TV CM 2000 Theme". YouTube. 2008-04-08. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
- ^ "United Airlines' New Brand Campaign Reinterprets "Fly the Friendly Skies"". PR Newswire. September 20, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-09-29. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Our strategy | United Airlines Corporate Responsibility Report". United Airlines. Archived from the original on 2017-07-26. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "'Good Leads The Way': United's New Campaign Celebrates Employees Doing the Right Thing for Customers and Communities". United Airlines. May 16, 2022.
- ^ Mutzabaugh, Ben (February 1, 2014). "United Airlines axing its hub in Cleveland". USA Today. Retrieved 2015-06-22.
- ^ "United Plans Flight, Staff Cuts in Miami". South Florida Business Journal. Retrieved 2015-06-22.
- ^ "Corporate Fact Sheet". United Airlines. Retrieved 2015-06-22.
- ^ "List of United Airlines Hubs". USA Today. Retrieved 2015-06-22.
- ^ "United Continental Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiary Companies. United Airlines, Inc. and Subsidiary Companies. Annual Report on Form 10-K For the Year Ended December 31, 2017". United Airlines. December 31, 2017. Retrieved 2018-05-05.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Continental to Shutter Pilot, Attendant Bases in Denver". Chicago Tribune. July 8, 1994. Retrieved 2015-06-22.
- ^ "Retired fleet". United.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
- ^ Walt Bohl Boeing model 40 and its descendants
- ISBN 9780830635931.
- ^ "United retired its last three B737-500s by end of May". ch-aviation. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ^ "United Airlines retires its last B767-200". ch-aviation. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, June 1, 1931 United Air Lines system timetable
- ^ AirFleets.net United Airlines
- ^ "united.com - Swallow". October 3, 2002. Archived from the original on October 3, 2002. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Bibliography
- Eastwood A.B. and Roach J.R. Jet Airliner Production List Volume 1 - Boeing. 2003. The Aviation Hobby Shop. ISBN 0-907178-97-9.
External links
- "Making the World's Largest Airline Fly." BusinessWeek. February 2, 2012.
- "United Airlines Pet Policy". 2019-12-28. Retrieved 2023-11-02.