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United Airlines’ premium economy offer

The US carrier recently introduced its Premium Plus offer on its long haul flight routes. Announced early in 2018, the staggered introduction into its fleet eventually became available to all passengers by June 2019 as general sales tickets. The seating details have previously been covered by Simple Flying, but in short, it offers passengers a number of benefits:

• Additional leg and elbow room.
• Free upgraded meals on real plates.
• An upgraded amenities kit, which also includes Saks Fifth Avenue blankets.
• Extra storage.
• A larger screen for in-flight entertainment, with noise-reducing headphones and extra power outlets.

All in all, a more comfortable flight that will be an attractive option for those who have to spend a lot of hours in the air.

https://simpleflying.com/united-domestic-premium-economy/

Many U.S. road warriors have given up on the frequent flyer miles awarded by airlines. For all but the most profligate spenders, miles are tougher than ever to earn from flying, and they’re not so easy to redeem.

Upgrades are another matter. Many flyers stick with an airline not because they want miles, but because they hope they can upgrade to a flatbed to Europe or Asia for free, saving thousands of dollars per trip.

United Airlines knows this, and on Tuesday, it outlined a new program executives claim will make it easier for the carrier’s best customers to sit in premium seats. Starting Dec. 4, United no longer will award frequent flyers chits they can use for upgrades, replacing them with a new proprietary currency, called PlusPoints.

Customers will start earning points when they fly 75,000 miles in one year, with United giving them 40. But they won’t start racking up a lot of them until they reach 100,000 miles. Then, they’ll get another 280 points.

In most cases, each upgrade type will cost a fixed number of points. A passenger will need 20 to upgrade to domestic first class, or from economy to premium economy on long-haul routes.

A customer will need 30 points to go from long-haul premium economy to business class, and 40 to upgrade from higher-priced economy fares to long-haul business class. Customers who want to upgrade from the cheapest economy fares to business class will need 80 points.

Like today, upgrades will be capacity controlled, so United is likely to upgrade a passenger only when it cannot sell the seat. But Luc Bondar, vice president of United’s MileagePlus program, said in a briefing United may offer its best customers an upgrade on a popular flight if the customer will part with more points.

“We are very confident that this is the most generous upgrade benefit for premium customers in the U.S. today,” Bondar said. “Upgrades are a huge benefit. We want to make it easier for to use these upgrades.” https://skift.com/2019/09/24/united-airlines-simplifies-seat-upgrades-with-points-incentives/

United Airlines President Scott Kirby has pledged a greater emphasis on the quality of the passenger experience after many years of shunning such a viewpoint. But what makes for a quality experience?

Speaking at the Morgan Stanley 7th Annual Laguna Conference, Kirby said that “more and more” United must be “competing on quality instead of just schedule and price.” That’s a startling confession from a man who has historically said that the key is market share alone and that proactive investments in quality do not make financial sense.

But what does quality look like? Before I address that question, let me make a number of musings:

• Customers love the stroopwafels and biscoff cookies onboard
• United’s no carry-on bag policy with Basic Economy fares is the most restrictive amongst U.S. legacy carriers
• United’s Polaris Lounge network has set the tone for international business class lounges in the USA
• Showers have been removed from United Clubs while American and Delta maintain them
• New “ConnectionSaver” technology is already working well
• Wi-Fi onboard is expensive and often does not work, making the concept of free Wi-Fi for all laugable
• Enlarging the Polaris business class cabin on the 767-300 is a shrewd business move
• Flight attendant staffing and bonus cuts have hurt morale and angered passengers
• The new MileagePlus program will be a welcome change for most travelers, but a big blow to those frequent travelers who seek premium redemptions

Do you see a pattern above? I won’t go so far as to say that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, but United has sent very mixed signals on quality.

Which leads me to question what Kirby means when he says quality. Delta is held up as the poster-child of a U.S. carrier investing in quality. But can seat-back screens and bellinis really be the key to Delta’s success? Or is it due to more fundamental issues less weather-prone hubs and declaring bankruptcy at the perfect time? What makes Delta a quality carrier when they have the worst loyalty program? Are flight attendants really always smiling?

Quality is a subjective term. For me, it is genuine and hospitable service, edible food, great bedding, functioning wi-fi, and a loyalty program that offers great value for premium cabin redemptions. You may have a different conception of what quality is. The most important question, though, is how Kirby views quality.

CONCLUSION

Unlike the Kirby detractors who dismiss him as simply a beancounter, I recognize that he’s a very smart man who has objectively performed very well at United based upon growth and profit figures. His aggressive expansion has been a gamble that has paid off. Thus, I have great respect for him.

I do take Kirby’s new emphasis on quality seriously. I just wonder what exactly he means by that word. Time will tell…

Even after Boeing’s beleaguered Boeing 737 Max jets return to the skies, some Stephen Brashearwary passengers won’t be expected to board them—at least if they’re flying United Airlines.

The policy is not new but reiterated this week by a United Airlines executive during an investor conference. CNN on Wednesday cited Boeing’s chief commercial officer Andrew Nocella as saying that if a United passenger arrives at a boarding gate “and it’s not an airplane you want to fly on for whatever reason, if it’s a Max, we’ll put you on another flight.”

United Airlines currently has 14 Max aircraft in its fleet. A spokesperson for the airline told Gizmodo by email that United Airlines will work with customers on rebooking their flight if customers don’t want to fly on a Max, but noted that it will work to inform customers ahead of their trip if they will be flying on one of the jets.

A Southwest Airlines spokesperson confirmed to Gizmodo that after the Boeing aircraft are again cleared for commercial use, the carrier will also offer customers “flexibility to change their itinerary” if they do not feel comfortable flying on a Max jet. A spokesperson for American Airlines, which along with Southwest Airlines also has Max jets in its fleet, told Gizmodo in a statement by email that it has not made any official policy announcement for when the jets return to service.

https://gizmodo.com/united-and-southwest-will-allow-passengers-to-opt-out-o-1837912072

United Airlines have just announced an impressive international expansion from Chicago, Denver, New York/Newark and San Francisco.

The United announcement comes just a couple of weeks after American Airlines announced their new flights to Budapest, Casablanca, Krakow, Prague and Tel Aviv. The Chicago based airline’s announcement includes brand new flights to Curacao in the Caribbean and two new European routes to Nice, France and Palermo, Italy.

Along with the new destinations, United is adding more options when it comes to European travel with additional flights to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London and Zurich. The airline also confirmed that it would continue with its seasonal service to Athens, Barcelona, Naples and Porto.
In a United Airlines press release about the new routes and continued seasonal flights, the airlines International Network Vice President Patrick Quayle said, “United’s global network is a tremendous source of pride for our employees and loyal customers – we’re always looking for ways to grow and expand our network to connect our customers to more destinations around the world. These new additions help position United as the airline of choice for customers planning their business or leisure travel.”

United Airlines has expanded its complimentary snack selection on all flights. But is United prepared for greedy passengers?

Effective immediately, United will offer a choice of one the following three snacks, no matter the time of day or length of flight:

• Byrd’s Maple Wafers
• Pretzels
• Stroopwafels

Toby Enqvist, United’s Chief Customer Officer, said:

Since we reintroduced free snacks a few years ago, our customers have come to look forward to enjoying their personal favorites on board – whether it be the stroopwafel, our exclusive maple wafers or the classic pretzels. Now we’re going a step further and when it comes to snacks, every customer wins since our entire inflight snack lineup is available to choose from no matter the time of day.

Historic “Flight for the Planet” combines the use of biofuel, zero-waste measures and carbon offsets to significantly minimize impact on the environment

CHICAGO, June 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — United Airlines, a longstanding leader among all global carriers in environmental sustainability, made history today – World Environment Day – with the departure of the Flight for the Planet, the most eco-friendly commercial flight of its kind in the history of aviation. On the Flight for the Planet, United became the first known airline to demonstrate all of the following key actions on a single commercial flight: utilization of sustainable aviation biofuel; zero cabin waste efforts; carbon offsetting; and operational efficiencies.

United is using the Flight for the Planet to evaluate key measures of flying as sustainably as possible using the airline’s current technology, resources and fuel-saving procedures. The flight departed from gate B12 at United’s hometown hub of Chicago O’Hare for its “eco-hub” in Los Angeles, where sustainable aviation biofuel has helped power all the airline’s flights from the Southern California hub since 2016.

“The historic Flight for the Planet showcases United’s philosophy of working together to find new and innovative ways to lead us into a more sustainable future,” said Scott Kirby, United’s president. “As an airline, we see our environment from a unique perspective every day and we know we must do our part to protect our planet and our skies.”

The Flight for the Planet further illustrates United’s commitment to its bold pledge to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% by 2050.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/united-airlines-makes-history-flying-161000966.html

United Airlines said on Friday it is extending by one month its cancellations of Boeing Co 737 MAX flights, through August 3, as the jetliner remains grounded following two fatal crashes.

United, which operates 14 737 MAX jets, said the decision would lead to about 40 or 45 daily canceled flights.

The Chicago-based carrier joins rivals Southwest Airlines Co and American Airlines Group Inc which had already suspended 737 MAX flights into August as global carriers await regulatory approval for the aircraft to fly again.

The worldwide grounding in March of Boeing’s fast-selling aircraft followed a crash in Indonesia and another in Ethiopia that killed a combined 346 people.

Since the grounding, US airlines have had to readjust schedules and come up with solutions in order to meet demand during the busy summer travel season.

Reuters reported on Thursday that the Federal Aviation Administration expects to approve the 737 MAX jet to return to service as soon as late June, according to people familiar with the matter.

Even so, FAA acting administrator Dan Elwell told reporters on Thursday after a meeting with international air regulators in Texas that he would not assign a specific date for the U.S. approval.

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/united-airlines-extends-cancellations-of-boeing-737-max-flights-2042729

I’ve asked my two-year-old son Augustine to offer his thoughts on our recent 787-8 flight from Zurich to San Francisco on United Airlines in Polaris Business Class.

Last time Daddy asked me write up a trip report was after my very first flight from Los Angeles to London, also on a United Dreamliner. I was only six-months old then and slept through most of the flight. I know Mama and Daddy wish I would have slept through this flight as I did on that one, but that was not to be…

We’ve already heard Daddy’s opinion of me on this flight…now it’s my turn. First, to all those who think I only belong in economy class, I say go charter a private jet if you don’t want to share the cabin with me. I paid the same fare you did! (well, Daddy did) Second, I’m only two-years-old after all. Daddy says I’ll grow out of this “stage” quickly enough and soon be a perfect gentleman when I fly. People need to have a little understanding that despite valiant efforts to keep me quiet, I’m just a little kid. And it’s not like we could walk home or even take a boat.

I had just spent several weeks with my Oma and Opa in Germany and was looking forward to getting back to my own room, my own toys, my own books, and my own backyard. But this wasn’t just a drive across town, it was an intercontinental airplane trip. Mama would have preferred SWISS, but Daddy booked United so that we could upgrade to business class. I like the extra space in business class.

After having a lunch in the nice SWISS lounge prior to boarding (though Daddy is getting cheap…last time we splurged for SWISS First Class but today Daddy said that I no longer needed an enclosed space…boy did I prove him wrong!)

Boarding was announced and we made our way down the jetbridge. A lady stopped to check our passports and took so long that Daddy was not able to get the pictures of the cabin he wanted without people. Personally, I would have spent more time in the lounge and boarded last.