United Airlines

United Airlines, Inc. is a major airline in the United States headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It operates an extensive domestic and international route network across the United States and to destinations on six continents. Regional service is provided by independent carriers operating under the United Express brand, and the Star Alliance, of which United was one of the five founding airlines, extends its network throughout the world. The principal figure behind the formation of the airline was William E. Boeing, founder of the Boeing Aircraft Company in 1916. He launched an air service between Victoria, British Columbia, and Seattle and later acquired three additional airlines, completing the merger by 1931 to form United Air Lines. Through successive mergers and acquisitions, United has remained one of the largest airlines in the world for much of its history. History Network Destinations As of 2026, United Airlines flies (or has flown) to the following destinations. This table does not include destinations served by United's regional subsidiary, United Express. Hubs As of March 2025, as part of its hub-and-spoke transport model, United operates eight hubs: Chicago–O'Hare: United's primary hub and busiest by number of passengers Denver: United's second-largest hub and mid-continent gateway Guam: United's smallest hub and mid-pacific gateway Houston–Intercontinental: United's hub for the South and gateway to Latin America Los Angeles: United's secondary West Coast hub and transpacific/Latin American gateway Newark: United's primary hub for the East Coast and transatlantic gateway San Francisco: United's primary hub for the West Coast and transpacific gateway Washington–Dulles: United's secondary hub for the East Coast and transatlantic gateway United Express Alliance and codeshare agreements United Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance that has 26 member airlines that operate a combined fleet of over 5,000 aircraft, with more than 19,000 flights, serving more than 1,150 airports with access to over 1,000 lounges in 190 countries. United has codeshare agreements with the following airlines: Fleet Strategy Cabins United Polaris United Polaris is the airline's international business class product. The seats convert into a 6-foot-6-inch (1.98 m) flatbed and include personal storage areas, power outlets and upgraded dining and amenity offerings. Polaris seats are available on all Boeing 767s and 787s and on internationally configured 757s and 777s. Narrowbody 757 aircraft use a 2–2 layout without direct aisle access from each seat, while widebody aircraft provide aisle access for all passengers. United has introduced an updated Polaris suite for Boeing 787-9 aircraft, planned to enter service after 2026. The new suites will include sliding doors and larger 4K screens, with the first row featuring "Polaris Studio" seats with additional space and features. Polaris passengers receive priority check-in and boarding along with access to United Polaris lounges or partner lounges. United First and United Business United First is the highest cabin offered on domestically configured aircraft. When these aircraft operate internationally, the cabin is marketed as United Business. Seats on narrowbody aircraft have a 38-inch (970 mm) seat pitch, while domestically configured Boeing 777-200ERs feature fully flat seats in a staggered layout. Amenities include priority services, complimentary alcoholic beverages and meals on longer flights, and dedicated check-in areas. United introduced a redesigned domestic first-class seat in 2015, initially on Airbus A320 family aircraft, subsequently rolling it out across the mainline fleet. In 2019, United announced a fleet-wide increase in first and business class seating, including the introduction of the premium-configured CRJ550 and later the CRJ450 regional aircraft. United's newest narrowbody interiors debuted on the Airbus A321neo in 2023. United Premium Plus United Premium Plus is the airline's international premium economy class cabin. It is available on all internationally configured widebody aircraft, featuring recliner seats with increased width, legroom and footrests. Typical layouts are 2–2–2 on Boeing 767s, 2–3–2 on 787s and 2–4–2 on 777s. United has introduced an revised Premium Plus seat for Boeing 787-9 aircraft, planned to enter service after 2026 that will have privacy dividers and upgraded lighting. Premium Plus includes enhanced dining, complimentary alcoholic beverages and upgraded bedding and amenities. The product entered service in 2019 after initially being sold as extended-legroom seating during the rollout period. Economy Plus Economy Plus seats are located in the forward section of the economy cabin and in exit rows. They offer 5 to 6 inches (130 to 150 mm) of additional pitch and extra recline compared to standard economy seats. All other in-flight amenities are the same as United Economy. Economy Plus is complimentary for MileagePlus Premier members, with eligibility depending on status tier. United Economy United Economy is offered on all aircraft, with a typical 31-inch (790 mm) seat pitch and 2 to 5 inches (51 to 127 mm) of recline. Many aircraft include personal seat-back entertainment systems, while others offer streaming media through onboard Wi-Fi. Some Boeing 737 aircraft are also equipped with DirecTV. Under the United NEXT initiative, all mainline aircraft are planned to have personal touchscreens by 2025. Food and beverage service varies by route. Domestic and short-haul international flights offer buy-on-board options, while long-haul international flights include complimentary meals. All flights offer free snacks and non-alcoholic beverages, with complimentary beer and wine on long-haul international routes. Basic Economy Basic Economy is United's lowest fare type. Passengers receive the same onboard service as standard economy but face restrictions including no advance seat assignment, limited carry-on allowances and reduced eligibility for MileagePlus and Premier benefits. Reward programs Frequent flyer programs MileagePlus is the frequent flyer program for United Airlines. Published MileagePlus Premier tiers are Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, and Premier 1K. Unpublished tiers include United Global Services and Chairman's Circle. As United is a Star Alliance member, customers reaching certain qualifications are entitled to certain benefits which may be used across the entirety of the Star Alliance network. Premier Silver customers are given Star Alliance Silver status, while Premier Gold customers and higher are given Star Alliance Gold status. Airport lounges United Club is the airline lounge associated with United Airlines and United Express carriers. The United Club replaced the former United Red Carpet Club and Continental Airlines Presidents Club prior to United Airlines' merger with Continental. Polaris lounges are lounges available exclusively to long-haul travelers in United's Polaris business class cabin, as well as passengers in first and business class on Star Alliance carriers. Amenities include à la carte dining, shower facilities, and sleeping pods. Corporate affairs Ownership and structure United Airlines, Inc. is a publicly traded company under its parent holding company, United Airlines Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol UAL. As of January 2025, it has a market capitalization exceeding $35 billion. United's operating revenues and operating expenses account for nearly 100% of the holding company's revenues and operating expenses. United's operating revenues and expenses account for nearly all of the holding company's financial activity. Headquartered in the Willis Tower in Chicago, United ranked No. 83 on the 2025 Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. corporations by total revenue. Through United Airlines Holdings, the company also holds a 9.9% stake in Mesa Airlines, a regional carrier operating under the United Express brand. Business trends The key trends for United Airlines are (as of the end of the calendar year): Headquarters and other facilities The headquarters of United Airlines is located in the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) in Chicago, the building's largest tenant. In 2007, United moved approximately 350 executives and administrative staff from its Elk Grove campus, in suburban Chicago, to a new headquarters at 77 West Wacker Drive (which was renamed the United Building) in downtown Chicago. The relocation was completed in 2007 after the airline received $5.5 million in city incentives. Following its 2010 merger with Continental Airlines, United announced plans to consolidate its corporate offices in downtown Chicago. The company accepted a $35 million incentive package from the City of Chicago to relocate approximately 2,500 remaining suburban employees to the Willis Tower. United had initially leased approximately 470,000 sq ft (44,000 m2) across 12 floors of the building in 2010 to establish its operations center. On August 13, 2012, the airline announced it would relocate its headquarters from 77 West Wacker to Willis Tower, leasing an additional 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) and occupying a total of 20 floors. In 2019, United renewed its lease at Willis Tower through 2033. The former Elk Grove campus was gradually annexed into Mount Prospect. While most corporate functions were relocated to Chicago, the site continued to house information technology operations, including a 172,000 sq ft (16,000 m2) data center completed in 2013. As of 2021, approximately 100 employees remained at the Mount Prospect facility to operate the data center. In December 2021, the remaining campus buildings were sold to CloudHQ, which subsequently redeveloped portions of the site into data center facilities. United also maintains a significant corporate presence in downtown Houston, leasing 225,000 sq ft (20,900 m2) of office space in the 609 Main at Texas tower since 2017. At the time of the lease, the airline had approximately 1,600 employees based in Houston. United's Houston operations largely reflect its 2010 merger with Houston-based Continental Airlines. Corporate identity Brand image The pre-merger United logo, commonly nicknamed the "tulip", was developed in the early 1970s by the designer Saul Bass as part of a new brand image. The logo represented the airline's monogram as well as a modernized version of the airline's shield logo which had been adopted in the 1930s, but fell out of use by the late 1960s. The ribbon-like rendering has also been said to symbolize the motion of flight. In 2010, United announced they would be merging with Continental Airlines and as a result, the combined airline would keep the United name but discontinue using the tulip logo and use the Continental Airlines "globe" identity and livery instead, designed in 1991 by the Lippincott company. Marketing themes United's earliest slogan, "The Main Line Airway", emphasized its signature New York-Chicago-San Francisco route, and was replaced in 1965 with "Fly the Friendly Skies", which was in use until 1996 in its first iteration. The "It's time to fly" slogan was created in 2004. After the merger of United and Continental in October 2010, the slogan changed to "Let's fly together" until September 2013, when United announced a return of the "Fly the Friendly Skies" slogan in an ad campaign to start the following day. The resurrected slogan would be accompanied by the 1924 George Gershwin song "Rhapsody in Blue" as its theme song, and a voiceover provided by Matt Damon. United had licensed its theme song, "Rhapsody in Blue", from Gershwin's estate for US$500,000 (equivalent to $2,828,947 in 2025) in 1976. "Rhapsody" would have entered the public domain in 2000, but the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 extended its copyright another 20 years until January 1, 2020, when it officially entered the public domain. United announced that it would continue to use "Rhapsody in Blue" as its theme song following the merger with Continental. Environmental initiatives Because over 98 percent of United's greenhouse gas emissions are from jet fuel, its environmental strategy has focused on operational fuel efficiency initiatives and investments in sustainably produced, low-carbon alternative fuels. On August 23, 2011, United announced a conversion to paperless flight decks with 11,000 iPads for its pilots. Each iPad, which weighs less than 1.5 pounds (0.68 kg), will replace approximately 38 pounds (17 kg) of paper operating manuals, navigation charts, reference handbooks, flight checklists, logbooks, and weather information. The green benefits include reductions in paper use, printing, and fuel consumption. This shift not only streamlines the flight process but also significantly enhances operational efficiency and safety by ensuring pilots have the most up-to-date information readily available. On November 7, 2011, United flew the world's first commercial aviation flight on a microbially derived biofuel. The aircraft was fueled with 40 percent Solajet, which is Solazyme's algae-derived renewable jet fuel, and 60 percent petroleum-derived jet fuel. This flight was operated by the Eco-Skies Boeing 737-800 aircraft from IAH to ORD. On January 15, 2013, Aviation Partners Boeing (APB), a joint venture between Aviation Partners Inc. and Boeing, announced that United had agreed to replace the Blended Winglets on its Boeing 737NG aircraft with APB's Split Scimitar Winglet (SSW), significantly reducing drag. Once the SSWs are installed, it is estimated that APB's winglet technology will save United more than $250 million annually in fuel costs. On June 30, 2015, United invested $30 million in Fulcrum BioEnergy, an alternative fuel company. Fulcrum's alternative fuel is produced through a clean and efficient thermochemical process and reduces lifecycle carbon emissions by more than 80 percent. As part of its investment, United will work with Fulcrum to develop up to five alternative fuel refineries near its U.S. hubs. These refineries will produce up to 180 million U.S. gallons (680 million liters) of sustainable aviation alternative fuel per year, and United will have the opportunity to purchase at least 90 million U.S. gallons (340 million liters) per year for a minimum of 10 years, making it the largest aviation alternative fuel commitment to date. On March 11, 2016, United became the first airline in the world to fly on commercial-scale quantities of such fuels on a continuous basis, which were procured from AltAir Fuels. This fuel was produced from sustainable feedstocks such as non-edible natural oils and agricultural wastes and is expected to provide a greater than 60 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions on a lifecycle basis when compared to traditional jet fuel. United has agreed to purchase up to 15 million U.S. gallons (57 million liters) of sustainable alternative fuel from AltAir Fuels for use in Los Angeles over a three-year period. In 2016, United began partnering with Clean the World to repurpose items from the airline's international premium class amenity kits and donate the hygiene products to those in critical need. Clean the World provides hygiene education and soap to promote handwashing, which helps prevent hygiene-related deaths. During the first year of this partnership, United expected to divert 60,000 pounds (27,200 kg) of material that otherwise would have gone to landfills. In 2017, United started a partnership with Audubon International to protect raptors—including hawks, ospreys and owls—in and around New York-area airports and resettle the birds-of-prey at suitable golf course habitats where the species are more likely to thrive. In 2022, United expanded its use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) overseas, to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. It was the first US airline to purchase sustainable jet fuel overseas. United began the use of sustainable fuel at San Francisco International Airport and London Heathrow in 2023, and at Chicago O'Hare and Los Angeles International Airport in 2024. Employee relations United Airlines was the first airline to see a successful unionization of flight attendants when the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) was founded in 1945 by five United Airlines flight attendants. The AFA has represented flight attendants from United Airlines since. Their contract became amendable in August 2021 and 99.9% of the flight attendants who voted were in favor of authorizing a strike on August 28, 2024. United Airlines maintenance technicians are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Their contract became amendable on December 5, 2024. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 141 represents approximately 34,000 Fleet Service, Passenger Service, Reservations, Stockroom, Central Load Planner, Maintenance Instructor, Fleet Technical Instructor, Emergency Procedures Instructor and Security Officer workers. Their contract became amendable on May 1, 2025. With over 18,000 members, the United Airlines pilots are the largest pilot group in the world and represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). ALPA was founded by United Air Lines Captain David L. Behncke and 23 other key figures in Chicago, Illinois, on July 27, 1931. In the 1930s, flying was a perilous occupation; thus, from the time of its formation to today, one of ALPA's main goals has been to improve air safety. The United pilots' current contract will become amendable on September 30, 2027. United Aviate Academy United Aviate Academy is a flight training school owned and operated by United Airlines, located at Phoenix Goodyear Airport in Goodyear, Arizona. It opened in 2022 as the primary training facility for the United Aviate pilot development program. Students train under Federal Aviation Administration Part 141 standards, progressing through private, instrument, and commercial pilot certificates. Graduates may transition into the broader Aviate pathway toward employment as United first officers. The academy was established in part to address projected pilot shortages and to expand access to pilot careers. Accidents and incidents United Airlines has been involved in numerous accidents and incidents since its founding, including Flight 175 and Flight 93 as part of the September 11 attacks, in which roughly 1000 were killed. The deadliest non-terrorism accident was in 1989, when Flight 232 crash-landed at Sioux Gateway Airport, following an uncontained engine failure leading to total loss of flight controls. 112 of the 296 on board were killed. Controversies and passenger incidents Flight 976 United Airlines Flight 976 was a regularly scheduled flight from Ministro Pistarini International Airport, Buenos Aires to John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City on October 19, 1995. Prior to takeoff, an investment banker became disruptive after consuming two glasses of champagne, began threatening crew members and attempted to pour his own drinks, against airline and federal regulations. After takeoff, the banker was served two more glasses of red wine, after which the crew refused to serve him more alcohol due to his apparent intoxication. When his requests for more alcohol were denied, he pushed over a female flight attendant, climbed onto a service trolley, took off his pants and defecated, used linen napkins as toilet paper, wiped his hands on various service counters and tracked feces throughout the aircraft, after which he entered a lavatory and locked himself in. A request to divert to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was denied due to the security risks created by the presence of the President of Portugal Mário Soares, Argentinian foreign minister Guido di Tella and their security details on the flight. The disruptive passenger was arrested by the FBI after landing in New York and charged with interfering with a flight crew and threatening a flight attendant. He later pleaded guilty to the latter charge and was fined $5,000 (having previously agreed to reimburse the airline for its cleanup costs and all the other passengers their airfare, which amounted to nearly $50,000) and given two years' probation. The incident was later dubbed the worst ever case of air rage. United Breaks Guitars Animal transport In 2013, after pressure from PETA, United announced that it would no longer transport monkeys to laboratories. United was the last North American passenger airline to transport these animals to laboratories. United flies more animals and has longer flight stage length than any other US airline, and accounted for one third of animal deaths of US airlines between 2012 and 2017. Effective March 20, 2018, the PetSafe program was suspended with no new reservations for cargo transport of pets accepted. This came after United announced plans to mark pet carriers in the passenger cabin with bright tags and legislation was introduced in the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate banning the placement of pets in overhead compartments. This was in response to a dog death after a passenger placed it in the overhead compartment following flight attendant instructions, but the flight attendant denied knowing that the luggage contained a dog. Cybersecurity issues United awarded airline miles as "bug bounties" to hackers who could identify gaps in the carrier's web security. Two hackers have each been rewarded with 1 million miles of air travel as of July 15, 2015. This cybersecurity program was announced a few weeks after the company experienced two software glitches. The first incident delayed 150 United flights on June 2 due to a problem with its flight dispatching system. Six days later, United's reservation system delayed flights by not allowing passengers to check-in. In addition to the "bug bounty" program, United said it tests systems internally and engages cybersecurity firms. In July 2019, security researcher Sam Jadali exposed a catastrophic data leak known as DataSpii, involving clickstream data provider DDMR and marketing intelligence company Nacho Analytics (NA). NA granted its members access to real-time data, including the ability to observe United Airlines passengers checking into their flights through the United website. The Washington Post highlighted how DataSpii resulted in the dissemination United passenger information including last names and flight confirmation numbers. The disseminated data also enabled the viewing of United customers' current geographic locations as they checked into their flights via the United website. DataSpii harvested data from millions of Chrome and Firefox users through compromised browser extensions, exploiting United's method of embedding personally identifiable information (PII) directly within the URLs. Jadali's investigation revealed that DDMR facilitated rapid dissemination of this data to additional third parties, often within minutes of acquisition, endangering the privacy of the sensitive data collected. 2017 passenger removal On the evening of April 9, 2017, a passenger was forcibly removed by law enforcement from United Airlines flight 3411 at Chicago-O'Hare, bound for Louisville. United announced that it needed four seats for airline staff on the sold-out flight. When no passengers volunteered after being offered vouchers worth $800, United staff selected four passengers to leave. Three of them did so, but the fourth, a doctor named David Dao, declined as he said that he had patients to treat the following morning. He was pulled from his seat by Chicago Department of Aviation security officers and dragged by his arms down the aisle. Dao sustained a concussion, broken teeth and a broken nose among other injuries. The incident was captured on smartphone cameras and posted on social media, triggering angry public backlash. Afterwards, United's then-chief executive officer, Oscar Munoz, described Dao as "disruptive and belligerent", apologized for "re-accommodating" the paying customers, and defended and praised staff for "following established procedures". He was widely criticized as "tone-deaf". Munoz later issued a second statement calling what happened a "truly horrific event" and accepting "full responsibility" for it. After a lawsuit, Dao reached an undisclosed settlement with United and airport police. In the aftermath, United's board of directors decided that Munoz would not become its chairman and that executive compensation would be tied to customer satisfaction. Following this incident, passenger complaints increased by 70 percent. Mail-scan fraud In February 2021, United Airlines was fined $49 million by the United States Department of Justice on charges of fraud on postal service contracts for transportation of international mail. According to investigators, between 2012 and 2015 United submitted delivery scan data to make it appear that United and its partner airlines complied with International Commercial Air requirements with accurate delivery times when in fact they were automated delivery scans with aspirational delivery times. Some employees within United worked to hide this fact from the United States Postal Service. See also Air transport in the United States Transportation in the United States List of airlines of the United States List of airports in the United States Hemispheres – United's former inflight magazine Island Hopper – United route between Guam and Honolulu via several small islands in Micronesia and the Marshall Islands References Bibliography Further reading United Air Lines and its predecessors and subsidiaries 1925-1945, United Air Lines, Chicago, 1953; re-issued in 1965 Taylor F.J., High horizons, McGraw-Hill Book Co. Inc., New York, 1964 Taylor F.J., "Pat" Patterson, Lane Magazine & Book Co., Menlo Park (CA.), 1967 Johnson R.E., Airway One, MW Books on United Airlines behalf, 1974 Forty S., United Airlines, Ian Allan, Shepperton, 1997 Jones G.P., The big six US airlines, Airlife Publishing, Shrewsbury, 2000 External links Official website UAL.com Official website archive BBB Profile KION de Mexico data at siem.gob.mx (mexico´s government. business info system) (in Spanish) Business data for United Airlines Holdings, Inc.: