United Airlines 1

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

AS 402 – Airline Operations

April 7, 2016

Group J

Produced By: Psotta, Whittmore

ContentsAbstract.......................................................................................................................................................3

History.........................................................................................................................................................4

Headquarters & Mergers.............................................................................................................................5

Fleet.............................................................................................................................................................7

Current Headlines........................................................................................................................................8

Financial Performance.................................................................................................................................9

Recent Progress...........................................................................................................................................9

New Strategy for Profit..............................................................................................................................10

Profit Numbers..........................................................................................................................................11

Bankruptcy History....................................................................................................................................12

United Airlines Domestic Route Structure Map.........................................................................................13

Code Sharing.............................................................................................................................................22

Accidents and Incidents.............................................................................................................................23

United Airlines Marketing..........................................................................................................................24

United Airlines Logo History......................................................................................................................25

United Livery History.................................................................................................................................28

1974-1993 "Tulip"..................................................................................................................................29

2004-2010 "Rising Blue"........................................................................................................................30

2010 - Present "Globe"..........................................................................................................................31

United Frequent Flyer Program.................................................................................................................32

Classes of Tickets.......................................................................................................................................33

United Salaries...........................................................................................................................................34

Code Sharing.............................................................................................................................................39

Daily International Flights..........................................................................................................................39

Passengers per Year..................................................................................................................................39

Global Alliance Partnership.......................................................................................................................41

United Airlines Cargo Operations..............................................................................................................42

International Cargo....................................................................................................................................43

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................44

Sources......................................................................................................................................................45

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Abstract

United Airlines has come a long way from its humble beginning in 1937. It is an

airline embodied with rich history and considered one of the most successful airlines to

date. Like many other airlines, United has gone through arduous changes due to the

ebbs and flows of the economy. However, United has persevered by adapting to the

ever changing oligopoly that exists in the industry today. With both domestic and

international segments, United offers quality services which has contributed to their

success as one of the best legacy carriers to do business with today.

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Statement of Purpose: This paper presents findings and analysis of United Airlines

ranging from inception to fiscal year 2016. Key topics include company history, logos,

livery, financial performance, key mergers, United’s fleet, domestic and international

statistics, code sharing relationships, marketing segments and United’s frequent flyer

program.

History

United Airlines Inc. was first officially formed in 1937 when it became

independent from Boeing Airplane Co. Boeing Airplane Co. was formed to fly mail

routes and commercial services between Chicago and San Francisco in 1927. In 1948

UAL, based in Chicago, established its Denver hub. In 1961 UAL merged with Capital

Airlines which made UAL the world’s largest airline. In the 1980’s UAL added rental car

and hotel chains to its holdings, changing its name to Allegis. A group of investors and

pilots forced Allegis to sell its non-airline businesses and change their name back to

UAL in 1987. In 1991-1993 UAL lost a total of $1.3 billion over three years due to an

economic recession and the Persian Gulf War which ended up cutting demand and

increasing fuel prices. In 1994 the airline’s pilots, mechanics, and other ground workers

created an employee stock-ownership plan (ESOP) because they faced a threat to their

jobs. This turned UAL into the world’s largest employee-owned company. In May 2000,

UAL announced plans to merge with US Airways however United abandoned the

merger in July 2001. This caused UAL to lose $865 million in 12 months due to

insurmountable government antitrust opposition (Reference #1).

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Due to the crashing airline business caused by the 9/11 attacks, UAL ended up

laying off 1,500 employees, cutting 9,000 jobs, eliminating six percent of its 1,800 daily

flights, retiring 49 aircraft, and delaying the purchase of at least 25 others between

October 2002 and November 2002. In December of 2002, the government rejected

UAL’s request for $1.8 billion loan guarantee. All of these events pushed UAL over the

edge and caused them to file for bankruptcy in December 2002. In 2004 UAL launched

a low-cost carrier named Ted from Denver in order to compete with Frontier Airlines.

Headquarters & Mergers

Currently United Airlines Inc. is a major airline with their headquarters in Chicago.

With many carriers finding new ways to diversify, United Airlines, in late 2015, decided

to cut its daily service from Newark to Bermuda due to the slower demand during the

winter months. All of this contributed to strategic management plans to maximize

revenues. In an interview with Aaron Adderley, who is the airport manager at Bermuda

International Airport, he stated only 50-60 percent of seats were being filled to this

destination from Newark (Reference #2). This low percentage deemed not profitable

which is why United made the decision to adjust its winter destination schedule

accordingly. It is also reported United burned through three CEO’s in the past five

months, to search for the newly founded strategy to compete with the market

(Reference #3). However the current CEO, Oscar Munoz, at the end of 2015, suffered

from a heart attack and is currently recovering. In January, Oscar Munoz sent out a

personally written letter to his United Employees updating the masses on his current

health status and provided his vision for the next monumental steps for the company.

He is quoted as saying the following…

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As I thought about my return, I gave careful consideration to what greater things

we can do together, and that has spurred my recovery. We've made a lot of

positive changes these past few months thanks to your efforts. Take pride in

these accomplishments and our success. Remember, even better days lie ahead

if we stay focused on consistently earning our customer's' trust. Keep up the

great work, and I look forward to seeing you soon. (Reference #4).

Brent Bowen, the Dean of the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical

University located in Prescott, Arizona was interviewed and asked what United is doing

wrong. He simply stated that the carrier is not listening to is customer base and

identifying their key travel destinations. A recent passenger also stated, by his

perception, United is seemingly “tone-deaf” to its customers (Reference #3).

Amidst all these negatives, not all is bad as the merger has proved complicated

for United. Sorting through the old model and incorporating the new changes to adapt to

the merger is still being dealt with today. However, record profits are soaring to an all-

time high. Tweaking smaller aspects of their current management plan is going to prove

to be the key to success for the carrier.

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Fleet

Currently United Airlines the fleet is as follows:

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The United Express Branch Fleet

(Reference #5)

Current Headlines

United’s average annual revenue is 38.9 billion dollars. The best financial year

for UAL was in 2015. In the first two quarters United Airlines was showing the best

profits in the history of the company. In the first quarter of 2015, UAL made a net profit

of 509 million dollars and in the second quarter they made a net profit of 1.2 billion

dollars. The worst financial year for UAL was in 2008. The cause for this was due to the

recession caused by the World Trade Center attacks on the United States. United

reported negative profits in all four quarters of 2008, losing up to a total of 3.8 billion

dollars.

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Financial Performance

UAL’s financial performance from 2007 to 2014 is as follows:

● Made $349 million in 2007

● Lost $3.8 billion in 2008

● Lost $628 million in 2009

● Made $401 million in 2010

● Made $282 million in 2011

● Lost $661 million in 2012

● Made $654 million in 2013

● Made $424 million in 2014 (Reference #10)

Recent Progress

Most of the airlines are mutually dependent of one another. After surviving the

recession of 2008 and the attacks on the World Trade Centers, United as well as every

other carrier recovered. United has made some recent changes which greatly increased

their survivability. Despite struggles, United Airlines was not the only one affected by the

recession. Many other airlines were feeling the ripple effect and United was making

measurable strides to stay in business.

One of the most recent changes United made in late 2015 was shifting

operations from JFK international airport to Newark. This was not an easy task,

however, as many other carriers were reluctant to allow United a bigger footprint in

Newark. United Airlines in late 2015 had 70% seat share at Newark. Other carriers

wanting to capitalize on Newark were concerned about a greater footprint which already

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existed from United Airlines. United strategically made this negotiation, giving up their

position in transcontinental flights to other carriers located in San Francisco and Los

Angeles (Reference #24). This was a great move as United could then strategically

have the biggest footprint in Newark. Delta Airlines, who bought their tarmac spots from

United, was hoping to increase their footprint in JFK as they operated one of the larger

operations there. For both carriers it was a relatively easy decision. In addition, JFK is

very costly for carriers. It is not surprising to see UAL retreat to a more profitable area.

JFK already had 270 United employees with no return on their investment for many

years. Catering and staffing the United Club lounge for the premium passengers with

such few flights proved to be not profitable (Reference #23).

New Strategy for Profit

The partnership created with Middle Eastern carriers such as Emirates, Etihad,

and Qatar had proved a negative impact for international bookings from domestic

carriers. The partnership for open and fair skies, a coalition that included United

Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and a number of labor groups representing

airline workers, released a report expressing Middle East carriers were undercutting

domestic carriers in terms of profitability. The new data unveiled specifically examined

San Francisco, Orlando, and Chicago, where United is headquartered. The analysis

found an 8.8% drop in international bookings from the three U.S. airliners (Reference

#22). The analysis determined massively subsidized Gulf carriers such as Emirates and

Etihad were damaging the partnership.

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As for United’s stance, they are allowing the partnership to do most of the work

and governmental intervention to make improvements to the situation. In terms of

middle-eastern carriers, much of the profits are not equal (Reference #26). Since the

Middle East airlines are threatening domestic airlines with their exceeding profits and

well-funded subsidies, it is making it very difficult for United Airlines to capitalize on

international markets. In time, we shall start to see an evening of this alliance and a

restructuring of the agreement initially proposed.

Profit Numbers

United Airlines reported a full-year net income of 4.5 billion dollars which equates

to 11.88 dollars per diluted share, excluding special items. Including special items, UAL

reported a full-year net income of 7.3 billion dollars. United Airlines also reported fourth-

quarter net income of 934 million dollars, or 2.54 dollars per diluted share, excluding

special items. Including special items, United Airlines reported fourth-quarter net income

of 823 million dollars. In 2016, United Airlines announced they reached an agreement to

acquire 40 new Boeing 737-700 aircraft which will enter the fleet beginning in the mid-

2017s. This will replace a portion of the capacity currently operated by regional

partners. Employees earned a record 698 million dollars in profit sharing for the full year

of 2015 (Reference #25). Chief Executive Officer of UAL was quoted as saying…

“We improved our operational performance, continue to invest in our products

and services and achieved record financial performance. We have great momentum as

we head into 2016 and are committed to continually earning the trust of our customers

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and employees. I am proud of what we will accomplish together, running a reliable

airline in making the right investments to deliver shareholder value. We expect first

quarter pre-tax margin to be between eight to ten percent, excluding special items.”

(Reference #7)

Bankruptcy History

Since deregulation in 1978, it was reported that United Airlines had only filed

bankruptcy one time, which occurred in December 9th of 2002. Statistically this is much

better than many other carriers as some flourished in their attempt to file for bankruptcy

in an attempt to recover (Reference #8). US Airways has reportedly filed for bankruptcy

twice. The first time in August of 2002 and shortly thereafter in September of 2004.

Many other airlines after filing for bankruptcy, seceded to merges or went completely

out of business. United has not. ((Reference #27))

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United Airlines Domestic Route Structure Map

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Chicago International Airport

United Airlines operates from seven hubs in the United States. Chicago O’Hare

International Airport in Chicago, Illinois is their busiest hub with nearly 550 daily flights

out of O’Hare. UAL operates more than 50 of these flights to 40 international

destinations and nearly 500 of these flights to 140 domestic destinations.

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Houston International Airport

Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport located in Houston, TX is United

Airlines’ second busiest hub with 539 daily flights out of Houston. UAL averages more

than 100 daily flights to 64 international destinations and approximately 430 daily flights

to more than 155 domestic locations out of Houston.

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Newark International Airport

Newark Liberty International Airport located in Newark, NJ is United Airlines’ third

busiest hub with 400 daily flights out of Newark. UAL operates 79 of these flights to 73

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international destinations and approximately 310 of these flights to 85 domestic

destinations.

Denver International Airport

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Denver International Airport located in Denver, CO is United Airlines’ fourth

busiest hub with 367 daily flights out of Denver. UAL operates 17 of these flights to 15

international destinations and more than 350 of these flights to 125 domestic

destinations.

San Francisco International Airport

San Francisco International Airport located in San Francisco, CA is United

Airlines’ fifth busiest hub with 260 daily flights out of San Francisco. UAL operates 28 of

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these flights to 22 international destinations and nearly 235 of these flights to 69

domestic destinations.

Washington Dulles International Airport

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Washington Dulles International Airport located in Dulles, VA is United Airlines

sixth busiest hub with approximately 220 daily flights out of Dulles. UAL operates 31 of

these flights to 30 international destinations and 180 of these flights to 69 domestic

destinations.

Los Angeles International Airport

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Los Angeles International Airport located in Los Angeles, CA is United Airlines

seventh busiest hub with 150 daily flights out of Los Angeles. UAL operates 12 of these

flights to 13 international destinations and 130 of these flights to 45 domestic

destinations (Reference #9)

Code Sharing

Amongst many airlines, most choose to participate in some type of commercial

code agreement to extend their products and services to many other carriers without the

added cost of operation. United is no exception. Below is a chart indicating the current

code sharing agreements United Airlines has with other carriers in the industry.

Approximately 70% of the awarded code sharing with other airlines is domestic.

However, the remaining 30% of the code sharing is international. In addition to this

being a great way to partner with other companies on an independent basis, the

intertwined nature creates a more stable industry amongst key carriers. United Airlines

has made many strides to attach itself to key carriers to include all of Nippon.

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In terms of city pairs with other companies, the list is as follows for fiscal year 2016.

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(Reference #28)

Accidents and Incidents

According to the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, United Airlines has had

66 total crashes since it became a national career in 1933. The most recent is the

terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001. A total 1,216 people have been killed since

inception. Statistically speaking, for the nature of how long United has been in

existence, those numbers are very low. Computing those casualty figures over 83 years

in business equates to only approximately 15 casualties each year. (Reference #29)

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United Airlines Marketing

When discussing the oligopoly nature of the airline industry today, many carriers

are trying to differentiate themselves amongst their competition. However, in recent

years, United’s marketing strategy has lacked in comparison to Delta, Southwest, and

American Airlines. Competing for customer loyalty through many amenities on board is

one of the strategies United Airlines is incorporating to promote sales. In July of 2015

United launched “This is the Journey Campaign” nationwide on cable and local TV

stations located specifically in key markets such as Chicago, San Francisco, New York

City, and Houston (Reference #31)

One commercial, displayed many common amenities such as power charging

ports, Wi-Fi, roomier economy seating, and the United Mobile App. With the United

Mobile App, passengers have the ability to watch movies on their tablets, computers, or

smartphones while in transit to their destination using the United mobile app. Despite

the introduction of this newly founded strategy, it is pretty evident many other carriers

have been using these “bells and whistles” for quite some time.

Marketing Consulting Agency

United Airlines has reported to have utilized many consulting firms to increase

profitability and customer response. United hired a consulting company by the name of

Prophet. Prophet’s main business model is to grow businesses, transform customer

experiences, and build brand loyalty.

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With United desperately attempting to differentiate themselves from their

competition, Prophet worked in collaboration with United to re- identify key points to

promote profitability. One of the key developments Prophet and United decided upon

was to adopt a unique service philosophy in which loyalty members and regular

customers would feel well respected, relaxed, and rewarded for choosing to do

business with United. After adopting these suggested marketing techniques, it was

reported in 2012, United surpassed American Airlines in terms percentage of Super

Elite customers. They also reported exceeding American and customer experience

reviews (Reference #30).

United Airlines Logo History

United Airlines was founded in Boise, Idaho in 1926 as Varney Air Lines – an air

mail service of Walter Varney who also founded Varney Speed Lines which later

became Continental Airlines. In 1927, Varney Air Lines was renamed Boeing Air

Transport after it was acquired by the aircraft manufacturer.

In 1933, United began operating the Boeing 247. This plane was the first mass

produced, all-metal construction to be utilized in the airline industry. It was also able to

fly transcontinental in 20 hours, which made it significantly faster than its earlier

predecessors.

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United Airlines first logo included an outline of the U.S. map. Note: In the picture

below there is the use of the term “Air Lines” versus what the airline industry uses

today- “Airlines”:

After passage of the Air Mail Act in 1934, United became an independent

company again and their logo remained this way until 1939:

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Through the 1930s and 1940s, the United Airlines logo took on the look of a

badge or shield. They also added the U.S. map to demonstrate coast to coast service

and later deleted it again:

In the mid-1950s through the 1960s, the shield theme held, but it was slanted:

In the

1970s,

United’s logo took on the tulip shape. In addition, the ‘U’ shape effect continued through

2010. I was here that the term “Airlines” became a single word:

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In 2010, United acquired Continental Airlines in a merge. This was a strange

twist of fate considering both were started from the same guy, Walter Varney. The two

logos were merged as well (Reference #32)

United Livery History

1936-1973

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While United didn't have a uniform livery until Saul Bass came in, they did generally

used a white livery with blue and red stripes. Notice that they have not yet adopted the

iconic tulip yet.

1974-1993 "Tulip"

In 1973, United commissioned Saul Bass creating the iconic tulip livery. While the

fuselage was kept similar, the colors of the stripes were switched to a simple blue and

red to a tricolor orange, red and blue. This was also the time they modernized their font.

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2004-2010 "Rising Blue"

To reflect their emergence from bankruptcy, United debuted the "Rising Blue" livery with

a white upper fuselage and blue on the bottom which assisted in rebranding UAL’s

image.

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2010 - Present "Globe"

After merging with Continental, United adopted the old Continental "Globe" livery to

reflect the image of how UCL was less a takeover and more a merger of two equal

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brands. Slight irony in the fact that Continental doesn't exist anymore, but more planes

fly in its colors than ever before (Reference #32).

United Frequent Flyer Program

United Airlines’ frequent flyer program is coined MileagePlus. There are various

ways to earn miles. The most straightforward way to earn miles is to fly with United or

United Express. However, you can earn points flying with United’s other carrier

partners. In addition, customers may earn miles by staying at select hotels such as

Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and many more. The same goes with earning miles by renting cars

from Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty, or other ground transportation and parking partners.

Earning miles by traveling on Amtrak rail service is also possible.

Transferring / Donating Miles

UAL allows members of the MileagePlus program to buy, transfer, and donate

miles. If a customer is short on miles for an awarded trip or an upgrade, they can elect

to buy the extra miles they need, saving on the cost of travels.

Prices rates are as follows:

$35 / 1000 miles (Minimum purchase > 2000 miles)

Transfer 500 miles > 25,000 miles to another person

Transfer $7.50 / 500 miles (Plus $30 transaction fee)

Reinstatement program for expired miles > 18 months ($50 fee)

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Purchase miles for as gift for another member

There are a few other ways to earn miles with the MileagePlus program as well

through various everyday activities. Members can earn miles with the MileagePlus Visa

Explorer card from Chase and other credit card partners. Rewards points are offered

through online shopping incentives which match dollar for dollar spending to

MileagePlus rewards. Lastly, you can earn miles through spending on home, auto, and

energy as well as business-related activities ((Reference #34).

Classes of Tickets

Classes of tickets are as follows in order of most expensive:

1. First Class

2. Business

3. Economy or Coach

Within these classes there are other various fare types based on what time

period the passenger purchased for the ticket and whether or not any upgraded

amenities were selected for additional cost. If customers are MileagePlus members, all

rewards will be accrued from the purchase. There are 17 different fare types for coach,

17 different fare types for business, and 4 different fare types for first class.

United Airlines has 82,000 employees as of 2015 (Reference #16). The

breakdown is as follows:

12,505 are pilots (Reference #14)

The pilots at United joined the Air Line Pilots Association in 1932

(Reference #15)

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15,000 flight attendants are represented by the United Association of Flight

Attendants at United Airlines (Reference #17)

The current contract agreement between the Association of Flight Attendants-

CWA and United Airlines is for the years 2012-2016 (Reference #17)

There are 10,638 mechanics at United (Reference #19)

They are Represented by the Teamsters Airline Division (Reference #18)

United Salaries

Pilot salaries / statistics:

Starting Salaries: $48,026

Top Salaries: $206,229 (Reference #20)

Ratio to Aircraft: The pilot to aircraft ratio is 17:1

Amount hired per month: 50 pilots / month (Reference #14)

In 1995, United introduced an employee ownership program. During this year the

new ESOP owned 55% of the company. However, in 2000, the program was

disbanded. It is speculated the fall of the ESOP program can be traced back to

excessive union control (Reference #21). However, United has claimed to have good

relations with their employees. They are open to negotiations from several union groups

including ALPA, AFA, and Teamsters (Reference #15). United also has various

employee benefits available such as free travel, bonuses, and paid time off.

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International Hubs

As previously mentioned United does not have a huge international presence

and maintains a relatively small footprint. Currently United Airlines has only 4

international hubs which are as follows:

Frankfurt, Germany

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Guam

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London, United Kingdom

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Tokyo, Japan

(Reference #35)

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Code Sharing

Excluding United operated hubs, United also has Star Alliance partners which

have locations in many other countries. With code sharing, United is able to have its

imprint in international markets with the less hassle of high operational costs.

Daily International Flights

United serves more than 50 flights to more than 40 international destinations

from Chicago International Airport each day. Below is an illustrated breakdown of these

flights:

9 daily flights to 10 cities in Europe

4 daily flights to 4 cities in Asia

11 daily flights to 20 destinations across Latin America and the Caribbean

27 daily flights to 9 destinations in Canada

United operates nearly 550 daily flights just out of Chicago O’Hare alone. In

addition, United also has more than 50 daily flight to more than 40 international

destinations from Chicago International Airport (ORD). Chicago being one of the biggest

hubs within United, 500 flights to 140 airports across the United States depart out of

ORD every day (Reference #36).

Passengers per Year

Annually United transports 15.7 million passengers per year. Daily, this figure equates

to 42,900 passengers.

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Annual RPM RPK

A review of United’s 2014 annual financial report states the following in terms of RPM

and RPK:

2014 – Financial Report

(Reference #37)

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Global Alliance Partnership

United is part of the Star Alliance which United uses to code share with other

carriers as mentioned previously. Here is a graphic displaying the Star Alliance carrier

grouping:

(Reference #11)

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United Airlines Cargo Operations

United Airlines has cargo operations; the segment of the company is called

United Cargo. The carrier offers the following package and specifications are as follows:

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As United’s footprint in the cargo business is small, with much of the market

share taken up by FedEx and USPS, United keeps its focus on a smaller convenient

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point-to-point (or airport to airport shipping). United also accepts live animals with the

confines of the animal being in a shipping approved container (Reference #12)

International Cargo

United Airlines does travel to international destinations mostly departing out of

Washington, DC. From DC, United transports cargo to the following locations:

Amsterdam Sao Paulo Paris Geneva Tokyo Beijing Rome Frankfort **Brussels**

** Note: As of 03/25/16 United tightened its restrictions going into Brussels and limited

what types of cargo they received due to the airport bombing attack. ** (Reference

#13).

Future International Plans

Currently United does not have plans to expand its international market for cargo

operations. United manly is focusing on international markets with its passenger sector

as previously mentioned.

Conclusion

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This paper presented findings and analysis of United Airlines ranging from

inception to fiscal year 2016. Key topics included company history, logos, livery,

financial performance, key mergers, United’s fleet, domestic and international statistics,

code sharing relationships, marketing segments and United’s frequent flyer program. In

conclusion, United Airlines has come a long way since the beginning in 1937. It is an

airline embodied with rich history and considered one of the most successful airlines to

date. Like many other airlines, United has gone through arduous changes due to the

ebbs and flows of the economy. However, United has persevered by adapting to the

ever changing oligopoly that exists in the industry today. With both domestic and

international segments, United offers quality services which has contributed to their

success as one of the best legacy carriers to do business with today.

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http://www.cwsi.net/united.htm

Reference #34

https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/Default.aspx

Reference #35

https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/airport/maps/default.aspx

Reference #36

https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/destination/routes/served.aspx

Reference #37

ir.united.com/financial-performance/sec-filings

United Airlines 49