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United Airlines Dreamliner diverted due to oil filter problem
TransportUnited Airlines said on Tuesday that a Boeing Co 787 on its way to Tokyo from Denver was diverted to Seattle after an indication of a problem with an oil filter in an engine, but the plane landed without incident. The unscheduled diversion is the latest hiccup for Boeing’s newest plane, which has been beset [...]
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United joins Delta in adding spending requirements for elite frequent flyers
TransportUnited Airlines is making it a little harder to get a higher frequent-flier status. That status used to require flying 25,000 miles per year. Now, United is adding a requirement for at least $2,500 in spending, too, to qualify for status in its MileagePlus program. Most frequent fliers would spend that much anyway if they [...]
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Study finds passengers still love to hate airlines — especially United
TransportIt’s a good news, bad news story for airline customer satisfaction: Scores are the best in nearly two decades, but consumers still love to hate airlines more than most any other industry, according to a report released Tuesday by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Despite raising its benchmark score 2 points, to 69 out of [...]
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United CEO: Changes took place too fast and airline still has “a ways to go”
TransportAfter a year of operational and technical meltdowns at United Continental Holdings Inc., Chief Executive Jeff Smisek asserts that the worlds largest airline finally is on the mend. Mr. Smisek, in an interview, called 2012 “awful” for United. The company lost money, was hit by a wave of canceled and delayed flights, and infuriated many [...]
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Virgin America’s CEO on the airline’s shrewd move into Alaska market
TransportThere’s a new airline in town: Virgin America now offers nonstop service between Anchorage and San Francisco six days a week… Virgin America cooperates with both Virgin Australia and Virgin Atlantic Airlines as part of the licensing agreement with Sir Richard’s group. But for Alaska travelers, the most important development is the single flight between Anchorage [...]
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United’s international fleet now has flat beds, but which type will you get?
TransportI never thought I’d see the day, but United has finally finished outfitting its international fleet with flat beds in business class. This is a truly momentous milestone considering that the process started when I still worked at United and that was more than 8 years ago. But there are still some tricks to what [...]
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How United’s social media engagement improved in just four months
TransportUnited Airlines‘ social media team received an encouraging profile this weekend that outlined the airline’s social media strategies and its ambitious goals for catching up with peers American and Delta. United ranked 7th in terms of Twitter followers when we first ranked U.S. airlines’ social presence earlier this year. In the past four months, the [...]
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United Airlines offers annual subscriptions for seat and baggage fees
TransportPerhaps passengers will gripe less about airlines fees if they can get a subscription deal, and United Airlines thus debuted annual plans for its Economy Plus seats and checked bags. The airline states “United is the only U.S. carrier to offer an annual subscription for its extra-legroom economy seating and checked baggage service charges.” United hopes [...]
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Delta Air Lines engages United at its Newark hub with new Paris flights
TransportDelta on Saturday will begin Newark-Paris Charles DeGaulle Airport service, with a 6:50 p.m. departure aboard a Boeing 767-300ER. The first Paris/Newark flight will depart at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. In general, airlines avoid one another’s hubs, although Newark is a special case because it is not only a hub for United, but also a [...]
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Worst flight in America: The Cincinnati to Newark route that’s rarely on time
TransportSome airline flights are just losers—day after day, they just can’t get to their destination on time. And the worst flight of all? That would be United Express Flight 4352, what’s meant to be a 97-minute jump from Cincinnati to Newark, N.J. The 6 p.m. flight has run chronically late more often than any other [...]
