United Airlines News

Budget travelers have fewer options for earning elite status this year.

25 Moments that Mattered in 2015: To make our selection of 25 moments, we thought back to the stories that drove reader engagement and sparked discussion among both travel experts and the general public. Some stories were quick blips that represented bigger things while others were narratives that built slowly through out the year. Each one, though, spoke to where we are right now when it comes to the big business of global travel.

25 Moments that Mattered in 2015: To make our selection of 25 moments, we thought back to the stories that drove reader engagement and sparked discussion among both travel experts and the general public. Some stories were quick blips that represented bigger things while others were narratives that built slowly through out the year. Each one, though, spoke to where we are right now when it comes to the big business of global travel.

The press release doesn't say if employees will be able to help passengers book flights on alternate airlines following United's frequent tech glitches and cancellations.

Wi-Fi for miles may be a good idea for some travelers but let the buyer beware because it could be relatively expensive and deplete loyalty accounts.

Given the tumultuous events in the C-suite at United over the last two months, Acting CEO Brett Hart, who had been the airline's general counsel since 2010, is emphasizing stability. That could mean that the sense of momentum that sidelined CEO Oscar Munoz hoped to generate could be a casualty of the executive changes.

Munoz was moving quickly to repair the damage that his predecessor had caused both through arrogance and negligence, and apart from the human tragedy here there's a corporate one as well.

Munoz knows he has a problem with consumers and employees and he isn't wasting any time letting them know he knows.