United Airlines Achieves Highest Second-Quarter Pre-Tax Income In Company History
"Thanks to the outstanding and sustained efforts of 95,000 United team members, United is now consistently delivering results for our customers as well as investors as we raise the mid-point of our full-year 2019 adjusted diluted EPS3 guidance with a new range of $10.50 to $12.00," said Oscar Munoz, CEO of United Airlines. "By once again delivering strong EPS over the last three months, top-tier results are now the expectation, not the exception for United."
- Reported second-quarter net income of $1.1 billion, diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $4.02, pre-tax earnings of $1.4 billion and pre-tax margin of 11.9 percent, expanding pre-tax margin 4.0 points versus the second quarter of 2018.
- Reported second-quarter adjusted net income of $1.1 billion, adjusted diluted EPS of $4.21, adjusted pre-tax earnings of $1.4 billion and adjusted pre-tax margin of 12.4 percent, expanding adjusted pre-tax margin 2.0 points versus the second quarter of 2018.1
- Total passenger revenue increased 6.1 percent versus the second quarter of 2018.
- Consolidated second-quarter passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) increased 2.5 percent year-over-year.
- Consolidated second-quarter unit cost per available seat mile (CASM) decreased 0.4 percent year-over-year.
- Consolidated second-quarter CASM, excluding special charges, third-party business expenses, fuel and profit sharing, increased 0.6 percent year-over-year.
- Repurchased $536 million of its common shares in the second quarter of 2019, at an average purchase price of $84.07 per share.
- On July 15, 2019, the company's Board of Directors authorized a new $3 billion share repurchase program.
1 Excludes special charges, the mark-to-market impact of financial instruments and imputed interest on certain finance leases. Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures are included in the tables accompanying this release. |
2 Airline history defined as post-2010 merger. |
3Excludes special charges and the mark-to-market impact of financial instruments, the nature of which are not determined at this time, and imputed interest on certain finance leases. Accordingly, UAL is not providing earnings guidance on a GAAP basis. |
For more information on UAL's third-quarter and full-year 2019 guidance, please visit ir.united.com for the company's investor update.
Second-Quarter 2019 Highlights
Customer Experience
- United Polaris lounge at San Francisco International Airport voted best business class lounge in the world by the 2019 World Airline Awards from Skytrax.
- Introduced ConnectionSaver, a new tool dedicated to improving the experience for customers connecting from one United flight to the next, while ensuring those who have already boarded the aircraft arrive at their destination on time.
- Began flight operations at LaGuardia Airport's new Terminal B Eastern Concourse and opened newest United Club - conveniently located inside security with more than 10,500 square feet with sweeping views of the tarmac.
- Awarded the "People's Voice" Webby Award in the "Business and Finance" category for reimagined mobile app, which debuted earlier this year.
- Partnered with luxury skincare line Sunday Riley on new United Polaris amenity kits.
- Awarded the Crystal Cabin Award for Inflight Entertainment and Connectivity for new onboard entertainment.
- Received IDG's CIO 100 Award for innovative customer volunteer solicitation program.
Operations
- Served nearly 43 million passengers, the most ever for United in the second quarter.
- Achieved top-tier on-time departures rate performance versus the major U.S. airlines, despite headwinds caused by unusually high weather and ATC delays.
- For the second quarter United had the second-best completion factor and the second fewest cancellations among the major U.S. airlines.
Employees
- Received "Best-of-the-Best" award for commitment to diversity and inclusion by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and the National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC), demonstrating the airline's industry-leading results across all diverse segments and its commitment to building a more diverse economy.
- Honored with the "DiversityInc Top 50" designation, lauding the airline's leadership in promoting diversity through talent development, leadership accountability and a top supplier diversity program.
- Expect profit sharing for 2019 to be about 20 percent higher per participating employee year-over-year.
- Hosted more than half of the company's 25,000 flight attendants at 17 separate Backstage 2019 events, which are designed to underscore the important role flight attendants play in delivering great service.
Network
- Started 34 new domestic and international routes, including brand-new summer service between New York/Newark and Prague, and the only nonstop service between the United States and Naples, Italy.
- Resumed popular seasonal service on 28 routes offering customers more access than ever before to connect to 54 countries around the world on United's industry-leading global network.
- Announced the only nonstop service from the United States to Cape Town, South Africa, and announced a second daily nonstop service between San Francisco and Hong Kong.
- Launched ninth daily nonstop flight between the United States and Germany from its hub at Denver International Airport, becoming the only U.S. airline connecting Denver to Frankfurt nonstop.
- Tentatively granted a total of four daily nonstop flights to Tokyo Haneda Airport from United's hubs at Newark Liberty International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.
- Unveiled 2019 college football flying schedule, adding around 10,000 seats between its hubs and popular game destinations and, for the first time, adding several point-to-point flights enabling fans to fly nonstop from one college town to another.
- Entered into a new alliance agreement with New Delhi-based airline Vistara - further expanding the airline's global route network to more than 20 destinations throughout India and expected to begin in the fall.
Fleet
- Unveiled next paint design, which brings a refreshed look to its fleet, serving as a visual representation of the airline's ongoing brand evolution while staying true to the history it has developed over the past 93 years of proudly serving customers around the world.
- Took delivery of two Boeing 787-10 aircraft, two used Airbus A319 aircraft, and seven Embraer E175 aircraft operated by our regional partners.
- Signed agreement to purchase 19 used Boeing 737-700 aircraft with deliveries expected beginning in December.
Community and Environment
- Made history with the departure of the "Flight for the Planet," the most eco-friendly commercial flight of its kind in the history of aviation, becoming 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.
- Became the first public company to be inducted into Pride Live's Stonewall Ambassador program in recognition of the airline's commitment to LGBTQ+ equality.
- Reached a milestone of 1 million meals packed for charity partner Rise Against Hunger, a global nonprofit, working to end hunger by providing food and life-changing aid to the world's most vulnerable and creating a global commitment to mobilize critical resources.
- Renewed contract with Boston-based World Energy, agreeing to purchase up to 10 million gallons of cost-competitive, commercial-scale, sustainable aviation biofuel over the next two years.
- Revealed the two winning designs for Her Art Here, a first-of-its-kind contest designed to find and uplift underrepresented women artists by providing a chance to have their work painted on a canvas like no other - a United Airlines aircraft. The painted aircraft will begin flying in the fall.
- Announced new and exciting opportunities to help customers celebrate Pride Month through MileagePlus Exclusives benefiting United charity partner The Trevor Project.
Earnings Call
UAL will hold a conference call to discuss its second-quarter 2019 financial results and its financial and operational outlook for third-quarter and full-year 2019 on Wednesday, July 17, at 9:30 a.m. Central time /10:30 a.m. Eastern time. A live, listen-only webcast of the conference call will be available at ir.united.com. The webcast will be available for replay within 24 hours of the conference call and then archived on the website for three months.
Every customer. Every flight. Every day.
In 2019, United is focusing more than ever on its commitment to its customers, looking at every aspect of its business to ensure that the carrier keeps customers' best interests at the heart of its service. In addition to today's announcement, United recently announced that luxury skincare line Sunday Riley will make products exclusively for United customers to experience in amenity kits, released a re-imagined version of the most downloaded app in the airline industry, introduced ConnectionSaver, a new tool dedicated to improving the experience for customers connecting from one United flight to the next and made DIRECTV free for every passenger on 211 aircraft, offering more than 100 channels on seat back monitors on more than 30,000 seats.
About United
United's shared purpose is "Connecting People. Uniting the World." We are more focused than ever on our commitment to customers through a series of innovations and improvements designed to help build a great experience: Every customer. Every flight. Every day. Together, United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,900 flights a day to 356 airports across five continents. In 2018, United and United Express operated more than 1.7 million flights carrying more than 158 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 783 mainline aircraft and the airline's United Express carriers operate 561 regional aircraft. United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter and Instagram or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Airlines Holdings, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Certain statements included in this release are forward-looking and thus reflect our current expectations and beliefs with respect to certain current and future events and anticipated financial and operating performance. Such forward-looking statements are and will be subject to many risks and uncertainties relating to our operations and business environment that may cause actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Words such as "expects," "will," "plans," "anticipates," "indicates," "believes," "estimates," "forecast," "guidance," "outlook," "goals," "targets" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Additionally, forward-looking statements include statements that do not relate solely to historical facts, such as statements which identify uncertainties or trends, discuss the possible future effects of current known trends or uncertainties, or which indicate that the future effects of known trends or uncertainties cannot be predicted, guaranteed or assured. All forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to us on the date of this release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Our actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements due to numerous factors including, without limitation, the following: our ability to execute our strategic operating plan, including our growth, revenue-generating and cost-control initiatives; general economic conditions (including interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, investment or credit market conditions, crude oil prices, costs of aircraft fuel and energy refining capacity in relevant markets); risks of doing business globally, including instability and political developments that may impact our operations in certain countries; demand for travel and the impact that global economic and political conditions have on customer travel patterns; our capacity decisions and the capacity decisions of our competitors; competitive pressures on pricing and on demand; changes in aircraft fuel prices; disruptions in our supply of aircraft fuel; our ability to cost-effectively hedge against increases in the price of aircraft fuel, if we decide to do so; the effects of any technology failures or cybersecurity breaches; disruptions to services provided by third-party service providers; potential reputational or other impact from adverse events involving our aircraft or operations, the aircraft or operations of our regional carriers or our code share partners or the aircraft or operations of another airline; our ability to attract and retain customers; the effects of any terrorist attacks, international hostilities or other security events, or the fear of such events; the mandatory grounding of aircraft in our fleet; disruptions to our regional network; the impact of regulatory, investigative and legal proceedings and legal compliance risks; the success of our investments in other airlines, including in other parts of the world; industry consolidation or changes in airline alliances; the ability of other air carriers with whom we have alliances or partnerships to provide the services contemplated by the respective arrangements with such carriers; costs associated with any modification or termination of our aircraft orders; disruptions in the availability of aircraft, parts or support from our suppliers; our ability to maintain satisfactory labor relations and the results of any collective bargaining agreement process with our union groups; any disruptions to operations due to any potential actions by our labor groups; labor costs; an outbreak of a disease that affects travel demand or travel behavior; the impact of any management changes; extended interruptions or disruptions in service at major airports where we operate; U.S. or foreign governmental legislation, regulation and other actions (including Open Skies agreements, environmental regulations and the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union); the seasonality of the airline industry; weather conditions; the costs and availability of aviation and other insurance; the costs and availability of financing; our ability to maintain adequate liquidity; our ability to comply with the terms of our various financing arrangements; our ability to realize the full value of our intangible assets and long-lived assets;-; and other risks and uncertainties set forth under Part I, Item 1A., "Risk Factors," of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, as well as other risks and uncertainties set forth from time to time in the reports we file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
-tables attached-
On January 1, 2019, United Airlines Holdings, Inc. ("UAL") adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases ("Topic 842"). As such, certain previously reported 2018 figures are adjusted in this report on a basis consistent with Topic 842.
UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS, INC. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended | % | Six Months Ended June 30, | % | ||||||||||||||||||||
(In millions, except per share data) | 2019 | 2018 | (Decrease) | 2019 | 2018 | (Decrease) | |||||||||||||||||
Operating revenue: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Passenger | $ | 10,486 | $ | 9,880 | 6.1 | $ | 19,211 | $ | 18,030 | 6.6 | |||||||||||||
Cargo | 295 | 314 | (6.1) | 581 | 607 | (4.3) | |||||||||||||||||
Other operating revenue | 621 | 583 | 6.5 | 1,199 | 1,172 | 2.3 | |||||||||||||||||
Total operating revenue | 11,402 | 10,777 | 5.8 | 20,991 | 19,809 | 6.0 | |||||||||||||||||
Operating expense: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Salaries and related costs | 3,057 | 2,878 | 6.2 | 5,930 | 5,604 | 5.8 | |||||||||||||||||
Aircraft fuel | 2,385 | 2,390 | (0.2) | 4,408 | 4,355 | 1.2 | |||||||||||||||||
Regional capacity purchase | 715 | 693 | 3.2 | 1,403 | 1,323 | 6.0 | |||||||||||||||||
Landing fees and other rent | 660 | 625 | 5.6 | 1,248 | 1,204 | 3.7 | |||||||||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 560 | 538 | 4.1 | 1,107 | 1,062 | 4.2 | |||||||||||||||||
Aircraft maintenance materials and outside repairs | 421 | 438 | (3.9) | 829 | 878 | (5.6) | |||||||||||||||||
Distribution expenses | 442 | 393 | 12.5 | 802 | 735 | 9.1 | |||||||||||||||||
Aircraft rent | 73 | 119 | (38.7) | 154 | 246 | (37.4) | |||||||||||||||||
Special charges (B) | 71 | 129 | NM | 89 | 169 | NM | |||||||||||||||||
Other operating expenses | 1,546 | 1,429 | 8.2 | 3,054 | 2,826 | 8.1 | |||||||||||||||||
Total operating expense | 9,930 | 9,632 | 3.1 | 19,024 | 18,402 | 3.4 | |||||||||||||||||
Operating income | 1,472 | 1,145 | 28.6 | 1,967 | 1,407 | 39.8 | |||||||||||||||||
Operating margin | 12.9 | % | 10.6 | % | 2.3 | pts. | 9.4 | % | 7.1 | % | 2.3 | pts. | |||||||||||
Adjusted operating margin (Non-GAAP) (A) | 13.5 | % | 11.8 | % | 1.7 | pts. | 9.8 | % | 8.0 | % | 1.8 | pts. | |||||||||||
Nonoperating income (expense): | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Interest expense | (191) | (163) | 17.2 | (379) | (325) | 16.6 | |||||||||||||||||
Interest capitalized | 21 | 12 | 75.0 | 43 | 30 | 43.3 | |||||||||||||||||
Interest income | 38 | 25 | 52.0 | 67 | 42 | 59.5 | |||||||||||||||||
Miscellaneous, net (B) | 14 | (164) | NM | 23 | (117) | NM | |||||||||||||||||
Total nonoperating expense | (118) | (290) | (59.3) | (246) | (370) | (33.5) | |||||||||||||||||
Income before income taxes | 1,354 | 855 | 58.4 | 1,721 | 1,037 | 66.0 | |||||||||||||||||
Pre-tax margin | 11.9 | % | 7.9 | % | 4.0 | pts. | 8.2 | % | 5.2 | % | 3.0 | pts. | |||||||||||
Adjusted pre-tax margin (Non-GAAP) (A) | 12.4 | % | 10.4 | % | 2.0 | pts. | 8.6 | % | 6.5 | % | 2.1 | pts. | |||||||||||
Income tax expense (D) | 302 | 172 | 75.6 | 377 | 209 | 80.4 | |||||||||||||||||
Net income | $ | 1,052 | $ | 683 | 54.0 | $ | 1,344 | $ | 828 | 62.3 | |||||||||||||
Diluted earnings per share | $ | 4.02 | $ | 2.48 | 62.1 | $ | 5.07 | $ | 2.95 | 71.9 | |||||||||||||
Diluted weighted average shares | 261.6 | 275.6 | (5.1) | 264.9 | 280.2 | (5.5) | |||||||||||||||||
NM Not meaningful |
UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS, INC. | ||||||||||||
PASSENGER REVENUE INFORMATION AND STATISTICS | ||||||||||||
Passenger revenue information is as follows: | ||||||||||||
2Q 2019 Passenger Revenue (millions) | Passenger Revenue vs. 2Q 2018 | PRASM vs. 2Q 2018 | Yield vs. 2Q 2018 | Available Seat Miles vs. 2Q 2018 | 2Q 2019 | |||||||
Domestic | $ | 6,547 | 5.9% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 4.0% | 41,484 | |||||
Atlantic | 1,927 | 5.6% | 0.6% | (1.5%) | 5.0% | 14,114 | ||||||
Pacific | 1,135 | 2.9% | 2.8% | (1.1%) | 0.1% | 10,753 | ||||||
Latin America | 877 | 13.6% | 9.1% | 6.5% | 4.1% | 6,889 | ||||||
International | 3,939 | 6.5% | 3.2% | 0.4% | 3.1% | 31,756 | ||||||
Consolidated | $ | 10,486 | 6.1% | 2.5% | 1.0% | 3.6% | 73,240 | |||||
Select operating statistics are as follows: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended June 30, | % Increase/ (Decrease) | Six Months Ended June 30, | % Increase/ (Decrease) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Passengers (thousands) | 42,592 | 41,058 | 3.7 | 79,046 | 75,553 | 4.6 | |||||||||||||||||
Revenue passenger miles (millions) | 63,001 | 59,945 | 5.1 | 116,098 | 109,794 | 5.7 | |||||||||||||||||
Available seat miles (millions) | 73,240 | 70,702 | 3.6 | 138,885 | 132,679 | 4.7 | |||||||||||||||||
Passenger load factor: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Consolidated | 86.0 | % | 84.8 | % | 1.2 | pts. | 83.6 | % | 82.8 | % | 0.8 | pts. | |||||||||||
Domestic | 87.5 | % | 87.1 | % | 0.4 | pts. | 85.2 | % | 85.1 | % | 0.1 | pts. | |||||||||||
International | 84.0 | % | 81.7 | % | 2.3 | pts. | 81.5 | % | 79.7 | % | 1.8 | pts. | |||||||||||
Passenger revenue per available seat mile (cents) | 14.32 | 13.97 | 2.5 | 13.83 | 13.59 | 1.8 | |||||||||||||||||
Total revenue per available seat mile (cents) | 15.57 | 15.24 | 2.2 | 15.11 | 14.93 | 1.2 | |||||||||||||||||
Average yield per revenue passenger mile (cents) | 16.64 | 16.48 | 1.0 | 16.55 | 16.42 | 0.8 | |||||||||||||||||
Cargo ton miles (millions) | 831 | 855 | (2.8) | 1,636 | 1,672 | (2.2) | |||||||||||||||||
Aircraft in fleet at end of period | 1,344 | 1,308 | 2.8 | 1,344 | 1,308 | 2.8 | |||||||||||||||||
Average stage length (miles) | 1,469 | 1,460 | 0.6 | 1,459 | 1,452 | 0.5 | |||||||||||||||||
Average full-time equivalent employees | 90,779 | 86,743 | 4.7 | 89,761 | 86,157 | 4.2 | |||||||||||||||||
Average aircraft fuel price per gallon | $ | 2.16 | $ | 2.26 | (4.4) | $ | 2.11 | $ | 2.19 | (3.7) | |||||||||||||
Fuel gallons consumed (millions) | 1,102 | 1,058 | 4.2 | 2,087 | 1,990 | 4.9 | |||||||||||||||||
Note: See Part II, Item 6, Selected Financial Data, of UAL's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, for definitions of these statistics. |
UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS, INC. | |||||||
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) | |||||||
(In millions) | June 30, 2019 | December 31, 2018 | |||||
ASSETS | |||||||
Current assets: | |||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 3,221 | $ | 1,694 | |||
Short-term investments | 2,223 | 2,256 | |||||
Receivables, less allowance for doubtful accounts | 1,762 | 1,426 | |||||
Aircraft fuel, spare parts and supplies, less obsolescence allowance | 996 | 985 | |||||
Prepaid expenses and other | 708 | 733 | |||||
Total current assets | 8,910 | 7,094 | |||||
Total operating property and equipment, net | 28,918 | 27,399 | |||||
Operating lease right-of-use assets | 4,908 | 5,262 | |||||
Other assets: | |||||||
Goodwill | 4,523 | 4,523 | |||||
Intangibles, less accumulated amortization | 3,129 | 3,159 | |||||
Restricted cash | 105 | 105 | |||||
Notes receivable, net | 518 | 516 | |||||
Investments in affiliates and other, net | 1,139 | 966 | |||||
Total other assets | 9,414 | 9,269 | |||||
Total assets | $ | 52,150 | $ | 49,024 | |||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY | |||||||
Current liabilities: | |||||||
Advance ticket sales | $ | 6,126 | $ | 4,381 | |||
Accounts payable | 3,033 | 2,363 | |||||
Frequent flyer deferred revenue | 2,435 | 2,286 | |||||
Accrued salaries and benefits | 1,871 | 2,184 | |||||
Current maturities of long-term debt | 1,255 | 1,230 | |||||
Current maturities of finance leases | 117 | 123 | |||||
Current maturities of operating leases | 637 | 719 | |||||
Other | 604 | 553 | |||||
Total current liabilities | 16,078 | 13,839 | |||||
Long-term debt and other long-term liabilities and deferred credits: | |||||||
Long-term debt | 12,938 | 12,215 | |||||
Long-term obligations under finance leases | 202 | 224 | |||||
Long-term obligations under operating leases | 5,034 | 5,276 | |||||
Frequent flyer deferred revenue | 2,763 | 2,719 | |||||
Postretirement benefit liability | 1,277 | 1,295 | |||||
Pension liability | 1,366 | 1,576 | |||||
Deferred income taxes | 1,192 | 828 | |||||
Other | 980 | 1,010 | |||||
Total long-term debt and other long-term liabilities and deferred credits: | 25,752 | 25,143 | |||||
Stockholders' equity | 10,320 | 10,042 | |||||
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity | $ | 52,150 | $ | 49,024 | |||
UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS, INC. | |||||||
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED) | |||||||
(In millions) | Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||
2019 | 2018 | ||||||
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: | |||||||
Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 4,625 | $ | 4,152 | |||
Cash Flows from Investing Activities: | |||||||
Capital expenditures | (2,467) | (1,671) | |||||
Purchases of short-term and other investments | (1,443) | (1,326) | |||||
Proceeds from sale of short-term and other investments | 1,484 | 1,455 | |||||
Investment in affiliates | (27) | (139) | |||||
Loans made to others | — | (10) | |||||
Other, net | 17 | 38 | |||||
Net cash used in investing activities | (2,436) | (1,653) | |||||
Cash Flows from Financing Activities: | |||||||
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt | 996 | 1,241 | |||||
Payments of long-term debt | (473) | (1,294) | |||||
Repurchases of common stock | (1,062) | (969) | |||||
Principal payments under finance leases | (63) | (35) | |||||
Capitalized financing costs | (30) | (25) | |||||
Other, net | (30) | (17) | |||||
Net cash used in financing activities | (662) | (1,099) | |||||
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | 1,527 | 1,400 | |||||
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of the period | 1,799 | 1,591 | |||||
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of the period | $ | 3,326 | $ | 2,991 | |||
Investing and Financing Activities Not Affecting Cash: | |||||||
Property and equipment acquired through the issuance of debt | $ | 220 | $ | 125 | |||
Operating lease conversions to finance lease | 36 | — | |||||
Right-of-use assets acquired through operating leases | 99 | 103 | |||||
Property and equipment acquired through finance leases | 8 | — | |||||
UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS, INC. | |||
RETURN ON INVESTED CAPITAL (ROIC)—Non-GAAP | |||
ROIC is a non-GAAP financial measure that UAL believes provides useful supplemental information for management and investors by measuring the effectiveness of the company's operations' use of invested capital to generate profits. | |||
(in millions) | Twelve Months Ended June 30, 2019 | ||
Net Operating Profit After Tax ("NOPAT") | |||
Pre-tax income | $ | 3,332 | |
Adjustments: | |||
Special charges and mark-to-market ("MTM") gains on financial instruments: | |||
Impairment of assets | 312 | ||
Termination of a maintenance service agreement | 64 | ||
Severance and benefit costs | 28 | ||
MTM gains on financial instruments | (136) | ||
(Gains) losses on sale of assets and other special charges | 3 | ||
Pre-tax income excluding special charges and MTM gains on financial instruments (Non-GAAP) | 3,603 | ||
add: Interest expense (net of income tax benefit) (a) | 721 | ||
add: Interest component of capitalized aircraft rent (net of income tax benefit) (a) | 195 | ||
add: Net interest on pension (net of income tax benefit) (a) | (11) | ||
less: Income taxes paid | (13) | ||
NOPAT (Non-GAAP) | $ | 4,495 | |
Average Invested Capital (five-quarter average) | |||
Total assets | $ | 50,076 | |
less: Non-interest bearing liabilities (b) | (17,495) | ||
Average invested capital (Non-GAAP) | $ | 32,581 | |
ROIC (Non-GAAP) | 13.8 | % | |
(a) | Income tax benefit measured based on the effective cash tax rate. The effective cash tax rate is calculated by dividing cash taxes paid by pre-tax income excluding special charges and MTM gains and losses on financial instruments. For the twelve months ended June 30, 2019, the effective cash tax rate was 0.4%. |
(b) | Non-interest bearing liabilities include advance ticket sales, frequent flyer deferred revenue, deferred income taxes and other non-interest bearing liabilities. |
UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS, INC. | |||||||||||||||||
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL RECONCILIATION | |||||||||||||||||
(A) UAL evaluates its financial performance utilizing various accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) and Non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted operating income (loss), adjusted operating margin, adjusted pre-tax income (loss), adjusted pre-tax margin, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per share and CASM, excluding special charges, third-party business expenses, fuel, and profit sharing, among others. UAL believes that adjusting for special charges is useful to investors because special charges are not indicative of UAL's ongoing performance. UAL believes that adjusting for MTM gains and losses on financial instruments is useful to investors because those unrealized gains or losses may not ultimately be realized on a cash basis. UAL believes that adjusting for interest expense related to finance leases of Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft is useful to investors because of the accelerated recognition of interest expense. | |||||||||||||||||
CASM is a common metric used in the airline industry to measure an airline's cost structure and efficiency. UAL reports CASM excluding special charges, third-party business expenses, fuel and profit sharing. UAL believes that adjusting for special charges is useful to investors because special charges are not indicative of UAL's ongoing performance. UAL also believes that excluding third-party business expenses, such as maintenance, ground handling and catering services for third parties and fuel sales, provides more meaningful disclosure because these expenses are not directly related to UAL's core business. UAL also believes that excluding fuel costs from certain measures is useful to investors because it provides an additional measure of management's performance excluding the effects of a significant cost item over which management has limited influence. UAL excludes profit sharing because this exclusion allows investors to better understand and analyze our operating cost performance and provides a more meaningful comparison of our core operating costs to the airline industry. | |||||||||||||||||
Reconciliations of reported non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included below. | |||||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended June 30, | % Increase/ | Six Months Ended June 30, | % Increase/ | ||||||||||||||
2019 | 2018 | (Decrease) | 2019 | 2018 | (Decrease) | ||||||||||||
CASM (cents) | |||||||||||||||||
Cost per available seat mile (CASM) (GAAP) | 13.56 | 13.62 | (0.4) | 13.70 | 13.87 | (1.2) | |||||||||||
Special charges (B) | 0.10 | 0.18 | NM | 0.07 | 0.13 | NM | |||||||||||
Third-party business expenses | 0.05 | 0.04 | 25.0 | 0.05 | 0.05 | — | |||||||||||
Fuel expense | 3.26 | 3.38 | (3.6) | 3.17 | 3.28 | (3.4) | |||||||||||
Profit sharing, including taxes | 0.22 | 0.15 | 46.7 | 0.14 | 0.09 | 55.6 | |||||||||||
CASM, excluding special charges, third-party business expenses, fuel, and profit sharing (Non-GAAP) | 9.93 | 9.87 | 0.6 | 10.27 | 10.32 | (0.5) | |||||||||||
NM Not Meaningful |
UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS, INC. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL RECONCILIATION (Continued) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended June 30, | $ Increase/ | % Increase/ | Six Months Ended June 30, | $ Increase/ | % Increase/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
(in millions) | 2019 | 2018 | (Decrease) | (Decrease) | 2019 | 2018 | (Decrease) | (Decrease) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Operating expenses (GAAP) | $ | 9,930 | $ | 9,632 | $ | 298 | 3.1 | $ | 19,024 | $ | 18,402 | $ | 622 | 3.4 | |||||||||||||||
Special charges (B) | 71 | 129 | (58) | NM | 89 | 169 | (80) | NM | |||||||||||||||||||||
Operating expenses, excluding special charges | 9,859 | 9,503 | 356 | 3.7 | 18,935 | 18,233 | 702 | 3.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Adjusted to exclude: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Third-party business expenses | 41 | 29 | 12 | 41.4 | 71 | 60 | 11 | 18.3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Fuel expense | 2,385 | 2,390 | (5) | (0.2) | 4,408 | 4,355 | 53 | 1.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Profit sharing, including taxes | 161 | 108 | 53 | 49.1 | 194 | 125 | 69 | 55.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Adjusted operating expenses (Non-GAAP) | $ | 7,272 | $ | 6,976 | $ | 296 | 4.2 | $ | 14,262 | $ | 13,693 | $ | 569 | 4.2 | |||||||||||||||
Operating income (GAAP) | $ | 1,472 | $ | 1,145 | $ | 327 | 28.6 | $ | 1,967 | $ | 1,407 | $ | 560 | 39.8 | |||||||||||||||
Adjusted to exclude: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Special charges (B) | 71 | 129 | (58) | NM | 89 | 169 | (80) | NM | |||||||||||||||||||||
Adjusted operating income (Non-GAAP) | $ | 1,543 | $ | 1,274 | $ | 269 | 21.1 | $ | 2,056 | $ | 1,576 | $ | 480 | 30.5 | |||||||||||||||
Pre-tax income (GAAP) | $ | 1,354 | $ | 855 | $ | 499 | 58.4 | $ | 1,721 | $ | 1,037 | $ | 684 | 66.0 | |||||||||||||||
Adjusted to exclude: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Special charges (B) | 71 | 129 | (58) | NM | 89 | 169 | (80) | NM | |||||||||||||||||||||
MTM (gains) losses on financial instruments (B) | (34) | 135 | (169) | NM | (51) | 90 | (141) | NM | |||||||||||||||||||||
Interest expense on ERJ 145 finance leases (C) | 25 | — | 25 | NM | 46 | — | 46 | NM | |||||||||||||||||||||
Adjusted pre-tax income (Non-GAAP) | $ | 1,416 | $ | 1,119 | $ | 297 | 26.5 | $ | 1,805 | $ | 1,296 | $ | 509 | 39.3 | |||||||||||||||
Net income (GAAP) | $ | 1,052 | $ | 683 | $ | 369 | 54.0 | $ | 1,344 | $ | 828 | $ | 516 | 62.3 | |||||||||||||||
Adjusted to exclude: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Special charges (B) | 71 | 129 | (58) | NM | 89 | 169 | (80) | NM | |||||||||||||||||||||
MTM (gains) losses on financial instruments (B) | (34) | 135 | (169) | NM | (51) | 90 | (141) | NM | |||||||||||||||||||||
Interest expense on ERJ 145 finance leases (C) | 25 | — | 25 | NM | 46 | — | 46 | NM | |||||||||||||||||||||
Income tax benefit related to adjustments above | (14) | (59) | 45 | NM | (19) | (58) | 39 | NM | |||||||||||||||||||||
Adjusted net income (Non-GAAP) | $ | 1,100 | $ | 888 | $ | 212 | 23.9 | $ | 1,409 | $ | 1,029 | $ | 380 | 36.9 | |||||||||||||||
Diluted earnings per share (GAAP) | $ | 4.02 | $ | 2.48 | $ | 1.54 | 62.1 | $ | 5.07 | $ | 2.95 | $ | 2.12 | 71.9 | |||||||||||||||
Adjusted to exclude: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Special charges (B) | 0.27 | 0.47 | (0.20) | NM | 0.34 | 0.60 | (0.26) | NM | |||||||||||||||||||||
MTM (gains) losses on financial instruments (B) | (0.13) | 0.49 | (0.62) | NM | (0.19) | 0.32 | (0.51) | NM | |||||||||||||||||||||
Interest expense on ERJ 145 finance leases (C) | 0.10 | — | 0.10 | NM | 0.17 | — | 0.17 | NM | |||||||||||||||||||||
Income tax benefit related to adjustments | (0.05) | (0.22) | 0.17 | NM | (0.07) | (0.20) | 0.13 | NM | |||||||||||||||||||||
Adjusted diluted earnings per share (Non-GAAP) | $ | 4.21 | $ | 3.22 | $ | 0.99 | 30.7 | $ | 5.32 | $ | 3.67 | $ | 1.65 | 45.0 | |||||||||||||||
NM Not Meaningful |
UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS, INC. | |||||||||||||||
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL RECONCILIATION (Continued) | |||||||||||||||
UAL believes that adjusting capital expenditures for assets acquired through the issuance of debt and finance leases is useful to investors in order to appropriately reflect the total amounts spent on capital expenditures. UAL also believes that adjusting net cash provided by operating activities for capital expenditures and adjusted capital expenditures is useful to allow investors to evaluate the company's ability to generate cash that is available for debt service or general corporate initiatives. | |||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
Capital Expenditures (in millions) | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | |||||||||||
Capital expenditures (GAAP) | $ | 858 | $ | 727 | $ | 2,467 | $ | 1,671 | |||||||
Property and equipment acquired through the issuance of debt | 128 | 65 | 220 | 125 | |||||||||||
Property and equipment acquired through finance leases | — | — | 8 | — | |||||||||||
Adjusted capital expenditures (Non-GAAP) | $ | 986 | $ | 792 | $ | 2,695 | $ | 1,796 | |||||||
Free Cash Flow (in millions) | |||||||||||||||
Net cash provided by operating activities (GAAP) | $ | 2,710 | $ | 2,443 | $ | 4,625 | $ | 4,152 | |||||||
Less capital expenditures | 858 | 727 | 2,467 | 1,671 | |||||||||||
Free cash flow, net of financings (Non-GAAP) | $ | 1,852 | $ | 1,716 | $ | 2,158 | $ | 2,481 | |||||||
Net cash provided by operating activities (GAAP) | $ | 2,710 | $ | 2,443 | $ | 4,625 | $ | 4,152 | |||||||
Less adjusted capital expenditures (Non-GAAP) | 986 | 792 | 2,695 | 1,796 | |||||||||||
Free cash flow (Non-GAAP) | $ | 1,724 | $ | 1,651 | $ | 1,930 | $ | 2,356 | |||||||
UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS, INC. | |||||||||||||||
NOTES (UNAUDITED) | |||||||||||||||
(B) Special charges and MTM (gains) losses on financial instruments include the following: | |||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
(In millions) | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | |||||||||||
Operating: | |||||||||||||||
Impairment of assets | $ | 61 | $ | 111 | $ | 69 | $ | 134 | |||||||
Severance and benefit costs | 6 | 11 | 12 | 25 | |||||||||||
(Gains) losses on sale of assets and other special charges | 4 | 7 | 8 | 10 | |||||||||||
Total special charges | 71 | 129 | 89 | 169 | |||||||||||
Nonoperating MTM (gains) losses on financial instruments | (34) | 135 | (51) | 90 | |||||||||||
Total special charges and MTM (gains) losses on financial instruments | 37 | 264 | 38 | 259 | |||||||||||
Income tax benefit | (8) | (59) | (8) | (58) | |||||||||||
Total special charges and MTM (gains) losses on financial instruments, net of income tax | $ | 29 | $ | 205 | $ | 30 | $ | 201 | |||||||
Impairment of assets: During the three months ended June 30, 2019, the company recorded a $47 million impairment for aircraft engines removed from operations, a $6 million charge for the early termination of several regional aircraft finance leases and $8 million in other miscellaneous impairments. During the six months ended June 30, 2019, in addition to the charges described above, the company recorded an $8 million fair value adjustment for aircraft purchased off lease. |
In May 2018, the Brazil–United States open skies agreement was ratified, which provides air carriers with unrestricted access between the United States and Brazil. The company determined that the approval of the open skies agreement impaired the entire value of its Brazil route authorities because the agreement removes all limitations or reciprocity requirements for flights between the United States and Brazil. Accordingly, the company recorded a $105 million special charge to write off the entire value of the intangible asset associated with its Brazil routes. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, the company also recorded $6 million and $29 million, respectively, of fair value adjustments related to aircraft purchased off lease and other impairments related to certain fleet types and international slots no longer in use. |
Severance and benefit costs: During the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, the company recorded $6 million and $10 million, respectively, of management severance. During the six months ended June 30, 2019, the company recorded $2 million of severance and benefit costs primarily related to a voluntary early-out program for its technicians and related employees represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. In the first quarter of 2017, approximately 1,000 technicians and related employees elected to voluntarily separate from the company and received a severance payment, with a maximum value of $100,000 per participant, based on years of service, with retirement dates through early 2019. |
During the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, the company recorded $6 million and $14 million, respectively, of severance and benefit costs related to the voluntary early-out program for its technicians and related employees, and $5 million and $11 million, respectively, of management severance. |
MTM gains and losses on financial instruments: During the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, the company recorded gains of $38 million and $52 million, respectively, for the change in market value of its investment in Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras S.A. ("Azul"). During the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, the company recorded losses of $4 million and $1 million, respectively, for the change in fair value of certain derivative assets related to equity of Avianca Holdings S.A. For equity investments and derivative assets subject to MTM accounting, the company records gains and losses as part of Nonoperating income (expense): Miscellaneous, net in its statements of consolidated operations. |
During the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, the company recorded losses of $135 million and $90 million, respectively, for the change in market value of its investment in Azul. |
(C) Interest expense related to finance leases of Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft |
During the third quarter of 2018, United entered into an agreement with the lessor of 54 Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft to purchase those aircraft in 2019. The provisions of the new lease agreement resulted in a change in accounting classification of these new leases from operating leases to finance leases up until the purchase date. The company recognized $25 million and $46 million of additional interest expense in the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, respectively, as a result of this change. |
(D) Effective tax rate |
The company's effective tax rate for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 was 22.3% and 21.9%, respectively. The effective tax rate for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 was 20.1% and 20.2%, respectively. The effective tax rate represents a blend of federal, state and foreign taxes and includes the impact of certain nondeductible items and the impact of a change in the company's mix of domestic and foreign earnings. |
SOURCE United Airlines
For further information: United Airlines Worldwide Media Relations, +1-872-825-8640, media.relations@united.com
NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- This month, United is taking Kosher cuisine to new heights by introducing a variety of new options for customers traveling between the U.S. and Tel Aviv, from the airline's Newark / New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. / Dulles based hubs. These exciting menu additions include popular choices from several leading Kosher food and beverage brands and reflects United's commitment to elevate the travel experience for our customers.
"We are thrilled to expand our already high-quality Kosher culinary choices to include new options we know our customers will love," said Charlean Gmunder, United's vice president of Catering Operations. "We know our customers and listen to their feedback and all of these new menu items – from savory new snacks to wonderful wines – are the result of our on-going efforts to exceed customer expectations. We will continue to embrace suggestions as well as seek out ways to create the best possible onboard dining experience for everyone we proudly serve."
Partnering with New Jersey-based fresh food provider Fresko, meals on the Newark to Tel Aviv flight will feature an entirely new menu. Options will include dishes such as fresh bagels, a cheese omelet, blintzes, chicken marsala, a kale quinoa burger and traditional bakery items like rugelach and black and white cookies.
As part of the introduction of these new dining options, United is also testing a menu offering for its youngest customers – a Kosher child's meal in all cabins between Tel Aviv, Newark and San Francisco. If the testing is successful, the airline will roll out the meal selection on additional Tel Aviv routes.
For those customers traveling in Polaris and United Premium Plus, additional dining enhancements can be found in the all Kosher snack choices for mid-flight enjoyment. The new offerings include Deep River Potato Chips, Cheez-It® crackers, Drizzilicious Cinnamon Swirl crisps, Madi K's Almonds and M&M'S®.
New beverage options will include Kosher wine provided by Royal Wine, another New Jersey-based company, which includes Herzog Lineage Cabernet Sauvignon and Herzog Lineage Sauvignon Blanc throughout the Polaris cabin. Additionally, building on the airline's partnership with Illy coffee, United is upgrading its Kosher coffee to provide both regular and decaf Illy coffee within all cabins over the next several months.
Part of the Kosher expansion includes the airport experience where United is testing the addition of a hot Kosher à la carte meal option in the Newark Polaris Lounge to complement the already featured Kosher wines. Additionally, at both the Polaris lounge and United Clubs in Newark and LaGuardia Airports the offerings will include Kosher packaged snacks upon request.
Summary of the onboard Kosher enhancements | |||||||
Kosher Option | Cabin | EWR/TLV | TLV/EWR | SFO/TLV | TLV/SFO | IAD/TLV | TLV/IAD |
Locally sourced | All | February | - | - | - | - | - |
Enhancements to | All | February | February | February | February | February | February |
Testing Kosher | All | March 2020 | - | March 2020 | - | - | - |
Illy Kosher Coffee | All | February | Summer | March | Summer | Summer | Summer |
Kosher mid-flight | Polaris / | December 2019 | December 2019 | December 2019 | December 2019 | December 2019 | December 2019 |
Kosher Wine | Polaris | February | February | February | February | March | March |
For images please visit: https://app.box.com/s/pp4w09s7mw8699n9zwj46thsdd6qllmp
Every customer. Every flight. Every day.
United continues to strengthen its commitment to its customers, looking at every aspect of its business to ensure that the carrier keeps customers' best interests at the heart of its service. In addition to today's announcement, United recently:
- Announced that MileagePlus award miles will never expire
- Committed $40 million toward a new investment initiative focused on accelerating the development of sustainable aviation fuels and other decarbonization technologies
- Established Miles on a Mission, a first-of-its-kind crowdsourcing platform which gives customers a simple way to donate miles to non-profit organizations and charities in need of air travel
- Launched ConnectionSaver, a digital tool dedicated to improving the experience for customers with connecting flights
- Instituted PlusPoints, new upgrade benefits for MileagePlus Premier members
- Gave Economy customers a choice of complimentary snacks on domestic flights
- Made DIRECTV free for every customer on more than 200 aircraft
About United
United's shared purpose is "Connecting People. Uniting the World." We are more focused than ever on our commitment to customers through a series of innovations and improvements designed to help build a great experience: Every customer. Every flight. Every day. Together, United and United Express operate approximately 4,900 flights a day to 362 airports across six continents. In 2019, United and United Express operated more than 1.7 million flights carrying more than 162 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 791 mainline aircraft and the airline's United Express partners operate 581 regional aircraft. United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 195 countries via 26 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter and Instagram or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Airlines Holdings, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".
SOURCE United Airlines
For further information: United Airlines Worldwide Media Relations, 872-825-8640, media.relations@united.com
"United Airlines is a vital partner for Denver International Airport, and we're proud they are continuing to invest and grow right here in Denver," said Mayor Michael B. Hancock. "As United increases daily flights and continues to add new routes, they are creating economic opportunities that benefit our entire community."
On Jan. 21, the Denver City Council unanimously approved an amendment for United's lease of additional gates.
"Just over twenty years ago I moved to Denver with what was then my young, growing family. Ever since, wherever I've lived, I continue to feel great pride at how the Mile High City seems to reach even greater heights, as well as the role United's service plays in driving the region's success," said Oscar Munoz, CEO of United Airlines. "These additional gates will take the starring role Denver plays in our growth strategy to a new level. It will mean more seats, more connections and more destinations as Denver continues to extend the global reach of its businesses and communities. This growth complements the investments we make in key infrastructure, such as the Western Hemisphere's largest flight training center at DEN, and in local communities; because Denver is not just a hub, it feels like home for so many of us in the United family."
In the past five years, United has added more than 100 flights and almost 40 new markets departing from Denver as the company continues to connect Denver to the world conveniently, comfortably and reliably. United has consistently outperformed its peers at DEN – achieving better on-time performance than its top competitor for each of the last 59 months and, despite operating twice as many flights, United had fewer cancellations the last two years than Denver's second-largest airline.
United's international offerings are also growing and the airline's Denver to London route, introduced in 2018, quickly shifted from seasonal to a daily, year-round flight. And due to the success of flights between Denver and London, Frankfurt and Tokyo, United will begin using a larger aircraft, the Boeing 787-9, on these routes starting in June, adding nearly 100 daily seats each way to these popular destinations. United's growing domestic and international flight offerings have also created thousands of additional connection opportunities for customers traveling through Denver.
United is proud to employ more than 7,000 professionals in Denver who are committed to delivering an exceptional travel experience to every customer, on every flight, every day. With their continued contributions and the airline's future growth, United will create more than a thousand new, high-quality job opportunities in the coming years.
The additional gates, located in Concourse A and B, will offer more mainline and regional capabilities. In addition to the gates, United will expand existing United Clubs and add a new Club on Concourse A.
United Airlines in Denver
United is Denver's largest airline offering more flights and more seats from the Mile High City to more destinations around the world than any other carrier. United operates approximately 500 daily flights to over 170 airports worldwide from Denver. United has a storied history in Denver, serving the community for more than 80 years, and benefits from a great partnership with local leaders who understand the importance of a thriving aviation sector. The company's commitment to Denver extends beyond the airport and is home to United's Flight Training Center, a state-of-the-art facility where the company's more than 12,000 pilots train every year. The company has a commitment to giving back to the community where many of its customers and employees live and work. United supports local organizations like Girls Inc., Mile High Youth Corps, Wings Over the Rockies and the Denver Public Schools Foundation and, in 2018, announced a $1 million grant to local Denver nonprofit Warren Village.
Every customer. Every flight. Every day.
United continues to strengthen its commitment to its customers, looking at every aspect of its business to ensure that the carrier keeps customers' best interests at the heart of its service. In addition to today's announcement, United recently:
- Announced that MileagePlus award miles will never expire
- Committed $40 million toward a new investment initiative focused on accelerating the development of sustainable aviation fuels and other decarbonization technologies
- Established Miles on a Mission, a first-of-its-kind crowdsourcing platform which gives customers a simple way to donate miles to non-profit organizations and charities in need of air travel
- Launched ConnectionSaver, a digital tool dedicated to improving the experience for customers with connecting flights
- Instituted PlusPoints, new upgrade benefits for MileagePlus Premier members
- Gave Economy customers a choice of complimentary snacks on domestic flights
- Made DIRECTV free for every customer on more than 200 aircraft
United's shared purpose is "Connecting People. Uniting the World." We are more focused than ever on our commitment to customers through a series of innovations and improvements designed to help build a great experience: Every customer. Every flight. Every day. Together, United and United Express operate approximately 4,900 flights a day to 362 airports across six continents. In 2019, United and United Express operated more than 1.7 million flights carrying more than 162 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 791 mainline aircraft and the airline's United Express partners operate 581 regional aircraft. United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 195 countries via 26 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter and Instagram or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Airlines Holdings, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".
SOURCE United Airlines
For further information: United Airlines Worldwide Media Relations, +1-872-825-8640, media.relations@united.com
The flight training academy – currently operating as Westwind School of Aeronautics in Phoenix, Arizona – will be an extension of the airline's Aviate program, a pilot development and recruitment program that offers aspiring aviators the most direct path to achieve their dreams of becoming a United pilot. The airline anticipates hiring more than 10,000 pilots by 2029.
"We have developed the Aviate program in collaboration with the Air Line Pilots Association, International to have greater influence on the next generation of aviators at United," said Captain Bebe O'Neil, United's managing director of Aviate. "Launching our own academy provides us with the unique opportunity to not only ensure we maintain the ideal number of quality candidates within our pilot pipeline, but also play a significant role in recruiting, developing and welcoming those with diverse backgrounds to the United family."
In addition to launching the flight academy, United plans to reduce financial barriers to joining the program, making the dream of becoming a United pilot even more accessible to more individuals. The carrier is currently engaging with financial institutions with the goal of making attractive financing terms – such as industry-tailored grace periods and competitive interest rates – available to qualified individuals. Additionally, United plans to launch a scholarship program specifically focused on encouraging women and minorities to consider joining the United family. The airline will provide more details regarding these financing options as they become available.
Aviate partners currently include:
· Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | · Western Michigan University |
· Lufthansa Aviation Training Academy | · University of North Dakota |
· Hillsboro Aero Academy | · US Aviation Academy |
· FlightSafety International | · Ameriflight |
· Boutique Air | · ATP Flight School |
· ExpressJet | · CommutAir |
· Air Wisconsin | · Mesa Airlines |
· Florida Institute of Technology |
Aviate: Love to fly, born to lead
Last year, United launched Aviate, its innovative pilot recruitment and development program. Those who apply to Aviate and are successful in the selection process will receive a program acceptance job offer with United. Aviate also provides support and coaching for pilots to develop into leaders who exemplify the professionalism, level of excellence and commitment to providing safe, caring, dependable and efficient service that United expects from its pilots. Additionally, Aviate provides those who aspire to a career as a United captain with the most direct route to achieving that goal.
United's Aviate career path program offers pilots competitive benefits, including:
- The most direct path within the industry to a major airline, with an Aviate regional partner minimum requirement of 24 months and 2,000 hours
- More options in program entry points throughout a pilot's career and choice of select United Express carriers
- Increased transparency and clarity along the path from program entry to flying for United
- Improved career development, mentoring and access to United pilots and learning tools.
- Immediate inclusion in the United family, with access to senior leadership, site visits and tours, and certain travel privileges
For more information on Aviate, please visit unitedaviate.com
United's shared purpose is "Connecting People. Uniting the World." We are more focused than ever on our commitment to customers through a series of innovations and improvements designed to help build a great experience: Every customer. Every flight. Every day. Together, United and United Express operate approximately 4,900 flights a day to 362 airports across six continents. In 2019, United and United Express operated more than 1.7 million flights carrying more than 162 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 791 mainline aircraft and the airline's United Express partners operate 581 regional aircraft. United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 195 countries via 26 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter and Instagram or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Airlines Holdings, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".
SOURCE United Airlines
For further information: United Airlines Worldwide Media Relations, +1-872-825-8640, media.relations@united.com