MAXimum comfort and efficiency: Our first 737 MAX 9 takes flight
"The Boeing 737 MAX is a great addition to United's fleet, providing approximately 14 percent fuel efficiency compared to previous 737 generations and an improved customer experience onboard," said Rodney Cox, vice president of United's Houston operation. "As we begin the busy summer travel season, Houston is happy to be home for United's first MAX aircraft, as we launch initial 737 MAX service from here, and later this month, add MAX service on flights from Houston to L.A., Sacramento and Tampa."
To celebrate our newest and "youngest" aircraft, we gifted 737 MileagePlus miles to all of our youngest MileagePlus members (members age 18 and under) who departed from Houston on one of our MAX flights on Thursday. All customers on our first MAX flights from Houston received first flight certificates, travel cases and headphones to commemorate their trip on our newest aircraft.
In April, we took delivery of our first Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft from Boeing Delivery Center in Seattle, and unveiled a new livery for the fuel-efficient aircraft. The curved-line feature on the 737MAX is similar to that used on our fuel-efficient widebody Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
In February, we announced the addition of a new aircraft type, the Boeing 737 MAX 9, to our domestic flight schedules and are the first U.S. carrier to take delivery of this aircraft. The MAX 9 features Boeing's Advanced Technology winglets and fuel efficient engines providing a quieter ride, the ability to fly farther on less fuel and significant reductions of CO2 emissions compared to older generation aircraft. With a longer range than previous 737 models, United is able to operate the 737 MAX between Houston and Anchorage, Alaska, which previously needed to be served with larger aircraft. United expects to have 10 737 MAX aircraft in its fleet by the end of this year.
The MAX 9 aircraft are now operating between our Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport and five cities, including Anchorage, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, San Diego and Austin. Beginning June 29, we expect to add additional MAX 9 flights between Houston Airport and Los Angeles International Airport, as well as service between Los Angeles and Honolulu. See the full schedule here.
"The addition of the MAX 9 furthers our efforts to become a more efficient and productive airline. It has better fuel efficiency, lower maintenance costs and does all of this while maximizing customer comfort," said United's Chief Financial Officer Andrew Levy.
The Boeing 737 MAX 9 features 179 seats, providing customers with access to in-seat power outlets and the opportunity to purchase satellite Wi-Fi. United Private Screening personal device entertainment will be available throughout the aircraft and enables customers to play thousands of hours of movies and television programs on their electronic devices.
The 737 MAX utilizes Viasat next-generation satellite Wi-Fi, providing access to faster, more reliable internet connections gate to gate. United will expand Viasat Wi-Fi to more than 70 aircraft, including at least 58 new 737 MAX planes over the next three years.
For more information on the Boeing 737 Max 9 and its features, visit United Newsroom.
New tech dazzles in tech-savvy San Francisco
Delivering tech to techies
"We chose San Francisco to showcase our newest digital offerings, which are as sophisticated as our customers, including those who work in tech," said Janelle Edwards, the sponsorships and brand activation manager for United who headed the operation. "We believe our products will meet or exceed their expectations." She noted that tech-savvy customers are already using apps in airports, for example, and talking to smart speakers like the Amazon Echo.
New features and updates
Entering the pop-up tent, visitors encountered a big-screen display of the United app, which will allow smartphone users to book flights, check in with an e-boarding pass, access their United MileagePlus® account information, find out how close they are to attaining Premier® status and even get advice on where to travel. United representatives also explained newly proactive and personalized enhancements to the United website, noting that it will continue to be the best option for finding deals and planning trips, while the app will be the most convenient day-of-travel tool.
Ask Alexa or Google
At the next display, United team members let visitors ask tech devices about United flights, which is also a brand-new feature for the aviation industry. "Alexa, ask United when Flight 816 is arriving from Seattle," they asked the Amazon Echo. "That flight is arriving on time at 4:13 p.m.," she replied. You can also check in for a flight, ask about inflight entertainment and Wi-Fi and request your MileagePlus balance — not only to the Amazon Echo, but also to Google Home devices. The Amazon Echo requires a simple download of the "skill" to link to a MileagePlus member's account. Google Home links to member accounts through Google Assistant. The team also demonstrated use of the new United App on the Fitbit® Ionic Smartwatch. All of these tools are free. "Visitors today were excited to see how this worked," said Jeff Ulrich, senior manager of eCommerce digital innovation for United. "People are really embracing the use of voice rather than typing, and we aim to introduce other features, too, such as offering travel suggestions."
New tech for technicians
The United Tech App that rolled out this year — the first mobile tech log to be adopted by any airline — will never be seen by customers. However, the customers will see benefits in the form of fewer and shorter flight delays and an extra layer of safety. Mansur Zia, lead technician at the San Francisco International Terminal, explained that until now, any service checks or repairs required printing paper manuals that had to be brought out to the plane. The new app, accessible on iPads that all United technicians will be using by July 1, receives real-time information from aircraft monitoring systems and crew-generated log items are instantly transmitted to technicians. All manuals are on the iPads, with step-by-step repair instructions. Once all checks and repairs are made, the app's lights turn from red to green and the plane can take off. "For last-minute repairs, we found that issues are rectified in seven to nine fewer minutes, which significantly improves on-time performance," Zia noted.
Experiencing United Polaris luxury — virtually
Pop-up visitors had the most fun on the couches where virtual reality headsets led them on a six-minute virtual tour of the luxurious United Polaris® lounges and United Polaris inflight experience. They were virtually transported first to the lounges, equipped with dining choices inspired by the destinations United serves, quiet suites and shower suites containing Soho House & Co's Cowshed spa products. Next, they took in the 360-degree, 3D filming of customers traveling in United Polaris, with seats that recline flat to six feet, six inches, among other amenities. United Polaris seating is available on all long-haul international flights with Boeing 777-300 planes and being added to 777-200s and 757s. United Polaris lounges have been completed at Chicago O'Hare, New York/Newark and San Francisco, with additional lounges opening at Houston Intercontinental this summer and Los Angeles this fall.
A free trip — and cookies!
One lucky pop-up visitor won a drawing for roundtrip tickets on United Polaris business class. As for the rest, they enjoyed the same Christie Cookie Co.® White Chocolate Cranberry handcrafted cookies that United Polaris customers are given now as a pre-arrival amenity. As United team members learned in San Francisco, no one can resist a cookie, not even techies.
San Francisco: New views and brews
New & bigger attractions
The world's largest modern art museum is not in London, Paris or New York City—it's the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, which reopened in 2016 after a massive expansion. SFMOMA is walking distance from a number of San Francisco hotels. So is the Exploratorium, bursting with so many science, art and human perception exhibits that it was forced to move to larger quarters on side-by-side piers. It's among the world's premier hands-on science museums. A few blocks up the waterfront at Fisherman's Wharf is the city's newest major attraction, the San Francisco Dungeon, which presents 10 shows and rides featuring 20 live actors who play famous figures who animated the city's colorful past.
The Presidio reborn
America's most ambitious military-to-civilian conversion project keeps getting better. The Presidio, a 1500-acre fort that dates to 1776, has morphed into a unique national park where old army buildings have been repurposed as new hotels, restaurants and museums, as well as businesses and private homes. Located only steps from the new visitor center is the Presidio's most popular indoor attraction: the Walt Disney Family Museum. The story of Walt Disney's pioneering role in animation, movies, television and theme parks is told in galleries filled with memorabilia, film clips and Oscar statuettes. Just outside the museum on Thursday evenings (May to September) are Presidio Twilight events: mass picnics on the Parade Ground lawn.
Tried & true thrills
Even frequent visitors to San Francisco enjoy revisiting places that put the city on every tourism map. New buildings and paths at the Golden Gate Bridge have improved the visitor experience. The new China Live marketplace and restaurants in Chinatown add to the appeal of the authentic neighborhood, while North Beach still retains its Italian flavor. Golden Gate Park is full of wondrous gardens, lakes, trails, museums and activity options. Fisherman's Wharf and adjacent Pier 39 are as packed with seafood restaurants and family fun as ever. The shopping at Union Square is top-notch. And the cable cars still clamber tenaciously up the city's steepest hills.
Rave-worthy new restaurants
Restaurants rank high among the reasons people flock to San Francisco, where California cuisine and the farm-to-table phenomena arose. San Francisco restaurants pride themselves on serving ingredients that are locally and sustainably grown, raised and caught. But local chefs also turn those ingredients into creative, tasty fare. Among the newest top-100-rated San Francisco restaurants are International Smoke, co-launched by celebrity chef Michael Mina and Ayesha Curry, and three restaurants located blocks apart in the Hayes Valley district near the opera house: A Mano (Italian), Robin (sushi) and RT Rotisserie (casual comfort food).
New & noteworthy nearby
After spending several days taking in the sights of San Francisco, visitors with more time have a wealth of choices. Short ferry rides take you to Alcatraz, the infamous prison island, or Angel Island, a state park with perimeter-road tram rides. A short BART train ride under the bay brings you to within a block of the Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive—reopened in 2016 after a $112 million expansion. Short drives bring you north to Point Reyes National Seashore or the Napa/Sonoma Wine Country (fully recovered from the fires)—or for techies, south to Silicon Valley's Computer History Museum and Tech Museum of Innovation.
Breweries bubbling up
Dozens of microbreweries and tasting rooms have recently sprung up citywide. The newest near the city center are Holy Craft Brewery (a North Beach spot known for its Harajuku Girl rice ale), Black Hammer Brewing (experimental brews and edgy art) and Local Brewing (which names its beers for city neighborhoods). Another recent addition to the craft-beer sceneis Triple Voodoo, in thetrendy Dogpatch district past the Giants ballpark, which offers free tours by reservation on Thursdays and Saturdays.
If you go
United Airlines offers numerous flights to San Francisco from cities throughout the U.S. and worldwide. MileagePlus® Rewards can help pay for your hotel room once you arrive. Go to united.com or use the United app to plan your San Francisco vacation.
