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United Airlines


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November 2011: "American, meanwhile, has lost more than $11 billion since 2001, while falling off its perch as the nation’s largest airline as mergers between first Delta and Northwest, and then United and Continental, created bigger competitors. The airline’s troubles were compounded by high labor costs, including pensions that are the richest in the industry, and surging fuel prices."

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/11/29/in-bankruptcy-a-bid-to-cut-costs-at-american-airlines/

July 2009: "United Airlines is trying to shift more costs onto some travel agents and consumers, a move that is attracting heat from some members of Congress."

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0717/p02s01-usgn.html

April 2009: "The cattle-car quality of air travel is getting even less comfortable for some plus-size passengers. United Airlines (UAUA) on Apr. 15 announced it will require passengers who do not fit within one seat to buy another when no alternative can be arranged. And Euro-discounter Ryanair (RYAAY) is advancing the idea of a fat tax, which suggests to many observers the company may price its tickets based on body mass."

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/apr2009/db20090420_108489.ht

June 2008: "United Airlines said Thursday it would put the charge into effect Friday, two days earlier than American. The $15 fee, for passengers flying on leisure fares booked in advance, is on top of a $25 fee for checking a second suitcase that airlines began charging recently."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/business/13bags.html

September 2007: Lawyers for the defendants in the coming damages trials — United and American Airlines; airport security companies; Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer; and others — say the lawsuits are misguided, that the aviation industry played by the government rules at the time, and that the terrorists knew what they could get away with.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/04/nyregion/04cases.html

October 2005: For example, United Airlines did not make contributions to any of its four employee plans between 2000 and 2002, when it was heading into Chapter 11, and made minimal contributions in 2003. Even more surprisingly, in 2002, after two of its jets had been turned into weapons in the Sept. 11 disaster, and when the airline industry was pleading for emergency relief from Congress, United granted a 40 percent increase in pension benefits for its 23,000 ground employees.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/magazine/30pensions.html

August 2005: United Airlines pilots and crew are the flying guinea pigs in a test of controversial new passports equipped with remotely readable chips.

http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,68451,00.html

May 2005: The immediate effect of the decision will be to cut by more than half the pensions of many members of United Airlines' four unions, who have now become wards of the federal government's pension guarantee program. While reducing the maximum United pension benefit from more than $100,000 a year to around $46,000 may not seem like a social disaster, the court's action may well mark the beginning of the end of the system of retirement planning as we know it. Indeed, this decision, more than the predicted shortfall of Social Security decades from now, will have a real impact on the retirement of real people who live in real time.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/14/AR2005051400073.html

January 2005: United Airlines'... mechanics union yesterday rejected a new cost-cutting contract and threatened to strike if a bankruptcy judge nullifies its existing agreement. The vote was a major blow to UAL Corp., parent company of the nation's second-largest airline, which has struggled to cut its costs for more than two years while operating under protection from its creditors."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45880-2005Jan28.html

Relationships

RoleNameTypeLast Updated
Owned by (partial or full, past or present) UAL Corp. Organization May 20, 2005
Director/Trustee/Overseer (past or present) Mr. Walter Isaacson Person Nov 30, 2011

Articles and Resources

22 Articles and Resources. Go to:  [Next 2]

Date Fairness.com Resource Read it at:
Nov 29, 2011 In Chapter 11, a Bid to Cut Costs at American Airlines

QUOTE: After resisting for a decade, the parent company of American Airlines announced Tuesday that it would now follow a strategy that the rest of the industry chose long ago: filing for bankruptcy protection so it can shed debt, cut labor costs and find a way back to profitability.

 New York Times
May 30, 2011 Where ‘Free’ Costs a Lot

QUOTE: Although many carriers charge passengers flying with award tickets some government taxes and fees, foreign airlines are increasingly adding fuel surcharges to the bill...

 New York Times
Aug 02, 2009 Computer-trading worries grow as NYSE builds new datacenter

QUOTE: Not everyone is happy that the NYSE is poised to massively boost the already overwhelming amount of computer trading. At issue is not the simple fact of computers trading against one another over electronic networks—it's the speed with which they appear to be squeezing the humans out of the loop, and the potential instability and fragility that may result from increased automation of global markets.

 Ars Technica
Jul 16, 2009 United plan could put huge costs on passengers

QUOTE: United notified a small number of travel agents that starting July 20 they would be required to buy tickets for their customers with cash rather than through the airline's credit-card system... Industry analysts and travel agents soon cried foul, saying the move could shift hundreds of millions of dollars in costs from the airline to its passengers and travel agencies.

 Christian Science Monitor
Apr 20, 2009 United Airlines Weighs In on 'Seat Infringement'

QUOTE: United Airlines on Apr. 15 announced it will require passengers who do not fit within one seat to buy another when no alternative can be arranged. And Euro-discounter Ryanair is advancing the idea of a fat tax, which suggests to many observers the company may price its tickets based on body mass.

 BusinessWeek
Jul 03, 2008 Trial Ordered in Concorde Crash

QUOTE: A prosecutor said Thursday that Continental Airlines and two of its employees had been ordered to stand trial on involuntary manslaughter charges related to the crash of a Concorde supersonic airliner in 2000 near Paris in which 113 people died. In addition to Continental, the prosecutor also filed involuntary manslaughter charges against two employees of the Concorde program and an employee of the French civil aviation authority.

 New York Times
Jun 13, 2008 Like American, More Airlines Add Fees for Checking Luggage

QUOTE: Airlines are attributing new fees and surcharges to high fuel prices, up 91.5 percent from this time last year, according to the International Air Transport Association. “With record-breaking fuel prices, we must pursue new revenue opportunities, while continuing to offer competitive fares, by tailoring our products and services around what our customers value most and are willing to pay for,” United’s chief operating officer, John P. Tague, said in a statement.

 New York Times
Sep 04, 2007 Little Noticed 9/11 Lawsuits Will Go to Trial

QUOTE: Lawyers for the defendants in the coming damages trials — United and American Airlines; airport security companies; Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer; and others — say the lawsuits are misguided, that the aviation industry played by the government rules at the time, and that the terrorists knew what they could get away with.

 New York Times
Mar 22, 2007 The 'Open Skies' Deal Is Hindered by Protectionism (The Invisible Hand)

QUOTE: Under the terms of the deal, which was approved by European ministers today, the administration will once again ask Congress to ease the restrictions on foreign airline ownership, not that anyone seriously believes this Congress will do any such thing for this president. Trying, however, will bring its own reward, in the form of expanded access by U.S. airlines to the most lucrative international air hub: London's Heathrow.

 Smart Money
Jan 25, 2007 When Air Travel Goes Wrong, Here's How to Get Compensated

QUOTE: Chances are, you can get some form of reimbursement for your lost time or money — but don't expect the airlines to volunteer it. You have to be proactive about researching your rights and an airline's policies, and then making sure the airline holds up its end of the deal.

 Smart Money
Aug 15, 2006 Maybe the Toughest Job Aloft

QUOTE: Flight attendants, whose profession was once considered glamorous, may have one of the toughest jobs in the airline industry these days...planes are packed fuller than they have been in decades, there are fewer perks to provide comfort and distraction for passengers, and flight attendants have seen their pay and benefits cut at many airlines.

 New York Times
Aug 13, 2006 Hey, Partner, Where Are My Miles?

QUOTE: hough many travelers aren't aware of airline partnerships, dozens of carriers around the globe have joined forces to offer mileage credit for flying with their partners....In theory, it's a great way to bolster your frequent-flier balances and gain elite status; in practice, according to travelers and frequent-flier experts, it's sometimes difficult to get the miles.

 Washington Post
May 05, 2006 Airlines Charge More for Less

QUOTE: Fliers aren't happy but realize carriers are forced to find new revenue sources to compensate for runaway fuel prices.

 ConsumerAffairs.com
Apr 05, 2006 Travelers brace for turbulence on bankrupt airlines

QUOTE: If your summer travel plans involve plane tickets, you might want to listen up. There may be no one to fly the plane -- or an airline to fly on -- by the time your departure date rolls around.

 Bankrate.com
Feb 25, 2006 A Move to Add Still More Fine Print to Advertised Airfares

QUOTE: ...if the large airlines win their lobbying battle to loosen industry advertising regulations, the proposed changes would give them leeway to also advertise fares that do not include the entire amount that the airline would receive. For instance, an airline could advertise a fare and then add a fuel surcharge, increasing the overall cost of the ticket.

 New York Times
Oct 30, 2005 The End of Pensions

QUOTE: For the U.A.W., Miller noted forlornly, "30 and Out" - 30 years to retirement - became a rallying cry. Eventually, the union got what it wanted, and workers who started on the assembly line after high school found they could retire by their early 50's. "These pensions were created when we all used to work until age 70 and then poop out at 72," Miller told me. "Now if you live past 80, a not-uncommon demographic, you're going to be taking benefits for longer than you are working. That social contract is under severe pressure."

 New York Times
Aug 09, 2005 Airline Tests RFID on the Fly

QUOTE: The new chips are part of post-9/11 security efforts intended to curb passport fraud and speed up border crossings, according to Frank Moss, the State Department's deputy assistant secretary for passport services.

 Wired
May 15, 2005 The Retirement You Weren't Banking On

QUOTE: ...permitting United Airlines to default on its pension plans, which cover more than 130,000 people -- should send shivers up your spine....Many of us, heeding the advice of financial planners, have done some planning for our retirement. But such planning is worthless if a key source of income, such as a pension benefit, cannot be relied upon.

 Washington Post
May 11, 2005 United Can End Pensions, Judge Says

QUOTE: A bankruptcy judge last night approved United Airlines' request to terminate its pension plans, clearing the way for the largest corporate pension default in history ...

 Washington Post
Jan 29, 2005 Mechanics At United Reject Contract

QUOTE: United Airlines' mechanics union yesterday rejected a new cost-cutting contract and threatened to strike if a bankruptcy judge nullifies its existing agreement.

 Washington Post

22 Articles and Resources. Go to:  [Next 2]