United Airlines News

Will United Airlines ever take the 35 Airbus A350s it has on order? At one point, it had an acute need for the new long-haul aircraft. But times change, and United already has a worthy successor for its Boeing 747 fleet — the Boeing 777-300ER.

In recent years, many Alaska Airlines frequent flyers liked to fly American, because they would receive loyalty benefits even when flying the competition. But starting next year, that perk will end, and that's not great news for road warriors.

Both the Global Business Travel Association Convention 2017 and United's second quarter earnings this week should give us a better handle on how corporate travel demand is faring in the Age of Trump and political uncertainties around the globe.

Did customers book away from United Airlines after security officers called by the airline beat up a passenger in Chicago? Probably not, considering how well the airline performed financially in the second quarter.

Here's a prediction. The Trump administration may do little on the Open Skies debate. Yes, U.S. airlines probably suffer because of the agreements with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. But plenty of other U.S. interests take advantage of the same agreements to make money.

No, these special airline VIP lobbies are not new. But all three full-service U.S. airlines are investing in them, with each trying to one-up the other. If you're a regular coach customer, you likely don't care. But if you have access to these lobbies, you're probably pleased.

What have we learned from this investor conference? Americans are cheap. Some travelers probably do win when buying these fares, but United says as many as 40 percent of customers are choosing them. Surely, some don't know what they're buying.

Are old-school U.S. airlines too focused on short-term profits and competing against low-cost carriers to deliver a quality product to their loyal passengers?

Business travelers love saving two or three hours of flying time. They'll surely love United's new nonstop. But for everyone else, 18 hours is a long time to spend on an airplane. Even a 787.

United is making a sound business decision by rewarding its best customers. But in recent years, we've seen the chasm grow between the flying haves and have-nots. This will only further that trend.