United Airlines News

That Smisek would go, effective immediately, based on the curious Federal case of the Chairman's Flight and not the botched United-Continental merger speaks volumes about the state of U.S. aviation.

Now that airlines are making money again, they're fighting for business from corporate travel agents.

Who's more important to the airlines: shareholders or passengers? Take one guess.

Passengers do choose what airline to fly based on network advantage. Fares too. But it is good to see any airline work to turn around a blemished image by focusing on the customer. Friendly never hurts.

Travel brands that have separate Twitter accounts to handle customer inquiries should take a step back and reassess their strategy to determine whether it's the most effective use of their resources.

Lippy Cow lip balm sounds interesting. Maybe United could offer little kits on sale to its Economy passengers. They get knackered too and could use a little milk of human kindness.

United hopes that consistent information sharing and mobile digital services will improve its relationship with passengers. They can't hurt, but this doesn't even begin to address United's core problems, which are leadership and competence.

Brooklyn was too hip for United anyway.

The program is advantageous to travelers and to national security, but this “blue seal” CBP approval could make certain routes and hubs more popular than others. No doubt, both airlines and airports take note of this.