2020
Scott Kirby became CEO of United Airlines in May 2020.
“Scott Kirby took over United Airlines in May 2020 at the height of the pandemic.”
Topic
United Airlines
18 facts from 2 episodes, in date order. These are what speakers said on the shows, each linked to the moment it was said. They aren't independently verified.
2020
Scott Kirby says every global long-haul airline except United permanently retired part of its wide-body fleet during COVID.
“literally every global long-haul airline in the world, except for United, permanently retired part of their wide-body fleets.”
2020
Scott Kirby says United placed the biggest aircraft order in history during COVID.
“do the biggest aircraft order in history, which we did.”
2020
Kirby says United's COVID-era order was 200 wide-body aircraft plus several hundred narrow-body aircraft.
“200 wide bodies and then we did another several hundred narrow bodies.”
2020
United began a several-hundred-million-dollar project in 2020 to move off mainframes and modernize its tech stack.
“We started that in 2020 in an anticipatory and it's really paying off today.”
2025
Kirby says 48% of United flights had Starlink at recording, rising to 50% within a week.
“And today we're at 48 % of our flights are on Starlink. In the next week, it's going to be up to 50.”
Undated
John Collison said Boeing and United Airlines were once part of the same vertically integrated company before being split up.
“Did you know Boeing and United used to be the same company?”
Undated
Kirby says United is the only airline that owns its own reservation system, while others use outsourced providers such as Sabre.
“We're the only airline in the world that owns our own reservation system.”
Undated
Kirby says United is taking over seatback entertainment and map software from Panasonic.
“So we're taking over the map software from Panasonic.”
Undated
In a United test of delay messages, Kirby says net promoter score was about negative 60 with standard weather texts and plus 60 with a radar map image.
“The people with one-hour delay, I think the numbers were negative 60 NPS on the normal way of sending it, plus 60 when we sent them a picture of the map.”
Undated
Kirby says Los Angeles will be United's first hub with 100% Starlink coverage, expected in the first half of the following year.
“our first hub, I'm not going to tell you the date yet, the first hub that's going to be 100 % Starlink is Los Angeles.”
Undated
Kirby says airline aircraft retrofit programs have traditionally taken about eight years.
“doing aircraft remodification takes eight years.”
Undated
Kirby says United's fuel costs rose by $8 billion in the year of recording, compared with its best-ever profit of $5 billion.
“even now with oil prices, oil prices for us are up $8 billion this year. Our best year in history, we made $5 billion.”
Undated
Kirby says United's transatlantic destinations grew from 23 ten years ago to a planned 53 by the following summer.
“we had 23 destinations 10 years ago when I got to United, we'll have 53 next summer.”
Undated
Kirby says a new United hub in the Southeast would need about 600 daily flights to compete with American and Delta.
“We would need to have 600 flights a day to be competitive with American and Delta.”
Undated
Kirby says about 50,000 people a day fly free on United using credit card miles, a cost often overlooked in credit card revenue.
“We carry over 50 ,000 people a day. 50 ,000 people today will fly free on United Airlines by using their credit card miles.”
Undated
Kirby says United more than doubled its airport club space since before COVID and plans another 50% increase.
“We doubled down on club investments. So we've doubled our square footage of club space from pre-COVID today, more than doubled.”
Undated
Kirby says Lufthansa is United's second-largest partner, with ANA important across the Pacific.
“Lufthansa is second. Across the Pacific, A &A is big.”
Episodes