United Airlines

United Airlines traces its roots to 6 April 1926, when Varney Air Lines launched the first scheduled, privately operated airmail flight in the U.S. It flew from Pasco, Washington, to Boise, Idaho. Through successive acquisitions, United Air Lines consolidated into a single carrier by 1931 under the leadership of William E. Boeing. The modern airline took shape over the following decades, operating the first commercial flight with flight attendants, founding the Air Line Pilots Association, and steadily expanding into a global network.

A defining moment came in 2010, when United merged with Continental Airlines to create what is today the world’s largest airline by mainline fleet. United Airlines marks its centennial in 2026, celebrating 100 years of operations as one of the most globally connected carriers on the planet.

United runs the world’s largest mainline fleet as of June 2026, with 1,112 aircraft across an all-Boeing widebody operation and a mixed Airbus-Boeing narrowbody fleet. Under its United Next strategy, launched in 2021, the carrier has taken delivery of over 237 Boeing 737 MAX jets, 22 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 67 Airbus A321neos, while phasing out older 757s and 767s.

On 3 June 2026, United Airlines received its first Airbus A321XLR, the longest-range narrowbody in commercial service, opening thin international routes previously served by widebodies.

United Airlines builds its schedule on a hub-and-spoke model spanning eight US hubs, with Chicago O’Hare its primary gateway and the backbone of both domestic and international flying. Its international network is the broadest of any North American carrier, serving 46 transatlantic cities in Summer 2026 and 41 destinations that no other US airline flies.

United Airlines holds one of the strongest long-term safety records among US carriers — a 35-year span without a fatal passenger accident attributable to mechanical failure or pilot error. However, a cluster of high-profile incidents in 2024–2025 drew regulatory scrutiny and prompted a targeted FAA safety audit, which concluded without any significant findings against the airline.

United Airlines posted a record $59.1 billion in revenue for full-year 2025 and carried 181 million passengers (both company records) while delivering adjusted diluted EPS of $10.62 and a pre-tax margin of 7.8%. The result outperformed Wall Street guidance and reflected a resurgence in international premium travel demand.

United Airlines has steadily improved its reliability metrics under the United Next programme, closing the traditional gap on Delta that characterised the early 2020s. A snapshot of recent performance:

A founding member of Star Alliance, United Airlines coordinates revenue and schedules across the globe’s largest airline network and holds joint-business agreements on its key international corridors.

United Airlines layers four cabin tiers across its widebody fleet, headlined by the Polaris business class product, which is being upgraded to an all-suite layout under the United Elevated programme.

Checked bag fees rose on 3 April 2026 for tickets purchased on or after that date. One carry-on and one personal item remain free for Economy and above; Basic Economy passengers receive a personal item only, with a $75 gate charge if a carry-on is brought to the gate.

United Airlines accepts small cats and dogs in the cabin. The PetSafe cargo programme was discontinued in 2018 and is available only to active US military and State Department personnel on official orders.

United’s reputation has improved materially under CEO Scott Kirby, recovering from the low point of the pandemic years to post its highest NPS scores in recent history.