Some people wondered what state the airlines would emerge from the crisis in, and what their future would be in “the world after”. Well, United has made up its mind: the airline is in top form, and more ambitious than ever.
After announcing its supersonic flight project for 2029, United has announced an ambitious upmarket plan for domestic flights, which will take several forms.
First, the largest order in the airline’s history with 270 aircraft: 200 Boeing 737 MAX and 70 Airbus A321neo, bringing the total number of single-aisle aircraft on order to 500. From 2023 onwards, the airline will receive a single-aisle aircraft every 3 days.
And to ensure a uniform customer experience, the rest of the single-aisle fleet will be retrofitted to match the latest aircraft in the fleet. This includes more premium seats on board, screens for all seats in all classes, new lighting to change cabin moods to suit the moment…
The crisis will undeniably leave its mark, and as we have often written, there will be the airlines capable of taking the offensive in a market that is undergoing reconstruction or even consolidation, and those that will suffer. Those who will be ambitious and those who will be cautious, but not only: you have to have the means to be ambitious, and unsurprisingly, the airlines that will emerge stronger from the crisis are often those that were already well managed beforehand.
United has never been known for its above-average customer experience, far from it. The fact that it has engaged in this kind of engagement is proof that to take advantage of the upturn, it will be necessary to invest and not cut costs at all costs.
