Oct. 12, 2010 at 4:52 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes,
Airports,
China,
International
By Julie Johnsson
Like rival American Airlines, United Airlines wants to expand its reach into China and has asked federal officials for permission to begin daily flights from Los Angeles to Shanghai starting in May 2011.
The new service would expand United’s reach in Asia’s booming air travel market, which has rebounded from the recent global recession faster than the U.S. and Europe.
Chicago-based United also seeks to take advantage of additional flights between the U.S. and China that will become available in 2011 under a recent trade agreement that loosened the tightly regulated market for air travel between the two countries. Get the full story »
Oct. 8, 2010 at 11:19 a.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes,
Airports,
Earnings
By Associated Press
United Airlines said September traffic rose 7.6 percent, and a key revenue measure rose too. The airline said the revenue collected for each available seat flown one mile rose 13.5 percent to 14.5 percent compared with September 2009. Not counting regional flights on partner carriers, the same revenue measure rose 14 percent to 15 percent.
Oct. 6, 2010 at 11:48 a.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes,
Airports,
Jobs/employment,
Labor
By Reuters
Flight attendants with Continental Airlines Inc said they will not participate in contract talks with their peers at United Airlines, according to a report in Bloomberg.
United flight attendants had said in an exchange of letters they would have more leverage if they worked together, according to Bloomberg.
Representatives for Continental and for Association of Flight Attendants could not be immediately reached for comment. Get the full story »
By Associated Press
Shares of U.S. airlines fell Monday. Although the Obama administration issued a terrorism alert for Americans travelling to Europe, the more likely culprits were higher jet fuel prices and a broader stock market downturn. United, Continental, American and Delta said they weren’t seeing unusual numbers of cancellations and were operating their full schedules of flights to and from Europe on Monday.
By Reuters
United-Continental CEO Jeff Smisek, center, talks with two employees on Sept. 23, 2010, in Houston. (Tribune)
Airline company United Continental Holdings Inc., formed Friday in the merger of UAL and Continental Airlines, said Chief Executive Jeff Smisek would receive an annual salary of $975,000.
Smisek, who had been CEO of Continental, may also receive 150 percent of his salary as an annual bonus. Pay details were disclosed by the company in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Friday.
UAL and Continental merged to create the world’s largest carrier by traffic. Get the full story »
Oct. 1, 2010 at 11:36 a.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes,
Airports,
M&A,
Updated
By Emily Bryson York
Continental Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek walks through Terminal C of Houston Intercontinental Airport to catch a flight to Chicago on Sept. 23, 2010. (Tribune)
United Airlines closed its merger with Continental Airlines Friday to create the world’s largest airline, called United Airlines. The stock begins trading this morning under the symbol UAL. The holding company formed from the all-stock merger will be called United Continental Holdings Inc.
The two airlines will begin marketing as one company in the spring. In the meantime, travelers will see United employees at United kiosks and Continental employees at Continental kiosks, depending on which carrier is handling the flight.
The company is working to combine frequent flyer programs. In a call with reporters, Smisek underscored, “your miles are safe.” Get the full story »
Sep. 30, 2010 at 1:28 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Chicago executives,
Personnel moves
By Ameet Sachdev and Julie Johnsson | The merger between United and Continental airlines is scheduled to become official on Friday, and there is an unexpected hole in the senior management team.
Tom Sabatino, who was supposed to be the top lawyer inside the combined United-Continental airlines, has resigned, the Tribune has confirmed. Get the full story »
Sep. 29, 2010 at 3:59 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes,
Airports,
M&A
By Dow Jones Newswires
Moody’s Investors Service raised its ratings on UAL Corp. a notch, finishing the review of the airline it begun when the parent of United unveiled its deal to merge with Continental Airlines Inc. Get the full story »
Sep. 28, 2010 at 4:41 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes,
Airports
From BusinessWeek | UAL Corp.’s merger with Continental Airlines Inc. won’t create a monopoly and shouldn’t be blocked on antitrust grounds, a federal judge ruled, helping to clear the way for the deal’s completion.
Sep. 23, 2010 at 11:59 a.m.
Filed under:
Airlines
By Julie Johnsson
A United Airlines plane prepares for takeoff at O'Hare. (Chris Sweda/ Chicago Tribune)
Federal officials penalized United Airlines $12,000 for over-reporting its May tarmac delays, even though the flights in question did not violate new rules aimed at eliminating nightmarish ground delays.
The fine is the first issued by Department of Transportation officials related to rules, which took effect April 29, mandating carriers provide passengers with food, water and the chance to exit before a tarmac delay hits the three-hour point. Airlines face fines of up to $27,500 per passenger, or $3 million for a typical Boeing or Airbus narrow-body jet, for any flight that doesn’t comply. Get the full story »
Sep. 17, 2010 at 10:38 a.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
M&A
By Tribune staff report
United CEO Glenn Tilton, left, and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley at a press conference on the United-Continental merger on May 4, 2010. (José M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago-based United Airlines shareholders on Friday overwhelmingly voted to approve a deal to combine with Continental to form the world’s biggest airline.
Meanwhile in Houston, Continental shareholders also gave the merger a thumbs up.
Shareholders of United parent UAL Corp. met in Elk Grove Township on Friday morning to vote on the $3 billion stock swap. The companies expect the deal to close in the next two weeks. Get the full story »
Sep. 10, 2010 at 2:56 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
M&A
By Associated Press
Fitch Ratings upgraded United Airlines Inc. and its parent UAL Corp. before the closing of a tie-up with Continental Airlines Inc.
Sep. 8, 2010 at 4:25 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes,
Airports,
Banking,
Policy,
Politics
By Reuters
The Chicago City Council gave final approval on Wednesday to $1 billion of revenue bonds to continue expanding O’Hare International Airport.
But the two major carriers at the airport are not saying if they plan on fighting the debt sale.
A spokesman for American Airlines said there was “no comment at this time.” Get the full story »
Aug. 23, 2010 at 12:32 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Tourism,
Travel
By Reuters
Travelers on U.S. airlines can look forward to higher fares and higher fees this fall as demand recovers from the 2009 economic recession, a top fare expert said Monday.
Fares for domestic flights are 16 percent to 20 percent higher than they were a year ago, said Rick Seaney, chief executive of Farecompare.com. Get the full story »
Aug. 16, 2010 at 5:15 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
M&A
By Associated Press
Shareholders at United and Continental airlines will vote on Sept. 17 on combining their two companies. A filing on Monday says the votes will happen at special meetings in Houston, where Continental is based, and at a United Airlines facility in Elk Grove Village, Ill.
