United Picks a Funny Time to Attract More Passengers
Will United Airlines’ Customer Problems Impact Investors?
Just as United Airlines Inc. grapples with the fallout from a customer service debacle, the carrier is embarking on a growth spurt—an effort to regain what its president dubs “natural market share” after years of decisions that ceded traffic to rivals.
In the second quarter, United plans to boost domestic growth by as much as 5.5 percent as its mainline flights expand and regional jets disappear on marquee business routes such as Chicago-Washington and Newark-Atlanta. The switch to larger jets for many destinations is meant to show that United has a superior product while making it more competitive with domestic rivals. United also wants to command higher shares at its hubs, much the way its competitors do in cities such as Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, N.C., and Detroit.