Scott Kirby travel tips

Spirit Airlines continues to tweak its network to chase more demand.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, September 5, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Whether it’s his strong stance on ultra-low-cost carriers or his brutally honest criticism on the current state of Boeing, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has become one of the most influential — and candid — voices in the airline industry. 

United Airlines flight attendants voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike as tensions with management rise. 

It seems Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle has heard enough criticism of the U.S. ultra-low-cost airline industry — even as the carrier projects more financial losses in the coming months and plans to reduce flights on certain days of the week and push back new aircraft deliveries by years.

Despite a slew of industry headwinds eating into airlines’ profits during what has otherwise been a record summer, United Airlines had a strong second quarter. 

United Airlines flight attendants said Tuesday they are voting on whether to authorize a strike as negotiations with management have stalled. 

Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight may start noticing personalized advertisements whenever they try to watch a movie or TV show on the seat-back screens. 

Ultra-low-cost airlines are taking one out of left field.

If last week was one American Airlines would rather forget, consider 2024 the year Delta Air Lines never wants to end.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that it had not approved United’s ability to launch new routes and planes and that the carrier was still under a safety review. However, United said in an employee memo it had been cleared to begin the process for resuming certification activities.

United Airlines has premiered its new pre-flight safety video. The company says it has been designed “to capture and keep the attention of even the most frequent travelers.”

Congress has passed a bipartisan bill to reauthorize Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs by overwhelming majorities in both the House and the Senate, leading to greater protections for travelers.

Another blockbuster summer awaits, United Airlines said on Wednesday, despite cautioning headwinds will force changes to the carrier's ambitious growth strategy for the coming years.

From Boeing delivery delays and increased Federal Aviation Administration oversight to escalations in the Middle East, it would seem like United Airlines might be in hot water. 

United Airlines would have turned a profit in the first quarter of 2024 had it not been for a door plug blowing off an Alaska Airlines jet mid-flight in January.

United Airlines reported it took a $200 million hit during the first-quarter from the Max 9 grounding, according to a regulatory filing posted Tuesday. 

United Airlines is reportedly developing a new class of seating, which is said to be a business class inside the existing business class.

The American Airlines pilots’ union said it has noticed a “significant spike” in safety and maintenance-related incidents. 

Around a dozen United Airlines flight attendants picketed outside LaGuardia Airport on Thursday, demanding better pay and working conditions. 

United Airlines has postponed a pair of inaugural flights, citing delays by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following a series of recent safety incidents.