United Airlines Review; How do they measure up?

A comprehensive look at how United Airlines fares, both on the world stage and domestically. After reading this United airlines review, you will have a thorough understanding of the average United Airlines experience as both a customer and employee.

IntroductionUnited airlines review

When it comes to domestic air travel, Americans are spoilt for choice when choosing a carrier or prospective employer. With 18 commercial air carriers across the USA, it’s important when traveling to know which airline will best suit your individual needs, or when applying for a job, which carrier will allow you the best professional experience. In this review, we’ve taken into account major factors for customers such as size, history, major ports and reliability, and pros and cons for prospective employees such as pay, benefits, and management, to allow you a better understanding of how they stack up, both domestically and internationally. As you will learn, your experience with United Airlines will likely depend on who you are, and what you consider important when searching for an airline.

united airlines review

Where do United Airlines fly? Do United Airlines fly internationally?

United Airlines flies to 79 domestic locations and 111 international locations across all of the world’s continents excluding Antarctica. Domestic flights include JFK, LAX, ATL, DFW, San Francisco and Chicago O’Hare airports. Internationally, United Airlines flies to most major hubs including Heathrow, Hong Kong, Singapore and many other countries with the current exception of Dubai.

How long have United Airlines been around?

United Airlines has been around since 1929, and while they don’t rank as one of the oldest airlines in the world, they aren’t too far off. They began life as a conglomerate of several air transport and aircraft manufacturing companies known as United Aircraft Transport Corporation, before pressure from the US Congress in 1934 forced a dissolution into several holding companies, one of which is the United Airlines that exists today.

united airlines review
A pilot’s pay will vary depending on what aircraft they fly, whether they are a Captain or First Officer and how long they have been at their company.

Are United Airlines a good airline to work for?

Overall, United Airlines appears to be a great airline to work for… depending on the job role. With an average score of 4.1 stars out of 5 on www.glassdoor.com and 4.0 on www.indeed.com, current and former employees have described them as a “fun place to work” with “great travel benefits.” This can make all the difference when compared to an airline that doesn’t have great employee benefits. While most flight attendants and ramp agents had positive things to say, most of their lesser reviews came from customer service agents.

How much do United Airlines pilots get paid?

At any airline, a pilot’s pay depends on several factors. A pilot’s pay will vary depending on what aircraft they fly, whether they are a Captain or First Officer and how long they have been at their company. Pilot salaries at United Airlines range from approximately USD$73,000 for a junior First Officer to almost USD$285,000 for a senior wide-body Captain, according to AviationInterviews.com.

A flight attendant with United can expect to earn between USD$43,000, up to USD$97,000 depending on their level of training and flight experience. https://www.indeed.com/cmp/United-Airlines/salaries/Flight-Attendant

Are United Airlines flights safe?

United Airlines has been awarded a perfect safety score of 7/7 stars by the popular website AirlineRatings.com and has also been named as one of the 20 safest airlines in the world from a list of 385 airlines. This rating accounts for factors such as serious pilot incidents and crew and passenger fatalities in the last 10 years. To learn more about this safety rating’s criteria, visit the AirlineRatings website.

united airlines review
United Airlines operates a large and diverse narrow-body fleet of Boeing and Airbus aircraft

What planes do United Airlines use?

United Airlines operates a large and diverse narrow-body fleet of Boeing and Airbus aircraft, including A319s, A320s, and 737s. Their narrow-body fleet is 567 strong, with an additional 491 A321 and 737 Max aircraft on order. Their wide-body fleet is presently Boeing-only, consisting of 274 757, 767, 777, and Dreamliner aircraft. However, this is soon to change, with 45 Airbus A350s on order to replace part of the 757 fleet.

Are United Airlines one of the largest airlines in the world?

Looking at their fleet, it’s easy to see that United Airlines is quite a large airline, and with so many aircraft on order, they’re only getting bigger. United Airlines currently operates approximately 840 aircraft, with another 544 on order, making them the third-largest airline in the world. The sheer size of United Airlines today is partially due to a merger with Continental Airlines completed in 2010.

united airlines review
United has endured 7 fatal accidents, with 2 being part of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Advantages of flying for United Airlines

 United Airlines also scored 4.1 out of 5 stars for employee benefits on the Glassdoor website. Employee benefits listed on the airline’s website, United.com, include:

  • Unlimited standby travel and discounted tickets
  • Paid time off and sick time
  • Company match on 401(k)
  • Employee bonuses and profit-sharing when United performs well
  • Various medical & life insurance options
  • Professional development and fast career progression for United airlines staff
  • Networking and volunteering opportunities
  • Excellent training center
  • Committed to reducing their carbon footprint

“We’re taking our dollars, our time and our commitment and really focusing all of it on those solutions that can actually pull the emissions out of flying.”

Lauren Riley, managing director for global environmental affairs and sustainability at United – (theguardian.com)

Disadvantages of flying for United Airlines

Due to their competitive benefits, there appears to be little downside to flying for United Airlines. While few pilots had negative things to say, those that did quoted these disadvantages in United Airlines reviews:

  • Rising premiums on insurance policies
  • Reports of potentially incapable upper management

FAQs about United Airlines:

Is United Airlines trustworthy?

While United Airlines gets a lot of things right, it seems, concerning reliability, they still have some work to do. They have been quoted in various studies as being at or below average for factors such as on-time performance, lost baggage, and overall customer satisfaction compared with other US carriers. For more information and statistics, visit websites such as LuggageHero.com and OAG.com.

Has a United Airlines plane ever crashed?

Like most long-standing airlines globally, United Airlines are not without their share of accidents and incidents. In total, United has endured 7 fatal accidents, with 2 being part of the September 11 terrorist attacks. However, passengers of United Airlines can rest assured as safety and human factors training in aviation have advanced drastically since the early 1900s and since 9/11, aviation security has improved exponentially. United Airlines has not had a fatal accident since the terrorist attacks of 2001, with only minor mishaps occurring since.

united airlines review
Have you flown United? What was your experience?

Conclusion – Are United Airlines a good airline? How do they rate?

So, with all of this said, how do United Airlines measure up? The answer will vary, depending on if you’re a customer or an employee, and if you are the latter, what kind of job you have with the airline. If you’re a customer who is happy with the average, run-of-the-mill airline experience, then United Airlines may be the carrier for you, whether you’re flying first class, business class or premium economy. However, if you want a top-tier, hiccup-free travel experience, you may choose to look elsewhere.

For those who wish to work, or already fly United Airlines, you can go to work confident that you are employed by a high-ranking US airline with excellent employee perks. 

Do you have experience flying United airlines? Let us know in the comments!

You might also be interested in our articles on:

Delta airlines review

American airlines review

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ken johnson

Ken

Ken is a passionate aviator, a professional pilot and flight instructor. He has over 17 years of flight experience across hundreds of aircraft ranging from recreational, aerobatic, historic, commercial and military aircraft, training hundreds of students along the way. Find out more.

Ken has 124 posts and counting. See all posts by Ken

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