United Airlines has had a busy six months. It sold more tickets than ever, but a fuel bill driven up by the Iran war ate much of the gain. Its flight attendants approved a contract after six years of talks. A jet hit a light pole on its way into Newark. Starlink Wi-Fi spread to about half of United's daily flights, and the airline used it to court Delta and American flyers. It also made MileagePlus status harder to earn from 2027. This report covers roughly May 1 to November 1, 2026, with a few earlier items for context.
Record revenue, shrinking profit
The backdrop is fuel. United stopped flying to Israel and Dubai after the Iran war began in late February, and jet fuel prices spiked in March. United trimmed its planned flying for the second and third quarters, as Airways reported at the time.
On July 15, United reported second-quarter revenue of $17.7 billion, up 16%. Fuel cost $5.11 billion, up 84%, at an average of $4.19 a gallon. Adjusted earnings fell to $1.99 a share from $3.87 a year earlier. Even so, United raised its full-year target to $9 to $11 a share, per its second-quarter release. It said it now expected nearly $6 billion more in fuel costs for the year than it had planned in January.
The third quarter, reported October 20, set records. Revenue rose 17.4% to $17.9 billion, and United flew a record 49.5 million passengers. Net income was $1.03 billion, and adjusted earnings were $2.54 a share. Fuel cost $4.84 billion, up 62%, according to the third-quarter release.
Then came the cut. United's investor update guides to fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of $0.50 to $1.50 a share. It assumes fuel at about $4.80 a gallon, roughly 45 cents above what analysts had assumed. CNBC worked out that full-year earnings would be no more than $7.22 a share, well below July's range. CEO Scott Kirby told CNBC that United is passing about 72% of the fuel increase on to customers and wants that closer to 100%.
For travelers, that means higher fares. United's passenger revenue per seat mile rose 16.1% in the third quarter. Premium, basic economy and loyalty revenue each grew 16% to 17%.
The balance sheet held up. United ended September with $17.7 billion in liquidity and grew its credit line from $3 billion to $5 billion. It had said it was aiming for an investment-grade credit rating in 2026. As of its third-quarter filing, S&P, Moody's and Fitch all still rated it one notch below that line.
Newark: a scare in May
On May 3, United Flight 169, a Boeing 767 from Venice, hit a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike while landing at Newark. None of the 221 passengers or 10 crew members were hurt, NPR reported. A truck driver below was cut by broken glass.
The NTSB's preliminary report found the jet was about 19 feet above the highway as it crossed, AirlineGeeks reported. Debris from the pole, not the plane, hit the truck. On the approach to runway 29, the first officer told the captain, "You are still slow and a little low," according to CBS News. The NTSB has not named a probable cause.
The daily operation at Newark got better. United said the airport had its best-ever second quarter for on-time flights. In September, United began testing food delivery to the gate there.
A flight attendant deal, six years on
On May 12, nearly 30,000 United flight attendants ratified a five-year contract. The Association of Flight Attendants said 82% voted yes. The union says base pay rises 31% on average. The deal also adds boarding pay, limits red-eye flying and includes $741 million in retroactive pay. Members had rejected an earlier deal in July 2025. United booked a $184 million second-quarter charge for this contract and several IAM agreements.
Spirit's collapse and the merger talk
Spirit Airlines stopped flying on May 2. United offered stranded Spirit customers one-way fares capped at $199, or $299 on longer trips, for travel through May 16. It also extended pass travel to Spirit employees and flagged their job applications for recruiters, United said.
Merger talk followed. In late April, Kirby had confirmed that he approached American Airlines about a merger, and American said no. At a Bernstein conference in late May, he called the idea of buying JetBlue "just idiotic," The Points Guy reported. "The last thing I'm going to do is buy a route network that loses money," he said. He still backs the Blue Sky partnership with JetBlue.
Starlink became the sales pitch
Wi-Fi was United's loudest story. The first widebody with Starlink, a Boeing 777-200, flew Newark to London on June 22. By October 15, Starlink was on more than 635 aircraft and nearly half of United's daily flights, or about 2,500 a day, per United. It is adding about 20 aircraft a week, and the service is free for MileagePlus members.
United now targets 61% of its fleet by the end of 2026, 87% by June 1, 2027, and the whole fleet by the end of 2027. A new Starlink Tracker shows whether a flight in the next three days has it. Work on the Guam-based 737 MAX 8s began in October.
United also streams live TV over Starlink to seatback screens. It added DIRECTV in June, pro and college football with DISH in September, and playoff baseball in October.
Then it went after rivals' customers. A "Switch to Better Wi-Fi" status match gave Delta and American members United Premier status through January 2028. They had to spend $1,500 to $7,000, depending on tier, and fly United within 90 days. The offer closed October 22. "We are winning new long-term, brand-loyal United customers because they are trying us for Starlink," Kirby said in the third-quarter release.
MileagePlus gets harder in 2027
On October 13, United said flight segments will no longer count toward Premier status from January 1, 2027. Status will depend on Premier qualifying points alone. Premier 1K rises from 28,000 points to 32,000. You still need at least four United or United Express flights a year. Cardholders who already hold status get a head start each January worth 5% of the points for their tier, CNBC reported.
MileagePlus president Jarad Fisher, who joined in January, called the segment path an "old relic." Frequent flyers who buy cheap tickets lose the most. Big spenders and United cardholders lose little.
Premium cabins: a cheaper Polaris and new seats
Lounge access now depends more on the fare you buy. In April, United split Polaris business class and Premium Plus into Base, Standard and Flexible fares on long-haul, transcontinental and some Hawaii flights. Base fares don't include the Polaris lounge, come with one checked bag instead of two and charge for seat selection, AirlineGeeks reported. Changes, upgrades and refunds aren't included either. Check your fare before you plan a long lounge visit.
The 787-9 with United's "Elevated" interior now flies from San Francisco to Singapore, London, Zurich and Seoul. Polaris got new menu items in June, and 30 new Chef's Table dishes arrived on November 1.
Economy got attention too. In July, United showed an Economy Plus row on the A321XLR with the middle seat replaced by a shared table. All 50 of its XLRs will have one. Relax Row, which turns a row of economy seats on 787s and 777s into a couch, is due in early 2027. Meal preorder reached shorter flights in October, and the app now lets you join standby for an earlier flight.
The A321XLR arrives
United took its first Airbus A321XLR in the second quarter and began flying it on domestic routes in September. International flights start December 1 from Washington Dulles to Amsterdam and Dublin. The XLR will also open five of the new European cities below.
The biggest international expansion in United's history
In May, United said it would resume Houston–Caracas and add Sapporo and Chicago–Tokyo Narita. In June, it added Houston and Washington flights to Cartagena.
On August 25, United announced 10 new international cities for 2027, which it called the largest expansion in its history. All need government approval.
| City | From | Aircraft | Starts (2027) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okinawa, Japan | San Francisco | 777-200ER | March 27 |
| Luxembourg | Newark | A321XLR | April 2 |
| Toulouse, France | Washington Dulles | A321XLR | April 26 |
| Ljubljana, Slovenia | Newark | 767-400ER | May 12 |
| Olbia, Italy | Newark | 767-300ER | May 27 |
| Catania, Italy | Newark | 767-300ER | May 28 |
| Ibiza, Spain | Newark | A321XLR | May 31 |
| Valencia, Spain | Newark | A321XLR | June 2 |
| Marseille, France | Newark | A321XLR | June 4 |
| Terceira, Portugal | Newark | 737 MAX 8 | June 9 |
United also added Los Angeles–Osaka, Dulles–Milan and Denver–Paris for 2027.
Israel, Dubai and Canada
Newark–Tel Aviv returned on September 8 with two daily flights, and Chicago and Dulles were set to follow in late October, Paddle Your Own Kanoo reported. San Francisco–Tel Aviv returns March 28, 2027. Newark–Dubai is still suspended. I found no United restart date. An industry source cited in that report says March 27, 2027 at the earliest.
In October, United and Air Canada added six Canada–U.S. routes for summer 2027 and asked Ottawa to approve a bigger joint venture. Our story has the details.
Lounges and hubs
The biggest lounge news came in Houston. On October 22, United opened Terminal B North, part of a $2.6 billion rebuild of Terminal B. The concourse has 22 gates, and every United flight there boards by jet bridge. Its new United Club covers 54,000 square feet with seats for 800, which United calls the largest airline club in the Americas, per United. It has two bars, two buffets, 11 phone rooms and a 1,350-square-foot outdoor terrace. Entry follows normal United Club rules: a membership, an eligible United card or a qualifying premium ticket. It joins Houston's Polaris lounge and existing clubs.
On July 29, United, the airport authority and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a plan worth more than $20 billion to rebuild Dulles over the next decade. It replaces Concourse C/D, expands the AeroTrain and retires the mobile lounges. Concourse E is due later in 2026 with 14 United gates. The plan includes more United Club space and what United says will be one of the largest Polaris lounges in the world.
What to watch
- Fuel. The fourth-quarter outlook assumes $4.80 a gallon. Each cent changes quarterly earnings by about 2.5 cents a share.
- December 1. The XLR's first international flights, from Dulles.
- January 1. The new MileagePlus rules take effect.
- Starlink. Whether United reaches 61% of its fleet by year-end.
- Newark. The NTSB's final report on Flight 169.
- Canada. Public comments on the bigger Air Canada joint venture close November 15.
