A US airline pilot has escaped a jail sentence after he was caught in possession of a high voltage stun gun at Edinburgh Airport . In January, captain Ryan Cecil, 56, was found with the stun gun in his carry-on bag as he went through security to pilot a United Airlines flight back to New York. Cecil claimed to security officers it was a torch, but admitted it was a ‘firearm’ under Scottish law after armed police were called. Prosecutor Matthew Miller said: “The security officer had taken the stun gun and alerted his supervisor. Multiple security staff attended after it was identified as a stun gun and accordingly police officers were also contacted to attend.” “This is due to the stun gun being a firearm.” The pilot was detained for two nights and appeared at Edinburgh court. He appeared back in court this week and pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon. “He fully accepts this was gross carelessness and the item in question is not a regulated item in the United States. Had he been aware it was in his bag, he would have removed it,” lawyer Mathew Nicholson Nicholson said Cecil has been a commercial pilot for 23 years with a clean record. Cecil was ordered to pay a fine of £8,500, avoiding a custodial sentence. 

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United Airlines took a $200m hit to its first quarter earnings due to the Boeing 737 Max door blowout incident. United was forced to ground its Max 9 fleet for three weeks following the mid-air door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight in early January. It stopped the airline posting a Q1 profit. It pushed United to a $164m loss for the first quarter. Still, the loss was less than expected by analysts. United has a fleet of 79 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft. It led to thousands of cancellations at both United and Alaska Airlines, the two main US operators of the jet. “We've adjusted our fleet plan to better reflect the reality of what the manufacturers are able to deliver," United's CEO Scott Kirby said, referring to Boeing’s troubles. Separately, United's own safety and maintenance operations have been under scrutiny after a number of in-flight issues. Its operations are being monitored and the airline says this will also delay new aircraft entering service. Earlier this month, Boeing paid $160m to Alaska to compensate for losses the airline suffered due to the grounding of Boeing 737 Max planes. 

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United Airlines is seeking pilot volunteers to take unpaid next month. This is due to delays in deliveries of new Boeing aircraft. A memo has gone out to pilot union reps asking for applications to take temporary unpaid leave. “Our forecasted block hours for 2024 have been reduced and we are offering our pilots voluntary programs for the month of May,” United said. Although initially only for next month, it could be extended for several months beyond the summer. When Boeing deliveries will pick up again is still uncertain. United has already signaled a stop in hiring new pilots ‘due to continued new aircraft certification and manufacturing delays at Boeing.’ CEO Scott Kirby said United is looking at maybe buying more planes from rival Airbus. Boeing has been under increased scrutiny since the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 incident. This has severely affected planned new aircraft deliveries. 

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United will offer non-stop flights to the soon-to-open Tulum International Airport (TQO) in Mexico. It will operate 22 weekly flights from Newark/New York, Houston and Chicago beginning March 31, 2024. On May 23, United will add daily seasonal service from Los Angeles, resulting in up to five daily flights from United's hubs to Tulum for summer. Flights are now available to book. Tulum has quickly emerged as one of Mexico's most popular destinations for American travelers. The new Tulum International Airport will offer more direct access to Tulum and the Riviera Maya region, joining United's existing Cozumel and Cancun flights. "Our new direct flights help people get there faster than ever, giving them even more time to enjoy one of Mexico's most unique destinations," said Patrick Quayle, United's SVP of Network Planning and Alliances." This winter, United will be the largest airline flying between the US and the Riviera Maya region and will have the most Cancun flights in its history. United will offer more than 200 weekly Cancun flights from eight US cities during the winter peak. It includes flights on Boeing 777 widebody aircraft from Chicago, Denver and Houston. The airline will also continue to fly between Cozumel and Chicago, Denver and Houston, operating up to 11 weekly flights.

 

New 35,000 sq.-ft. United Club^SM at Denver International Airport debuts as the airline's largest club, coinciding with the airline's nearly $1 billion investment to improve the customer experience in Denver

 

By the end of 2025, Denver International Airport will feature over 100,000 sq.-ft. of United Club space to accommodate more than double the number of travelers compared to previous club spaces

  United today announced the opening of its largest United Club at Denver International Airport. This new, 35,000 sq.-ft. club is located in the B Concourse, providing a modern take on the United Club experience with a new feature bar offering beer flight boards to taste a seasonal rotation of premium local and craft beers. This club is the second in a series of new locations to open in Denver this summer; last month, a new 24,000 sq.-ft. United Club opened in the A Concourse, featuring a luxurious ski lodge aesthetic and thoughtful design touches inspired by the Colorado outdoors.   The air carrier will open an additional revamped club location in 2025, and once open, Denver International Airport will feature more than 100,000 sq.-ft. of United Club space – nearly the size of two football fields – across three United Club locations and United Club Fly, a unique grab-and-go concept offering enhanced food and beverage for United Club members with quick connections. With more than two-thirds of United customers connecting to other places in Denver, the new clubs are expected to accommodate more than double the number of travelers than before.   The opening of these new clubs comes on the heels of United unveiling a new club concept, United Club Fly^SM, in Denver last year, that is a first-of-its-kind concept for a U.S. airline. Since opening, United Club Fly has been visited by more than 100,000 travelers who've enjoyed the elevated convenience to grab food or beverages on the way to their flight.   "The new United Club locations are designed and operated to reflect feedback from our customers and match the way their travel has evolved in recent years," said Alexander Dorow, United's Head of Clubs & Lounges. "We're growing our hub in the Mile High City, and the expansion and renovation of United Club locations represents our commitment to Colorado and our customers' experience."   B Concourse United Club   Located on the eastern side in the B Concourse near gate B44, this new club location touts 35,000 sq.-ft. across three levels and more than 600 seats, making it the largest club in United's network. The space reflects Denver's beer scene with brewery-inspired elements and a new beer tasting experience at the feature bar on the mezzanine level. At the feature bar, travelers can choose from a seasonal rotation of 10 local and craft beers on tap, with selections from Colorado breweries New Belgium, Great Divide, Denver Beer Company, Upslope, among others, to enjoy from United customized tasting boards and beer glasses. The feature bar area is distinguished by five Vestaboards displaying personalized messages and menu offerings and a custom, vibrant blue mural by visual artist Charlo Garcia Walterbach that explores the joy and discovery of new places that travel brings to life.   Inspired by Denver's urban areas, the space features details such as concrete flooring, hand-crafted decor and exposed ceilings for a sleek and modern design. Throughout the space, guests can enjoy a variety of locally-sourced furnishings and artwork, including photography, paintings, sculptures and murals that reflect the Denver community. The entryway features a sculpture inspired by the cones of the Colorado Blue Spruce. Made by Will Schlough, the piece is crafted from dozens of skateboards meant to resemble colorful pinecones. An additional statement mural by local artists, Jaime Molina and Pedro Barrios, tells the story of Denver through highly-visual, street art inspired geometric shapes.   A Concourse United Club   Influenced by the Colorado Rocky Mountains, travelers visiting the new club location on the western side of the A Concourse near gate A26 can experience a sense of place among locally-sourced furniture and decor that reflects Colorado's outdoor landscapes and experiences. Designed to feel like a ski lodge, two fireplace lounges, stacked wood, flannel patterned cushions and vintage ski decor make travelers feel like they're nestled deep in the woods on a Colorado retreat.   This 24,000 sq.-ft club offers two premium bars and 400 seats across two levels of club space. There's room to grab food and drinks, play a few rounds of shuffleboard in the game lounge or relax near the fireplaces.   The space features hand-crafted, custom artwork from local artists, including a sculptural installation from Colorado-based artist Amy Hoagland that uses glass rods to form a topographic-inspired piece that creates an optical illusion from different vantage points. A custom 'Come Fly With Us' mural by Denver-based multidisciplinary designer Adam Vicarel is prominently displayed in the club's game lounge, and it showcases a combination of colors and shapes that exemplify travel and the Colorado landscape. Additional local artwork includes a glass sculpture, mixed media collages, photographs and paintings inspired by Colorado nature.   Both club locations include enhanced amenities, such as free high-speed Wi-Fi, self-scan entry gates for seamless club access, agent on demand kiosks for any travel planning questions and wellness rooms. Each club also serves premium culinary offerings with local flair, including oatmeal paired with Colorado honey, egg frittata inspired by the Denver omelet (ham, bell peppers, red onion, spinach and cheddar cheese), Colorado Club sandwiches and pork green chili.   This expansion is part of the carrier's nearly $1 billion investment to further improve the customer experience in Denver. Earlier this year, United announced new non-stops to six destinations including four not served by any other Denver airline and local infrastructure improvements such as 12 new gates set to open in the A and B concourses by the middle of 2024 – giving United 90 total gates, the most at Denver International Airport.

United Airlines revealed the reasons for its sudden ground stop Tuesday, debunking speculation of a cyberattack. The airline said it was caused by a software update that triggered a systems glitch. The airline was forced to inform the FAA and put a brief ground stop on all flights. It prevented United crews from communicating with airline dispatchers. “A software update caused a widespread slowdown in United’s technology systems,” United said in a statement. The FAA confirmed United requested a brief ground stop, halting all departures nationwide. It didn’t affect any other airlines. Only a handful of flights were cancelled but over 300 were delayed.

United Airlines and Sesame Workshop today announced a new partnership to support children in need worldwide. During September, the airline will highlight Welcome Sesame on its Miles on a Mission platform, a crowd-sourcing program for loyalty members to  donate miles . Donated miles help Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, deliver early learning and nurturing care to children and caregivers. Recipients are impacted by conflict and crisis – including children and families in Ukraine, the Middle East, South Asia, Latin America, East Africa, and other regions. United will match the first million miles raised by Sesame Workshop before the end of the year. "We're rallying our most loyal customers to join us in supporting the work that only Sesame Workshop can do – for children around the world who need it the most," said Josh Earnest, SVP. "Extending our partnership with Sesame Workshop allows Mileage Plus members to donate miles and maximize the impact." The updated program also makes it easier for MileagePlus Members to get involved with more opportunities to use their miles. Members will receive more updates throughout the year, including community-focused stories, donation celebrations, and donor highlights. Over 43 million children around the world have been forcibly displaced. Welcome Sesame helps families from classrooms and health clinics to TV and mobile devices. United kicked off its relationship with Sesame Workshop when the airline named Oscar the Grouch as its Chief Trash Officer to help build awareness of sustainable aviation fuel. Oscar has appeared in more than 30 pieces of original video, digital, social and out-of-home content to date. United also recently launched new children's amenity kits that feature iconic Sesame Workshop characters like Oscar and Elmo.

United Airlines will restart daily Beijing flight from its San Francisco hub in November. The airline will also increase frequencies to Shanghai with daily service from SFO, starting October 1 2023. These upgrades to United’s Asia Pacific schedule are enabled by agreement between the US and China governments to increase air links. "We are grateful for this positive step forward in US – China passenger air services, and we thank the many officials from both countries," said Patrick Quayle, SVP of Global Network Planning and Alliances. "This is good news for United customers because we believe that a daily flight to Beijing and a daily flight to Shanghai from San Francisco is consistent with the demand we see.” Shanghai flights are currently available on United.com and on the United app, while the Beijing flights schedule will be updated in the next week.

United Airlines bag drop shortcut service is now available for customers at London Heathrow. It becomes the first international United base to offer the service. United's bag drop shortcut was originally unveiled in 2021, initially introduced in the Chicago, New York/Newark, Washington D.C., Houston, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco hubs. It has since been expanded to a further 46 airports across the US. The Bag drop shortcut streamlines the process, allowing customers to skip the queue, check their bag in a minute or less, and get to their flight. Customers firstly complete check-in on the United app or website at home and select the number of bags. At the bag drop shortcut location at LHR, customers place their bag on the scale and tap their phone using the United app. Alternatively, they can scan their boarding pass at stations using scanners. The United team then checks the customer's ID, and applies the bag tag Since the initial unveiling in 2021, more than seven million bags have been tagged using the service. Following its recent introduction at London Heathrow, more than 8,000 bags were tagged during the first two weeks.

As newly promoted Wrexham AFC kicked off the new season in EFL League Two, their home shirt was sporting the United Airlines logo for the first time. The airline is the official front of shirt sponsor. It is Wexham’s first season back in the professional leagues for 15 years. United has been serving the UK for over 30 years. The airline offers up to 23 daily flights from London Heathrow. It flies to Chicago, Denver, Houston, LA, New York/Newark, San Francisco, Washington/Dulles and Boston. The airline is the primary shirt sponsor for Wrexham’s men’s and women’s teams. The ownership of actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds has given the club a huge amount of exposure over the last year, which United will hope to tap into. “The story of Wrexham AFC and their fans represents the best of what professional sports has to offer,” said United CCP Josh Earnest. “The passion and perseverance of this team on the rise has captured the imagination of people in the US and around the world.” The club recently wrapped up a successful pre-season tour of the US, playing in front of more than 100,000 fans over four games.

United Airlines is the first US airline to add Braille to aircraft interiors. It aims to help United travelers with visual disabilities more easily navigate the cabin independently. The airline has currently equipped about a dozen aircraft with Braille markings for individual rows and seat numbers as well as inside and outside lavatories. United expects to outfit its entire mainline fleet with Braille by the end of 2026. "Finding your seat on a plane or getting to the restroom is something most of us take for granted,” said Linda Jojo, Chief Customer Officer. “But for millions, it can be a challenge.” “By adding more tactile signage throughout our interiors, we're making the flying experience more inclusive.” In addition, United is working with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and other groups to explore the use of other tactile navigational aids. This includes raised letters, numbers and arrows. "We applaud United for taking an important step toward," said NFB President Mark Riccobono. "We hope to continue working with United to explore additional ways to make flying more accessible." Other measures United has implemented include a recent redesign of the United app to make it easier to use for people with visual disabilities. United's Inflight Seatback Entertainment screens offer a range of accessible features such as closed captioning, text-to-speech controls, magnification, and explore-by-touch capabilities.

United Airlines is again ramping up Asia Pacific flights from October 2023. In total, the airline will fly long-haul Asia Pacific flights to 15 different international destinations this winter. Excluding mainland China, the airline says the transpacific network will be 50% larger than all other US airlines combined. Notably, United becomes the first US airline to fly direct to Manila from the continental US. It is adding more non-stops to Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Taipei. These new flights will start in October. It builds on the continued growth following the largest South Pacific network expansion in aviation history that it announced recently. “We are excited to bring this new service to Manila while expanding access to Hong Kong, Taipei and Tokyo," said Patrick Quayle, SVP of global network planning. Beginning October 29, United will fly between San Francisco and Manila. The airline is already the only US carrier to serve Manila from Guam and Palau. Additionally, starting October 28, United will launch new service between Los Angeles and Hong Kong, adding to its existing services from San Francisco. United will resume non-stop flights between Los Angeles and Tokyo-Narita, joining existing Tokyo-Haneda flights. The airline will also increase Taipei flights with a second daily year-round service from San Francisco. Tickets are now available for sale on United.com and the United app.