United Airlines has been operating since 1926, making it not just a major airline of the US, but also the oldest airline that has built a reputable name through the years. To date, it has 388 aircrafts and over 59,000 employees. United was declared as the world’s second largest airline carrier next to American Airlines. It also had the third biggest operating revenues behind American Airlines and Air France-KLM. It was also awarded for the total number of passengers transported where United Airlines ranked 4th, behind Delta Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
Headquarters
United has its main operations at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Every day there are 355 daily departures scheduled at this airport.
Airline Codes
United’s IATA (International Air Transport Association) code is UA, its ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) code is UAL, and its call sign is UNITED.
Service Areas
United Airlines has a total of 114 destinations (73 domestic and 41 international) in 25 countries located in Europe, Asia, America and Oceania.
Largest Hubs
Besides its home at the Chicago O'Hare International Airport, the airline has hubs in other major airports such as Los Angeles International Airport, Denver International Airport, Washington International Airport and San Francisco International Airport.
Popular Routes
Some of the most popular routes of United include several states in the US, Belgium, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Australia and Japan.
Frequent Flyer Program
United has “Mileage Plus” as their Frequent Flyer Program. Members of the program are given the opportunity to earn “flying miles” by flying with United Airlines or by purchasing service and products offered by the airline’s participating partners worldwide.
Cabin Amenities and Classes
There are three different cabin classes offered by United Airlines. These include United First, United Business and United Economy.
United First — passengers of this class are offered spacious seating, priority check-in, baggage handling, four entrée menus to choose from, complimentary beer, wine, or coffee, pre-departure beverages, and complimentary movies for flights that will last three hours or more. International amenities include seats that have 180-degree recline for more comfortable flights and personal media players with a 7-inch touch screen TV with 27 films, 22 TV programs and 40 audio CDs.
United Business — passengers of this class have pre-departure beverage services, more space for work and relaxation during the flight, three entrée menus, premium wines and desserts of your choice, individual entertainments systems including 9 video channels with noise reducing headsets.
United Economy — in-flight services include comfortable seats, complimentary movies during flights, snacks and meals available for purchase, complimentary soft drinks, juices or tea, pillows and blankets and alcoholic beverages available for purchase.
Baggage Policy
For international flights, check-in baggage allowances are 50 pounds. or 23 kilograms for United Economy and 70 pounds or 32 kilograms for United First and United Business. Oversized and overweight bags will not be accepted for check-in unless reserved with the airline before the date of departure. All carry-on baggage should not exceed 9 x 14 x 22 in. (length x width x height) or 45 linear inches (114 linear cm).
Fees for excess baggage (or more than 70 pounds.) differ according to destination. If traveling with oversized/overweight baggage, it is best to contact United for reservations and other details.