Tag: plus (Page 2 of 3)

KLM Firms Up Order for E195-E2 Jets, Adds Six Further Aircraft

November 12, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Nov. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Embraer and KLM Cityhopper have signed a firm order for 21 E195-E2 aircraft, plus 14 purchase rights. The 21 firm positions will be acquired via operating lease from Embraer lessor partners Aircastle and ICBC Aviation Leasing. The order was previously announced as a Letter of Intent for 15 firm orders with 20 purchase rights at the Paris Air Show earlier this year. With all purchase rights exercised the deal would have a value of USD 2.48 billion.

The aircraft for this order will come from the existing backlogs of lessors Aircastle and ICBC Aviation Leasing; each providing KLM with 11 and 10 E195-E2s, respectively.

“KLM’s decision to add a further six aircraft to this order is a significant vote of confidence in our E2 programme”, said John Slattery, President and CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “Delivering 30% lower emissions when compared to KLM’s current E190s, yet still providing a further 32 seats, the E195-E2 will simultaneously increase capacity for KLM at slot constrained Schiphol Airport, while also delivering huge reductions in emissions.”

KLM President & CEO Pieter Elbers, said, “For KLM this aircraft is a significant part of our commitment to improving our environmental impact. Not only is the E195-E2 the most fuel efficient lowest emission aircraft in its class, it is also the quietest by a considerable margin – a huge benefit for both our communities and our passengers.

KLM will configure the aircraft with 132 seats. Deliveries will begin in the first quarter of 2021.

Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft up to 150 seats with more than 100 customers across the world. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged more than 1,800 orders and 1,500 aircraft have been delivered. Today, E-Jets are flying in the fleets of 80 customers in 50 countries. The versatile 70 to 150-seat family is flying with low-cost airlines as well as with regional and mainline network carriers.

United Airlines Joins Forces with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

October 26, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

United to debut exciting Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker- themed content, including new aircraft paint design, safety video and opportunities to experience the Star Wars saga

CHICAGO, Oct. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — United Airlines today announced that the carrier has teamed up with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – the epic conclusion of the Skywalker saga, to offer customers and employees alike exciting opportunities in the coming weeks to experience the Star Wars saga first-hand on the ground, in the air and throughout the airline’s galaxy.

Customers will begin flying the friendly galaxy in November when United officially unveils an all-new Star Wars-themed paint design on one of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft with a re-designed onboard experience to celebrate the movie. The airline will also offer Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker-themed amenity kits and launch its latest inflight safety demonstration video featuring characters from the new film. In addition, the airline will provide once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for MileagePlus members – including access to attend the US premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – through MileagePlus Exclusives, the airline’s platform that lets MileagePlus members use miles to bid and buy exclusive items and experiences.

“United Airlines and the Star Wars franchise share a common goal: connect people and unite the world,” said Mark Krolick, United’s vice president of marketing. “We are thrilled to join forces and help promote the concluding chapter of the Skywalker story, while at the same time enlisting help from our new friends from the Star Wars universe to demonstrate the importance of safety for our customers and colleagues.”

Click the link for the full story! https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fly-friendly-galaxy-united-airlines-191000188.html

United Airlines new Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker 737-800 aircraft will take flight in November

Porsche Debuts The Taycan 4S, Its ‘Entry Level’ Electric Car

October 14, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Porsche announced on Monday the expansion of its electric-vehicle lineup. A month after revealing its Taycan Turbo and Turbo S, Porsche debuted its “entry-level model,” the Taycan 4S.

Taycan 4S pricing starts at $103,800 — a steal compared to the $150,900 Taycan Turbo or $185,000 Turbo S, but far less accessible than other EVs on the market.

Porsche is owned by Volkswagen AG.

How The 4S Compares In The Series

The Taycan 4S comes in a Performance Battery version (79.2 kiloWatts per hour) and a Performance Battery Plus version (93.4 kiloWatts per hour), each of which is less powerful than the original models. The 4S delivers up to 420 kiloWatts (630 horsepower) compared to the Turbo’s 500 kiloWatts and the Turbo S’s 560.

Click the link to view the full story! https://finance.yahoo.com/news/porsche-debuts-taycan-4s-entry-151539607.html

United Airlines CRJ-550 Tickets Available for Purchase Starting Saturday, October 12

October 11, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

First flight on the world’s only two-cabin, 50-seat aircraft starts Oct. 27 from Chicago O’Hare to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

CHICAGO, Oct. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — United Airlines today announced tickets for its newest regional fleet member, the Bombardier CRJ-550, will be available for purchase starting Saturday, October 12 for travel beginning Sunday, October 27. The initial schedule includes 15 cities from Chicago O’Hare.

The CRJ-550 is the world’s only 50-seat regional aircraft to offer true first-class seating and other premium amenities, including:

Space for every customer to bring a roller bag on board.
A self-serve refreshment center for United First customers featuring a wide assortment of snacks and beverages.
More overall legroom per seat than any other 50-seat aircraft flown by a U.S. airline.
The ability to stay connected while in flight with United Wi-Fi.

Additional cities will be added over the coming weeks from United hubs in Chicago, New York/Newark and Washington Dulles.

Every customer. Every flight. Every day.

In 2019, United is focusing more than ever on its commitment to its customers, looking at every aspect of its business to ensure that the carrier keeps customers’ best interests at the heart of its service. In addition to today’s news, Unitedrecently announced that MileagePlus miles will now never expire, giving members a lifetime to use miles on flights and experiences. Customers now have more free on board snack options as well, with a choice of Lotus Biscoff cookies, pretzels and the Stroopwafel. The airline also recently released a re-imagined version of the most downloaded app in the airline industry, introduced ConnectionSaver – a tool dedicated to improving the experience for customers connecting from one United flight to the next – and launched PlusPoints, a new upgrade benefit for MileagePlus premier members.

About United

United’s shared purpose is “Connecting People. Uniting the World.” We are more focused than ever on our commitment to customers through a series of innovations and improvements designed to help build a great experience: Every customer. Every flight. Every day. Together, United and United Express operate approximately 4,900 flights a day to 356 airports across five continents. In 2018, United and United Express operated more than 1.7 million flights carrying more than 158 million customers. United is proud to have the world’s most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.United operates 788 mainline aircraft and the airline’s United Express partners operate 560 regional aircraft. United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 27 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter and Instagram or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United’s parent, United Airlines Holdings, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “UAL”.

United Airlines Announces MileagePlus Miles Never Expire

August 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

CHICAGO, Aug. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — United Airlines announced that effective immediately, MileagePlus award miles never expire, giving members a lifetime to use miles on flights, experiences, hotels and more.

“We want to demonstrate to our members that we are committing to them for the long-haul and giving customers a lifetime to use miles is an exceptionally meaningful benefit,” said Luc Bondar, vice president of loyalty and president of MileagePlus at United. “Our MileagePlus program provides customers more ways to earn and use miles than any other U.S. airline. More customers used miles to book award trips in 2018 than in any year before, and we expect with today’s announcement that even more will use miles to travel the world in the years to come.”

United continues to enhance its award-winning MileagePlus program, making it more beneficial for customers. Highlights include:

Recently announced partnership with CLEAR that includes free or discounted CLEAR membership pricing for U.S.-based MileagePlus members.
Award travel to more destinations than any other U.S. airline with service to more than 1,300 destinations through United and Star Alliance partners, and ability to book award travel on United and all Star Alliance partners through the United mobile app.
Most low-priced economy award availability of any global U.S. airline.
Everyday opportunities to use miles starting as low as 1,000 miles for eGift cards when purchasing through MileagePlusX.

Every customer. Every flight. Every day.

In 2019, United is focusing more than ever on its commitment to its customers, looking at every aspect of its business to ensure that the carrier keeps customers’ best interests at the heart of its service. In addition to today’s announcement, United recently announced that customers on all domestic flights can now choose from three complimentary inflight snack items, announced that luxury skincare line Sunday Riley will make products exclusively for United customers to experience in amenity kits, released a re-imagined version of the most downloaded app in the airline industry, introduced ConnectionSaver, a new tool dedicated to improving the experience for customers connecting from one United flight to the next and made DIRECTV free for every passenger on 211 aircraft, offering more than 100 channels on seat back monitors on more than 30,000 seats.

British Airways Takes Delivery of its First A350-1000

July 29, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

British Airways (BA) has taken delivery of its first A350-1000 at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France, making it the first operator of the larger A350-1000 in International Airlines Group (IAG). In total, BA has ordered 18 A350-1000’s. Iberia, which is also part of IAG, already operates five of the smaller A350-900’s.

BA’s A350 XWB with its modern and comfortable Airspace cabin will usher in new levels of comfort with the launch of the Club Suite, the first new business class seat for British Airways in 13 years. The airline’s sophisticated and newly-branded “Club Suite” offers direct-aisle access, a suite door for greater privacy and luxurious flat-bed seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.

The three-class layout includes 56 Club Suites, 56 World Traveller Plus and 219 World Traveller economy seats.

BA, celebrating its 100^th anniversary, will initially use the aircraft to fly between London and Madrid prior to flying long-haul routes from September.

BA operates a fleet of over 150 Airbus aircraft from the smallest A318 to the largest A380.

The A350 XWB offers by design unrivalled operational flexibility and efficiency for all market segments up to ultra-long haul (15,000 km). It features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25% reduction in fuel burn and emissions. The A350 XWB’s Airspace by Airbus cabin is the quietest of any twin-aisle and offers passengers and crews the most modern in-flight products for the most comfortable flying experience.

At the end of June 2019, the A350 XWB Family had received 893 firm orders from 51 customers worldwide, making it one of the most successful wide-body aircraft ever.

United Airlines Planning to Reveal New Airplane Livery

April 16, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

United Airlines is planning to reveal its long-awaited new livery on April 24th at a United maintenance hangar at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Little is known so far about the details of United’s new paint job, except that it will display a new and expanded brand color palette the carrier introduced in August of 2018.

United stated at the time that the unifying brand color going forward would be “Rhapsody Blue,” a dark navy color named in honor of United’s longstanding signature brand music, George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”

The color details revealed also specified a lighter “United Blue”, even lighter “Sky Blue,” and a “Premium Purple,” shade currently being used in United’s new Premium Plus international premium economy cabin.

The new United livery is one of several major brand changes the airline has been making in recent years, along with a new Polaris International business class, Polaris lounges, uniforms with new color palettes, and a redesigned mobile app.

The moves in a new direction have come after the infamous incidents of a man being dragged from his seat two years ago, and a pet being forced into the overhead luggage bin where it died in-flight tarnished United’s brand image.

United Airlines Reports Full-Year and Fourth-Quarter 2018 Performance

January 15, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

PR Newswire – January 15, 2019

Q4 unit revenue up 5.0% year-over-year; full-year diluted 2018 EPS of $7.70; adjusted diluted EPS of $9.13

CHICAGO, Jan. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — In a departure from industry trends, United (UAL) announced today that its fourth-quarter unit revenue came in at the high end of its guidance range and also exceeded its full-year adjusted diluted earnings per share target laid out last January. UAL reported full-year net income of $2.1 billion, diluted earnings per share of $7.70 (a 9.1 percent increase year-over-year), pre-tax earnings of $2.7 billion and pre-tax margin of 6.4 percent. UAL reported adjusted full-year net income of $2.5 billion, adjusted pre-tax earnings of $3.2 billion and adjusted pre-tax margin of 7.7 percent.¹UAL increased its full-year 2018 adjusted diluted earnings per share outlook three times during the year despite a $2.4 billion year-over-year headwind from fuel. Full-year adjusted diluted earnings per share increased 33.5 percent year-over-year to $9.13, above the high end of the company’s most recent guidance range.

“United’s financial performance is a testament to the successful implementation of the first year of our strategic plan and to the record-setting operational performance powered by the more than 90,000 airline professionals who work at United,” said Oscar Munoz, chief executive officer of United Airlines. “United delivered proof, not just promises in 2018 – even in the face of significant headwinds from higher than expected fuel costs. It’s why I couldn’t be more proud of our winning culture and customer-focused team and continue to be enthusiastic about United’s bright future.”

For 2019, UAL expects adjusted diluted earnings per share to again grow year-over-year to between $10.00 to $12.00.²

UAL reported fourth-quarter net income of $462 million, diluted earnings per share of $1.70, pre-tax earnings of $556 million and pre-tax margin of 5.3 percent.
UAL reported fourth-quarter adjusted net income of $657 million, adjusted diluted earnings per share of $2.41 and adjusted pre-tax earnings of $814 million.
UAL reported fourth-quarter adjusted pre-tax margin of 7.8 percent,¹ expanding margin on an adjusted basis of 0.9 points versus the fourth-quarter of 2017.
UAL recovered 98% percent of the year-over-year increase in fuel prices in 2018.
Consolidated fourth-quarter passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) increased 5 percent year-over-year, at the high end of the company’s fourth-quarter 2018 guidance range.
Consolidated fourth-quarter unit cost per available seat mile (CASM) increased 7.0 percent year-over-year.
Consolidated fourth-quarter CASM, excluding special charges, third-party business expenses, fuel and profit sharing, decreased 0.7 percent year-over-year.
Employees earned $334 million in profit sharing for 2018.

For more information on UAL’s first-quarter and full-year 2019 guidance, please visit ir.united.com for the company’s investor update.

2018 Highlights

Record-Setting Operational Performance³

Set new UAL records by flying the most revenue passengers ever, operating the most mainline departures and achieving the fewest cancellations ever in a year, resulting in more UAL customers departing on-time in 2018 than ever before.
For the year, achieved the best completion rate in company history with more than 1.7 million flights.
In 2018, achieved the best ever company STAR performance (first departures of the day), with nearly 250,000 flights leaving on time.
In the fourth quarter, the company achieved top-tier performance in on-time departures among its largest competitors. For the December holiday season, UAL had its best-ever on-time departure performance while flying the most revenue customers it had ever flown during the holiday period.

Customer Experience

Opened three new United Polaris lounges located in San Francisco International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Announced UAL’s newest premium seating, United® Premium Plus, which will provide more space, comfort and amenities on select international flights starting later this year.
Introduced a new boarding process designed to reduce customers’ stress by reducing time spent waiting in line and providing them with improved boarding information.
Expanded personal device entertainment option to all aircraft, providing at least one free entertainment option on all Wi-Fi equipped aircraft.
MileagePlus loyalty program voted Best Overall Frequent-Flyer Program in the world for the 15th consecutive year by readers of Global Traveler, and voted Favorite Frequent-Flyer Program in the Trazee Awards.

Employees

Employees earned incentive payments totaling approximately $14 million for achieving operational performance goals in the quarter, marking a full year of earned incentive payments totaling $55 million.
Introduced and trained over 90,000 team members on UAL’s new customer service decision framework, the core4, which focuses on the principles of safe, caring, dependable and efficient.
Deployed 6,000 iPads to maintenance employees, improving reliability and efficiency.
Unveiled a state-of-the-art flight training center in Denver, Colorado – the largest in the world and home to the company’s more than 30 full flight simulators representing all of UAL’s fleet types.
Successfully completed the full implementation of the flight attendant joint collective bargaining agreement, allowing the company to operate more efficiently and reliably.
Achieved the top score of 100 percent on the 2018 Disability Equality Index (DEI), a prominent benchmarking metric that rates U.S. companies on their disability inclusion policies and practices, also earning UAL a place on DEI’s 2018 “Best Places to Work” list.
Received “Best-of-the-Best” Award from the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and National Business Inclusion Consortium for commitment to diversity and inclusion across all communities.

Network

Introduced 93 new routes, adding more flights in 2018 than any other U.S. airline.
Announced new international service including Washington-Dulles to Tel Aviv, Israel; San Francisco to Amsterdam, Netherlands; Newark/New York to Naples, Italy; as well as Newark/New York to Prague, Czech Republic and Denver to Frankfurt, Germany, all subject to government approval.
Launched several exciting new international routes including Houston to Sydney, San Francisco to Tahiti and Denver to London.
Announced schedule expansion at East Coast hubs in Newark/New York and Washington-Dulles to offer more nonstop flights to destinations popular with New York-area customers while reallocating largely connecting passenger flights to Washington-Dulles.
Announced a joint business agreement with Compañía Panameña de Aviación S.A. (Copa), Aerovías del Continente Americano S.A. (Avianca) and many of Avianca’s affiliates, pending government approval.

Fleet

Took delivery of 21 new Boeing aircraft, including four 777-300ER, four 787-9, three 787-10 and ten 737 MAX 9 aircraft.
In December 2018, ordered an additional four Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and 24 737 MAX aircraft.

Community and Environment

Pledged to reduce the company’s greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2050, the only U.S. airline to commit to emissions reductions, further strengthening UAL’s ambition to be the world’s most environmentally conscious airline.
Announced a total of $8 million in grants to benefit organizations in each of UAL’s domestic hub communities.
Announced new global partnership with the Special Olympics and flew hundreds of Team USA Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2018 athletes, coaches and family members to PyeongChang, South Korea, continuing the 38-year relationship between UAL and the United States Olympic Committee.
Ranked No. 1 among global carriers in Newsweek’s 2017 Global 500 Green Rankings, one of the most recognized environmental performance assessments of the world’s largest publicly traded companies.
Launched a Crowdrise fundraising campaign to support those affected by Hurricane Florence, Typhoon Mangkhut, flooding in Western Japan, wildfires in California and other disasters.

Earnings Call

UAL will hold a conference call to discuss its fourth-quarter and full-year 2018 financial results and its financial and operational outlook for the first quarter and full year of 2019 on Wednesday, January 16, at 9:30 a.m. Central time /10:30 a.m. Eastern time. A live, listen-only webcast of the conference call will be available at ir.united.com. The webcast will be available for replay within 24 hours of the conference call and then archived on the website for three months.

United Airlines’ First 787-10 Begins Regular Service

January 7, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Today, United Airlines’ first Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner began regular service as UA2418, departing from Los Angeles International Airport traveling to Newark Liberty International Airport. United is the first carrier in the world to operate all three Dreamliner models, including the 787-8, 787-9 and now the longest model, the 787-10.

The Dreamliner’s entry into scheduled service continues United’s comprehensive fleet plan, while providing an improved experience for customers. The aircraft is United’s first Dreamliner model delivered with the airline’s signature Polaris business class seats, and new United® Premium Plus seats. Boeing’s Dreamliners are known for dramatically improving the on board experience for customers with lower cabin altitude, better humidity, cleaner air, smoother ride and better sound quality. Additionally, the new Dreamliner provides better fuel efficiency than older aircraft, contributing to United’s commitment to reducing emissions by 50 percent by 2050.

As previously announced, United expects its second Dreamliner to enter service between its hubs in San Francisco and New York/Newark in February, and begin international service in March.

For more information on United’s 787-10, and other fleet updates visit United’s Fleet Newsroom.

Story and image from http://www.united.com

United Airlines Announces Boeing 787-10 Aircraft Operations

November 14, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

CHICAGO, Nov. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — United Airlines today announced it will operate its newest Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner on six trans-Atlantic routes from its New York/Newark hub beginning in March 2019. United was the first North American airline to take delivery of the 787-10, and is also the first airline in the world to have the entire family of Boeing’s 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10 Dreamliners in its fleet. United’s 787-10 features 44 United Polaris^® business class seats, 21 United^®Premium Plus seats, 54 Economy Plus seats and 199 standard Economy seats. Tickets will be available for purchase on Dec. 3, for travel beginning March 30.

“United is proud to offer more seats between New York and Europe than any other carrier and our Boeing 787-10 aircraft based in New York/Newark will enable us to connect even more New York City customers to Europe and beyond,” said Patrick Quayle, United’s Vice President of International Network. “We are thrilled to announce six international cities that will be served with this aircraft and we look forward to offering our customers all of the comforts and services of our most advanced aircraft.”

Offering more service than any other U.S. airline from New York to Germany and Israel, United currently offers daily nonstop service to Frankfurt and twice-daily nonstop service to Tel Aviv. United also operates daily service from New York/Newark to Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin and Paris.

Investing in customer-friendly advancements onboard

In addition to United’s signature all aisle access Polaris business class and United Premium Plus seats, United is investing in several customer-friendly advancements onboard. The aircraft features updated lighting patterns that mimic sunrise and sunset and are designed to help customers in each cabin fall asleep and wake up more adjusted to new time zones. A brand new seatback entertainment system is also available at every seat, which includes:

Split screen capabilities allowing customers to watch a movie and view the flight map simultaneously.
A relax mode for customers who want to customize a selection of soothing videos and relaxing audio playlists.
The world’s most extensive suite of accessibility features on a seatback entertainment system, which accommodates any level of vision, as well as provides support for customers with hearing and mobility issues.
Movie and television recommendations based on remaining flight time and previously watched content.

United previously announced its first 787-10 aircraft will begin operating between New York/Newark and Los Angeles and San Francisco in January 2019.

The Boeing 787-10 is 18 feet longer than the 787-9 and can carry more passengers and more cargo. The -10 aircraft can fly up to 6,430 nautical miles, while using 20 percent less fuel than older generation airplanes. United currently operates 25 787-9 and 12 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. The airline expects to take delivery of 14 787-10 aircraft over the next two years. For more information on United’s 787-10, and other fleet updates visit United’s Fleet Newsroom.

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,700 flights a day to 356 airports across five continents. In 2017, United and United Express operated more than 1.6 million flights carrying more than 148 million customers. United is proud to have the world’s most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark/New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 760 mainline aircraft and the airline’s United Express carriers operate 546 regional aircraft. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United’s parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “UAL”.

For further information: United Airlines Worldwide Media Relations, +1-872-825-8640, media.relations@united.com

Story and image from www.united.com

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