United Airlines news stories on Newser

To Pinch Pennies, Nonstop Flights ... Stop

Kate Schwartz — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:15:33 CST

Exactly the news frustrated travelers want to hear: In a bid to pinch pennies, many nonstop Continental flights from Europe to the East Coast are, you guessed it, stopping along the way. The latest airplane-related annoyance stems from United Continental Holding's decision to use smaller jets on several trans-Atlantic routes....

United Flight's Engine Shuts Down in Mid-Air

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:35:00 CST

A United airlines flight en route from Denver to Los Angeles was forced to make an emergency landing in Colorado when one of its two engines shut down. The Boeing 757 experienced trouble shortly after takeoff and was diverted to a Grand Junction facility typically used by much smaller airplanes....

Airline Bag Fees Hit $400

Kevin Spak — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:46:05 CDT

How crazy have airline baggage fees gotten? Well, checking an overweight (that's a 71- to 100-pound) bag will now cost you a whopping $400 on most Continental Airlines international flights . And Continental isn’t alone either, according to a survey of major carriers by USA Today ; United Airlines also charges $400...

Airlines Banning Short-Faced Dogs

Sarah Whitmire — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 09:13:18 CDT

More and more airlines are banning flat-faced breeds of dogs and cats for the animals’ safety. Snub-nosed dogs—think pugs, bulldogs, and boxers—and certain exotic cats face full or partial bans on American, Delta, United, Continental, and most recently, Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific airlines, CNN reports. These breeds are...

United Computers Crash, Strand Thousands

Sat, 18 Jun 2011 06:05:02 CDT

United Airlines said Saturday that a computer glitch that grounded flights nationwide and left some passengers stranded overnight had been fixed. The airline blamed the problem on "a network connectivity issue" and said it was in the process of resuming normal operations. But the airline also indicated passengers may experience...

Jets Scrambled After Fliers Brawl Over Reclining Seats

Rob Quinn — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 06:27:00 CDT

It can be annoying when the passenger in front of you moves his seat all the way back—but smacking him in the head isn't the answer. That's what sparked a fight between two passengers on a United Airlines flight to Ghana, and convinced a concerned pilot to make an...

Suspected Masturbator Busted on United Flight

Rob Quinn — Wed, 25 May 2011 00:27:00 CDT

A Florida man who apparently became a solo member of the Mile High Club on a United Airlines flight is facing obscenity charges. An 18-year-old woman in the seat next to Kyle Pearce told investigators that she saw him masturbate, according to an FBI affidavit obtained by The Smoking Gun...

United Apologizes for Reusing 9/11 Flight Numbers

Wed, 18 May 2011 17:16:43 CDT

United Airlines is apologizing after briefly restarting use of flight numbers of two of the doomed planes hijacked on Sept. 11, 2001. Flight numbers 93 and 175 have been removed from the airline's computer system after a United flight attendants' union objected to the reuse. The flight numbers probably went...

Minutes After Takeoff, Flight Returns to New Orleans

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:41:05 CDT

And the airline mishaps continue —luckily, with more safe endings. United Airlines Flight 497 to San Francisco returned to New Orleans minutes after takeoff today after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit, the FAA said. As soon as the plane was on the ground, flight attendants shouted "Leave everything....