Bloomberg Talks United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby Talks Business and Geopolitics
Jan 21, 2026
Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines and a strategist focused on brand loyalty, shares insights into the airline's robust forecast for 2026. He discusses how United has successfully created customer loyalty, emphasizing passengers' willingness to pay for premium experiences amid airfare deflation. Kirby predicts a shift in the low-end market, praises the partnership with JetBlue for cultural alignment, and highlights how geopolitical tensions have shaped United's planning, enhancing their resilience in a fluctuating market.
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Brand Loyalty Drives Resilience
- United built a decade-long brand-loyal strategy to escape the commodity cycle in air travel.
- That strategy produced resilience and allowed United to grow EPS in 2025 despite many headwinds.
Upgrade Economy To Capture Demand
- Invest in improvements even in economy class to capture demand and loyalty.
- United added ovens in coach and will offer hot preordered meals to enhance the main cabin experience.
Willingness To Pay For Better Experience
- Customers across cabins are willing to pay for better product, service, and technology.
- Airfares remain roughly 2% below 2019 while many airline costs have risen substantially, making travel still a good value.