United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is urging the U.S. government to fund sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) similarly to how it supported solar energy. He sees potential in corn and soy currently used for biodiesel and wants more government support to firm up the industry, while criticizing Europe's approach.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby expects oil prices to gradually decline through 2027 but remain elevated, allowing airlines to pass on higher fuel costs through sustained fare increases. Fares have already risen over 20% this year to offset fuel costs driven by the Iran war. Kirby argues that reduced domestic capacity from Spirit Airlines' collapse, plus higher labor, maintenance, and airport fees, have boosted pricing power, ending ultra-low fares. United is adding 10 international routes, betting on strong demand.
United Airlines has announced its largest-ever international expansion, adding 10 new off-the-beaten-path destinations across Europe and Asia beginning in 2027, plus enhancements to existing routes. The strategy targets premium travelers and leans on the new Airbus A321XLR narrowbody—equipped with 32 premium lie-flat seats—to open secondary European markets that legacy widebodies couldn't serve profitably. New routes span Okinawa, Toulouse, Luxembourg, Marseille, Ibiza, Valencia, Terceira, Ljubljana, Sardinia, and Sicily, with United positioned as the only U.S. carrier in eight of the 10 markets. The move reflects intensifying transatlantic competition (Delta has made similar bets on Sardin…
BCD Travel announced a new agreement with United Airlines to provide access to the carrier's content through a direct connection, available via TripSource's online and offline booking channels. This move addresses the increasingly fragmented distribution landscape, offering corporate clients more choice while maintaining policy compliance, servicing, and duty of care. BCD currently supports 22 airlines through its NDC ecosystem, with over 65% of itineraries globally booked through NDC where enabled.
BCD Travel announced advancements in its Tripsource platform to expand travel content access, including a new direct connect agreement with United Airlines. This reinforces BCD's 'Open by Design' approach, supporting policy compliance, traveler safety, and program integrity. The direct connect will be available via online and offline channels, leveraging NDC capabilities. BCD has supported direct connections since 2019 and now has 22 airlines live in its NDC ecosystem.
SAP Concur announced that its TripLink partnership now integrates with the United Airlines mobile app. Previously available only on United.com, the integration now also supports the United Airlines mobile app on iOS and Android. Companies can capture corporate bookings made on both the United Airlines website and mobile app, which are automatically synced with Concur without users needing to email, providing immediate visibility into traveler spend and policy compliance monitoring. The integration also delivers further traveler flexibility through e-receipts.
SAP Concur announced it will make United Airlines NDC content available to all customers through Select Access. United's NDC APIs will display its bundles of ancillary services, configurable in Concur Travel and uniquely available through the NDC channel. The post notes that since 2019, all customers have had access to NDC content from British Airways and the Lufthansa Group through Select Access (Travelfusion), making Concur Travel the first corporate online booking tool (OBT) to provide NDC access. It also notes United has been a North American pioneer in multi-channel distribution and was the first airline to connect to Concur TripLink. In the future, Concur Travel plans to obtain NDC co…