Comprehensive interview intel — history, fleet, compensation, hiring, culture, and strategy. Know the company inside and out before you walk in.
United is a legacy U.S. network carrier headquartered in Chicago. It traces its origins to Varney Air Lines, which flew the first contract air mail flight on April 6, 1926, making it one of the oldest airlines in the world. United is a founding member of the Star Alliance (the world's largest airline alliance), operates approximately 4,900 daily flights to 392 airports in 74 countries (241 domestic, 151 international), and has about 90,000 team members including approximately 17,063 active pilots. Scott Kirby has been CEO since May 2020.
For interview purposes, the simplest way to frame United is this: it is trying to be the world's leading global airline through aggressive fleet modernization, international network expansion, and premium product investment. United's own leadership language centers on being "the leading global airline" with a path to double-digit pre-tax margins, anchored by three pillars: operational excellence, premium product, and network breadth. The brand campaign "Good Leads The Way" reflects how the company publicly positions itself.
What makes United distinctive among the Big Three: it has the largest mainline fleet worldwide (1,069 aircraft), the most widebody aircraft of any North American carrier, the most international destinations of any U.S. airline (151 in 74 countries), 650+ aircraft on order (the most aggressive fleet renewal in the industry), and 11 pilot domiciles (the most of any U.S. carrier). It also owns the first flight school ever created by a major U.S. airline — United Aviate Academy in Goodyear, Arizona.
Sources listed at the end of each profile. Data compiled from public filings, airline newsrooms, AirlinePilotCentral, Glassdoor, FAA records, and industry publications.