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The article reports that many pilots in the United States have given up the glamour of airline jobs for the lucre of cargo hauling as the U.S. passenger industry has undergone financial upheaval. According to Aviation Information Resources Inc., United Airlines Inc. pilots, who five years ago in 2001 received the industry's highest pay, now make 21% less than their counterparts at the cargo haulers, such as United Parcel Service Inc.

The article reports that Goldman Sachs & Co. has been hired by United Airlines Inc. to investigate various strategic options for the company. Goldman Sachs is expected to help in assessment of the value of domestic and international holdings of United Airlines and suggest available options for sales or purchases of domestic or international routes.

The article focuses on United Airlines Inc. unions' merger plans. In order to study every possible merger combination, a 12-person task force of economists, lawyers and labor experts has been gathered by one of the unions. According to Michael Boyd, president of Boyd Group, investors gain while employees and consumers lose in an airline merger. United could gain an opportunity to raise equity from outside investors through a merger.

The article focuses on the impacts of the launch of low-cost flights by Virgin America Inc. in the United States. Virgin could begin cross-country flights out of San Francisco as early as this fall if it gains approval from federal regulators to launch operations in the U.S. The entry of Virgin in the San Francisco and Los Angeles markets is supposed to intensify the discount competition. The airline which would face greater discount competition than others would be United Airlines.

The article reports that after facing competition on flights between the U.S. and Europe, United Airlines Inc. is scaling back service on some routes. In the first quarter, the airline cut trans-Atlantic capacity 12% from last year. Meanwhile, in the U.S., most carriers are slashing capacity, which combined with strong demand gives airlines plenty of room to raise fares. That has led United to bulk up on stateside flights-a striking reversal from two years ago, when CEO Glenn Tilton staked the Elk Grove Township-based company's revival largely on the prospect of shifting capacity from the hyper competitive U.S. market to more profitable international routes.

The article reports that United Airlines Inc. can be expected to demand rich concessions from city and state officials. Elk Grove Township-based United and CEO Glenn Tilton are already under immense pressure from investors over rising costs at the airline. To justify paying expensive downtown rent, they'll have to secure an impressive basket of financial and other incentives. The size of incentives ultimately offered to United will depend on the headquarters site it selects and the number of jobs in play.

The article reports that summer 2006 is going to be the busiest summer ever at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. Even with a federally mandated cap on flights, the airport is expected to handle about 241,000 travelers a day in June and July. This is all because major U.S. airlines are expected to cram even more passengers into planes during the industry's busiest months. Accordingly, the Transportation Security Administration has cut security checkpoint staffs nationwide. Airport and airline officials say they are prepared to handle the crush.

The article reports that United Airlines Inc. is cutting service in major metropolitan markets such as New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C. The company prunes its money-losing U.S. network, marking a major turning point for the beleaguered U.S. aviation industry. Industry pundits have long blamed a glut in U.S. capacity-too many planes, flights, airport gates-for the major carriers' inability to price fares high enough to cover their costs. The company has reduced its total seats to the New York market by 4% since September 2004, with the bulk of the cuts falling at Newark International Airport.

The article reports that United Airlines Inc. has finally unveiled its long-awaited restructuring plan. It is reported that final reorganization plans are typically far different from the versions initially presented to bankruptcy judges for approval. But United, which aims to get out of bankruptcy by February 1, can ill afford more battles with unsecured creditors, which appear likely, given the sketchiness of the business model it presented last week. A spokes-woman for Elk Grove Township-based United is upbeat about the prospects for the airline sticking to its timetable.

The article reports that the last Boeing 757 rolled off the assembly line in late October, but it appears that other 757s may soon be headed back to Boeing Co.. That's because 35 of the discontinued mid-range passenger planes, one of the most popular models in Boeing's history, secure $ 1.31 billion in loans made by Boeing Capital Corp., the commercial finance arm of the Chicago-based aerospace giant. Managing risk for discontinued or soon-to-be-discontinued aircraft like the 757 is a major issue for Boeing Capital as it works to shore up a $ 9.7-billion loan portfolio that has been battered along with the U.S. aviation industry.

The article reports that bankruptcy filings by ATA Holdings Corp. and Delta Air Lines Inc. would jeopardize $4 billion in sales for Boeing Co. Both airlines said last week they're burning cash at a rate that imperils their ability to operate outside of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which would allow them to cancel or renegotiate contracts, including agreements to buy planes from Boeing. Delta, an exclusive Boeing customer for mainline aircraft, has orders in place for 66 Boeing planes to be delivered over the next five years at a total price of $3.59 billion, a Delta filing shows.

This article presents information on developments in aircraft industry. Like the Big Three automakers, aerospace giant Boeing Co., lends money to those buying its products, holding about $10 billion in loans and leases for airlines. Despite a recent push to reduce its risk, Boeing Capital Corp., Boeing's commercial lending arm, is vulnerable to the turbulence battering the U.S. aviation industry. Another risk factor for Boeing Capital: $3.47 billion of its outstanding leases are secured by aircraft that are out of production, like the Boeing 757, or are expected soon to be discontinued—the Boeing 717— reducing their value as collateral.

Reports the deal among commercial airlines to provide Internet and electronic mail services to air passengers in the United States. Plans of Boeing Co. to establish broadband technology; Benefits of the broadband connection to the customers; Concern over expenses.

Describes the preparations made by UAL Corp. for the coming of the Year 2000 to prevent and solve possible airline operational problems. Scheduled flights to Australia on December 31, 1999; Enlisting of additional employees to work overtime on New Year's weekend to deal with potential disruptions; Comment by Rick Juster, director of the airline's corporate Year 2000 project.

The article reports on United Airlines Inc. which has generated more passenger complaints than any other airline in July 2006. According to the United States Department of Transportation, the bulk of the 111 complaints against United filed involved delayed or canceled flights. A United representative has blamed weather for the cancellations. In July alone, 956 flights were cancelled by United which is more than any other major airline in the United States.

The article focuses on an announcement by United Airlines Inc. regarding its closure of a reservations center near Washington Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia. Around 450 employees will be affected by the closure.

The article presents information related to Daley Corp. The company offered to give United Airlines Inc. at least $4.4 million in TIF money if the airline moves its headquarters downtown and maintains at least 350 workers there for 10 years. It is reported that executives from United Airlines Inc. toured a few downtown office buildings last week.

The article reports that United Airlines Inc. has asked federal regulators to approve a code-sharing agreement with Qatar Airways, a move that would expand the carrier's operations in the Persian Gulf's booming aviation market. Last month, United announced it will begin non-stop flights in October from Washington Dulles International Airport to Kuwait City, the first such service by any U.S. carrier. Code-sharing allows participating airlines to sell tickets on each other's flights.

The article reports that Japan's All Nippon Airways Co. Ltd. will start non-stop Chicago-to-Tokyo flights from October 29, 2006 at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, Illinois.

The article reports that Verizon Airfone Inc. hopes to offer Wi-Fi service aboard the U.S. carriers, including United Airlines Inc. Oak Brook-based unit of Verizon Communications last year was first to gain FAA clearance to provide in-flight Wi-Fi. To do so, it needs spectrum and an FCC license.

The article reports that United Airlines Inc. sold more than $2 billion in tickets through its Web site in 2005, a 27% jump over 2004. United's site drew 4.4 million visitors in November 2005, fourth-highest among U.S. airline Web sites, according to comScore Media Metrix, a market research firm. Southwest Airlines Co.'s site ranked first, with 9.1 million visitors.

The article reports that bankruptcy filings by airlines Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Inc. could have bad consequence on Boeing Co. and it can leave Boeing with $6.59 billion in aircraft orders and financing, by far the greatest exposure of any Chicago, Illinois company.

The article reports that Singapore Airlines Ltd. will launch Boeing's satellite television, the first live broadcasts available on overseas flights. The service eventually will be available on 12 airlines.

This article reports that to keep pace with high employee attrition rates and jam-packed planes, United Airlines Inc. is rehiring 150 previously furloughed flight attendants. Another 1,400 attendants have been furloughed. But they aren't on United's payroll, but continue to receive some benefits and are first in line for job openings.

The article informs that with dot.coms selling for inflated prices like it's 1999, United Airlines Inc. is poised to make its own Internet play in the United States. Recent moves position the Elk Grove Township-based carrier to sell its MyPoints.com Inc. subsidiary. Attracting 4 million visitors each month, MyPoints doles out rewards to members--from lattes at Starbucks to airline tickets on United--for purchases with online merchants like Target.com. It's the third-most-visited loyalty program on the Internet, says market researcher ComScore Networks Inc. In 2001, after the Internet bubble burst, United paid only $118 million for MyPoints, a dot.com with $63.5 million in sales and $85 million in cash.

The article informs that United Airlines Inc. in the United States is laying off 178 workers who clean aircraft cabins at O'Hare and about 500 such workers system wide. A new union contract allows United to outsource these jobs. Laid-off employees will get double severance pay, medical insurance and five years of free travel on United Airlines.

The article reports that speculation that United Airlines Inc. is still on track to exit bankruptcy this fall sent shares of the Elk Grove, Illinois-based carrier, which trades over the counter, soaring 48% last week to $1.72. That is considered odd, because United plans to cancel its stock as it emerges from Chapter 11, an event that will render worthless those same shares that were trading feverishly Friday. Airline investors--if not passengers--are cheered because United and other legacy airlines like Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines are stockpiling cash and raising fares as the price war abates, for now.

The article reports that the Internet has revolutionized the way airlines fill their seats, but not the way they fill their cargo holds, yet. OAG Americas is stepping into that market void with a Web portal that allows Chicago shipping firms to find the cheapest and quickest way to get packages from O'Hare International Airport to remote reaches of the planet. Similar conveniences are taken for granted by travelers who use online ticketers such as Orbitz Inc.

The article informs that as if massive layoffs, wage concessions and the prospect of losing billions of dollars in pension benefits were not quite enough, United Airlines Inc. is now reminding pilots to take it easy on the bottled water. A dryly worded February 23 memo told pilots to ask flight attendants for a glass of water instead of taking bottled water into the cockpit, except on international flights, trips to Hawaii and domestic flights exceeding 2,100 miles. United says other employees complained that pilots were nabbing water bottles from drink carts, leaving passengers high and dry.

This article reports that in a new twist on corporate downsizing, cash-strapped United Airlines Inc. has put a 32-acre chunk of its Elk Grove Township headquarters on the market. The undeveloped land lies in two parcels east and west of United's corporate offices at 1200 E. Algonquin Road. The land is vacant now, but in better times it was home to soccer fields and overflow parking for airline employees. United hired ProTen Realty Group to broker the site, which a real estate official estimates should sell for $5 to $8 per square foot, netting United close to $10 million.

As anchor tenant United Airlines Inc. looks for a financial lifeline, city planners at O' Hare International Airport say their expansion plan can survive the worst-case scenario, the Elk Grove Township-based carrier's demise. Still, city planners have run the numbers to determine the impact of a United shutdown on the traffic growth estimates underlying the expansion project. A shutdown or significant reduction of O' Hare operations by United would force other airlines to shoulder more of the $6.6-billion cost of building four new runways and a new terminal. Their share of the O' Hare expansion costs, plus on-going maintenance, airport operations and capital improvement expenses would initially soar about 40% above previous estimates if United stops flying.

Reports the cancellation of high-speed Internet service for passengers of airlines. Concern for safety and solvency of airlines; Web contract of Connexion and Tenzing Communications Inc.; Termination of employees at Tenzing; Redeployment of Connexion employees to other Boeing units.

Reports on developments about technology in Chicago, Illinois as of February 5, 2001. Partnership among oil companies and airlines to launch Jet-A.com; Plan to dump shares of interVentures Inc. after the expiration of a 'lock-up' agreement; Launch of networking group HR@Work to provide support to human resources professionals about how to deal with layoffs.