Related: Flying on United’s new CRJ550, possibly the most comfortable regional jet in the USĪ post shared by Ned Russell on at 7:23am PDT
"He’s got to shed the America West, low-cost airline mindset and he’s got to recognize that United Airlines is a better class of airline." “Scott’s not a passenger experience person," Atmosphere Research president Henry Harteveldt told TPG, adding that Kirby is sometimes "blindsided" by numbers. But he's also presided over a reduction in onboard flight-attendant staffing on some flights, done in the name of standardizing with industry norms. He is credited for accelerating installation of Polaris business class seats on the airline's wide-body jets after a slow roll out and introducing the Bombardier CRJ550. Kirby has a checkered history on this front at United. There is a general sense among long-time flyers of the airline that the product has been cheapened since the 2013 merger.
He and Parker have widely been credited for bringing a lower-cost ethos to American, in both good and bad ways. On the passenger front, Kirby has a history of maximizing revenue - sometimes at the expense of comfort. Related: A history of United's Denver hub United remains committed to the project, as well as to a concourse expansion that will see it add 24 gates to its hub in the future, she said. One of the things I would say is one of his strengths: he listens to people," said Kim Day, who, as CEO of Denver International Airport, has worked closely with Kirby and his team to manage United's large hub in the Mile High City.ĭay faced a similar challenge convincing Kirby on the necessity of reconfiguring the airport's Great Hall, something he initially opposed but has since come to support. However, he quickly backtracked after an outcry from staff. One of his early missteps with staff was an attempt to convert a quarterly employee bonus program to a lottery in 2018. In addition to his frankness and planning background, Kirby is also known for some seemingly impulsive decisions - and not always passenger-friendly moves.
Related: United Airlines president Scott Kirby to replace Oscar Munoz as CEO "He understands that the network is core." “Connectivity is the core at the airline and everything he’s done since he got there is build up the connectivity United was lacking," said Brad DiFiore, managing director at air service advisers Ailevon Pacific Aviation Consulting. That was welcome growth after years of "capacity discipline" and domestic cuts that followed United's 2010 merger with Continental Airlines. One of Kirby's achievements is the success of his mid-continent hub growth plan: the airline grew faster than the industry average with a focus on adding connecting flights at its hubs at Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Denver (DEN) and Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH) in 20. That background in planning is already on display at United. His experience dates to the mid-1990s at American and America West where he rose through the ranks on the planning side of the business. Kirby and Parker are credited with two of the industry's mega mergers: the combination of American and US Airways in 2013, and of America West Airlines and US Airways in 2005. He came to the carrier from American Airlines, where he had held the same role under CEO Doug Parker at the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier. Kirby joined United as president in August 2016. (Image by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images) United's new CEO Scott Kirby (right) and former CEO, now executive chairman, Oscar Munoz (left) in 2017.
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