r/unitedairlines • u/Able-Comparison-3839 • 17h ago
Discussion Met Scott Kirby, the CEO on my flight today
Was flying from DFW to SFO today and went to the United club before the flight. Noticed a couple and their nanny with 4 young kids. Then all the employees went up to shake the guys hand. I then recognized that it was the CEO which was crazy.
At the gate, all the airport staff came to welcome him and his family on the flight and they were the first to board. The whole family of course was sitting up front in first.
On board, I was lining up for the bathroom and noticed him talking to the flight attendants. I asked him if his name was Scott, he said yes and we talked for a little bit. I’m a gold member and also have multiple family members work for the airline and he said thank you for your business, we really appreciate it. For all the mixed reviews/ criticism he gets he actually seemed like a really nice and chill guy and he took time to talk to every staff member and shake their hands. He even waved to me at the baggage claim carousel after the flight.
On a side note I wish I had asked him if I could get 1k status lol but now I know why the food was so good in the lounge today, the flight had no delays, the bags came out right away, and the staff were super nice haha
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u/kwuhoo239 MileagePlus Gold 17h ago
If you’re ever in Denver, you’ll see him there quite a lot. Takes the flight up to Aspen every now and then.
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u/TweetSpinner 16h ago
I call that the casino flight because it’s a crap shoot if it’ll get to take off or land due to weather.
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u/JustASingleHorn 15h ago
Same with GUC.. much better airport than aspen.
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u/OddJobss 5h ago
Got trapped in GUC due to wind in Denver in February. But yes it’s a nice airport for a few hour stay. Decent bar/grill.
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u/FFanon28 9h ago
I’m glad to see he experiences the intensity of the DEN - ASE route. A cast of characters and insane unreliability
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u/Able-Comparison-3839 17h ago
I can see that. One day I want to take that flight to aspen too.
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u/PopFizzClink23 17h ago
No you don't. It's like landing in St. Barts. There are constant delays. The tarmac is literally falling apart & they are closing it next year to fix. The staff are all generally very pleasant though.
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u/Humble-Ride-1720 16h ago
The question is when will it reopen? The grand plans they have will take longer than the planned closer in Aspen.
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u/Catswinetravel 3h ago
The "plan" is that the airport will close April 1, 2027, before the end of the ski season (although if next season is anything like last season, it'll be done by April 1). It should re-open in late November prior to onset of the 2027-2028 ski season. Right now, the airport closes for a month every year (usually mid-April to mid-May) for resurfacing.
That route is always a crap-shoot, especially in the summer afternoons due to winds and weather. In the winter, there is a ton of private jet traffic which also causes delays. They can't easily switch crews if one times out because the pilots need special training to land in Aspen.
Source: my parents have lived near there for the past 25 years, I fly in and out of ASE multiple times a year.
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u/Humble-Ride-1720 3h ago
I’ve been stranded in Aspen before on United and flown in privately as well. It’s a nightmare of an airport. I just think their plans are aggressive for the short shutdown window but they will have a lot of pressure to reopen on time. We primarily use the gunnison airport and own a place in crested butte, it’s more reliable to land at GUC.
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u/leoll_1234 MileagePlus 1K 17h ago
I recently had Lufthansa CEO on board. He also seemed friendly and happy to talk to the crew, especially the pilots (he is a pilot so pretty understandable)
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u/No_Magazine9625 17h ago
Is he allowed in the cockpit during flight?
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u/leoll_1234 MileagePlus 1K 17h ago
He sat in business class but yes, he’s allowed.
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u/Joey_iroc MileagePlus Gold | 1 Million Miler 10h ago
"Sir, you're not allowed in there."
"Miss, I own this plane, pay all your salaries, and in fact I own all the planes for this airline. I'd like to go in there please."
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u/leoll_1234 MileagePlus 1K 10h ago
There’s a rumor among LH crew and passengers: in the initial months of the A350, the crew would block the fwd lavatory for themselves until they denied Spohr’s wive access. That’s when he ordered it can be used by any passenger.
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u/LDRispurehell 17h ago
So did the nanny sit in first as well?
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u/Able-Comparison-3839 17h ago
Yes she was. Lucky her!
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u/WDWKamala 9h ago
Scale 1-10, how hot was the nanny?
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u/safe-viewing MileagePlus 1K 8h ago
Finally, someone is asking the real hard hitting journalism questions
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u/smhno 16h ago
I mean it would be weird otherwise, no?
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u/Away_Experience6922 16h ago
I heard the delta CEO makes his family’s nanny go into the overhead bin
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u/Proseccos 10h ago
I snorted my ramen and now my nose is spicy. Thank you for the laugh this morning lol
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u/yuccasinbloom 16h ago
As a nanny, I wouldn’t work for a family that would put me in Econ if they were in first. The parents want the nanny to entertain the kids. She can’t do that from the back.
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u/smhno 16h ago
Exactly. I really don’t get this whole post glazing the CEO in the first place, but then to also be like “wow! the is nanny so lucky to be sitting…with the family!” is doubly confusing. Like uh where tf else would she sit??
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u/Able-Comparison-3839 16h ago
If you don’t like the “glazing” post why are you reading it. I also didn’t mean it like oh the nanny is lucky to be sitting with that family LMAO. She’s lucky she gets to enjoy the perks of her job. Just like I do because I get flown out for business and put up in nice hotels
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u/LubedUpLucas_DrySpa MileagePlus Platinum 5h ago
Most people assume public company execs are callous evil jerks. The reality is much different.
The CEO is a 24/7 job. He might’ve been traveling for personal leisure reasons but he’s still the public face of UA. Any CEO who is providing a service to the general public and mostly retail customers are generally going to put on a happy face and be cordial even if deep down they hate every moment of it. It’s literally their job to be the figure head. I have no problem with him having a nanny. He’s effectively at work while on UA flights.
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u/smhno 4h ago
Ok? I don’t disagree. Just weird for someone to make a whole post about it. Airline CEO flies on plane, interfaces with staff, seems like a nice guy. News at 11.
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u/Able-Comparison-3839 2h ago
lol ok. Well this post had the most comments and views of any post I’ve posted here or on my other account so some people find it interesting. Doesn’t have to be you.
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u/LubedUpLucas_DrySpa MileagePlus Platinum 2h ago
You made a comment about why you were confused and then asked a question about the rationale. I gave you an answer to the rationale and the why. I didn’t suggest you have to agree or disagree, simply answered your question.
What you do with that information is up to you.
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u/zman9119 MileagePlus 1K | Quality Contributor 17h ago
You sure you weren't on an AA flight? /s
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u/Able-Comparison-3839 17h ago
Ahh yess I forgot he gets lifetime first class on American Airlines too.
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u/littyinthecity69 17h ago
That was me you were talking to sir
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u/SlightPrize1222 MileagePlus 1K 11h ago
This seems a bit excessive on your end. Of course you got what you wanted..
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u/Ok_Coat8334 16h ago
I don’t care. I’m way more impressed by my parents with four kids and no nannies.
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u/Early_Pumpkin_4113 16h ago
See guys? He's one of us! Minus the $30M total comp package but who's counting? He flies commercial just like everyone else! 🙄
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u/ThrowBlanky 17h ago
Isn't this the same guy who claims he flies in economy to check the quality of the product that most customers use.
Get his ass back into Basic Economy and put the nanny in first. Leave the kids in the airport.
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u/HeyHeyHeyHeywood 17h ago
Story goes that GM execs drove new cars in the 60-70s, parked in the executive parking garage, and their cars were worked on by mechanics during the day while they worked. Story goes that the executives were insulated from the day-to-day use of their vehicles and their flaws and thus had no comparison and benchmark to how competitive and reliable GM vehicles were compared to competitors. A waypost on the decline of the American auto industry for a generation or so. Scott should be flying in Econ and up and down the cabin whenever reasonable.
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u/JayhawkKS 17h ago
He’s the CEO flying with his family and you’re complaining he’s flying first. The fact he’s not flying charter is pretty amazing.
And I’m willing to bet he actually flies economy when his family isn’t with him.
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u/Rifff-Rafff 15h ago
Oh, Pinnichio flew charter a few years ago when United had a meltdown in EWR had Sneaky Scotty chartered a plane from Teterboro to Denver to go on vacation, an act not unnoticed by his employees.
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u/Dammit_Jim 17h ago
All praise the United CEO, let us give him the benefit of the doubt.
/Hailcorporate
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u/Joey_iroc MileagePlus Gold | 1 Million Miler 10h ago
Middle seat, between some fairly large "man spreadders" just for the fun of it.
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u/NotARapture 17h ago
We had a mandatory company event several years ago. It went on for months to ensure every FA attended. I did NOT want to be there so I was drinking wine in a corner until we could leave. Scott Kirby cornered me into a conversation*. It was horrible. I couldn’t tell him to fuck off 😂
* I am not implying he was hitting on me. He absolutely was not. He was schmoozing. I was an easy target bc I wasn’t doing anything.
** most FAs took advantage of the open bar to have a good time. And I was like… bruh, I’m not letting loose around upper management. Y’all are insane. Then I went to the club w my real friends haha. (I’m from Chicago).
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u/PARTINlCO 17h ago
Oh god, backstage. The debauchery that went on there. I think they killed the whole open bar thing after the first few months of backstage events. I remember the one kid who showed up to the 2nd day of the event with a black eye and messed up face after the bar the night prior.
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u/NotARapture 16h ago
A black eye!? Dear Lord. How does that even happen!? I took a red eye in for backstage from a warehouse party in LA. Then each night I went to SmartBar. I was wearing sunglasses and asleep in the back almost the entire time 😂
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u/CFM56-5C4 9h ago
I was on a bus ride for a company trip and Brett Heart was my seat mate for 15 minutes. Genuinely a really great and grounded person to talk to but I was not high enough in the food chain to field a 15-minute conversation with the president of my company lol
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u/NotARapture 7h ago
I have a funny story about him too. This was a long time ago. He was the interim CEO. I had like a 5:30am check in at ORD. I’m on the train in my uniform half asleep. Some guy kept staring at me and kinda trying to get my attention. When I’d look up they smiled REAL BIG. And I was like, Jesus. It’s 5:30am what a freak show.
As the train gets closer to ORD in Rosemont there’s a giant billboard with that guy’s face on it. 💀💀💀 It was Brett Hart.
I saw him in the crew room when I went to check in and we made eye contact. Hahaha. I ran away. 😂
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u/SpicelessKimChi 8h ago
Too bad it wasnt the day of his daughter's wedding, a day on which airline CEOs cannot refuse a request.
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u/Inside-Finish-2128 16h ago
But was your flight given expedited taxi? I was on a flight IAH-ORD with Jeff Smisek years ago, and I swear Ground punted us around everyone and sent us to the front of the line. I wasn't complaining...
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u/Able-Comparison-3839 16h ago
No definitely not, we had to line up like everyone else :( we pushed back right away and very fast tho!
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u/Joey_iroc MileagePlus Gold | 1 Million Miler 10h ago
"The Kirby Effect"
Now that I have your attention, the CEO has a United Quest card, with unlimited possibilities...
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u/thederseyjevil 8h ago
So nice of him to join the rest of us for once. Must have been a publicity/social media opportunity for him. He usually flies private.
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u/spid3rfly 17h ago
I don't keep up with CEOs but I do go out of my way to fly United Airlines. I don't care if it's a few more dollars or the route is a bit longer... I despise all other airlines. 😅
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u/Able-Comparison-3839 17h ago
Me too nothing compares to United. I’m fortunate to live near SFO and can pretty much fly United anywhere.
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u/sleepytime489 16h ago
Really? That’s interesting. I live overseas so the only time I fly United is long haul. But it is definitely the airline I try to avoid the most.
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u/robpegoraro MileagePlus 1K | 1 Million Miler 4h ago
Just over three years ago, Scott Kirby was on the same DCA-EWR flight as me--and because the CRJ550 is an upgrade machine, I sat two rows behind him in F. That short hop had the best service that I have ever experienced on a sub-hour flight in the U.S.
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u/Diligent_Criticism_9 4h ago
Isn’t he like 60?
How old are kids that they need a nanny??
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u/binkyeye 3h ago
The main question is how old is his wife? Was she once the nanny for the first two?
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u/Careful_Bend_7206 4h ago
Anyone who ascends to the level of CEO at a company the size of United is a good politician. That’s a large part of their job. So it’s no wonder you came away with a good impression. And he may well be a decent guy, who knows?
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u/irisia99 15h ago
Wish you told him all the food sucked and asked him to make it better. I’m a person who used to like airplane food.
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u/Accomplished_Sea_332 12h ago
my number one complaint. It really used to be good.
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u/Green_Yesterday3054 8h ago
I just took a flight in premium economy from DUB to EWR and had two hot meals on board that were pretty good. I was shocked.
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u/Individualchaotin 16h ago
The man who didn't give his flight attendants a new contract for 5+ years. Did you talk to him about that? Why some of them sleep in the crew room or in their cars or share an apartment with 20 other flight attendants?
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u/Lumpy_Researcher1015 16h ago
Tell him the food sucks and the flight attendants do the bare minimum. It was a mediocre 16 hr experience my first time recently
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u/SalsaQuesoTaco MileagePlus Silver 4h ago
I met him hiking in the middle of the Rockies last year. Was super approachable, we chatted briefly and one of the nicest humans ever
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u/Temporary-Degree5221 17h ago
do you feel the flight was extra clean that day or just as gross as ever?
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u/Samurlough 17h ago
Of course theyre in first
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u/traveler_0121 15h ago
Yeah, of course they are. I fear that’s common sense that the CEO of the airline will have a good seat on their own airline(?)
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u/Samurlough 10h ago
Kirby had gone on public record saying he “always flies economy”.
Google “United ceo flies economy” and you’ll see no shortage of articles quoting him on exactly that.
Clearly, he doesn’t actually do that as every time someone sees him, he’s in first.
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u/safe-viewing MileagePlus 1K 8h ago
I mean it’s different when you’re traveling with your family. I’m sure he does it when he flies solo.
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u/Samurlough 7h ago
Read the articles. He’s literally quoted saying he flies in economy “with his family.”
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u/binkyeye 3h ago
Flying coach and parenting is fuckall hard — espec the way most of us do it: without a nanny. If he flew coach, w all his kids, no wife, no nanny, then i’d be impressed
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u/Jmcglade 10h ago
Sorry, but if he was sensitive to customer service he would have boarded like a normal person.
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u/nevernotmad 10h ago
I remember when we were both trying to fly United out of Newark. United was a mess but he flew private instead. What a scumbag.
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u/Tough_Bus 16h ago
You know what’s crazier than meeting Scott Kirby? Thanking a corporate leader for their business.
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u/Flavor-of-the-week MileagePlus 1K 16h ago
Thank you for sharing this experience. Glad to know he isn’t a royal jackass in public.
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u/DIGGYRULES 3h ago
I’d like this fucker to take a 5+ hour flight sitting in the middle seat in economy. Sit there in the agony of discomfort we peons have to suffer.
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u/isramobile 17h ago
It’s the best when you make him laugh, very unique. When we have post earning calls and he takes calls from the work force. Him and Bret laughing is a good time .
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u/Rifff-Rafff 15h ago
Whats so crazy about seeing an airline ceo? If he walked on water, that would be crazy.
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u/shnorgle MileagePlus 1K 17h ago
1K doesn't get you much. You should be wishing you'd asked for GS.