United has lots of work before it’s #1

United CEO Scott Kirby has been in the news again. From a media viewpoint, that’s great. The industry needs mavericks to keep it interesting. We’ve previously opined, based on the data, that United is about to eclipse, or has eclipsed, Delta at the top of the US industry.

But even as United’s embrace of technology has made the airline operate better, there’s a hard limit. We applaud all the technology United is deploying – especially Starlink. Improving the travel experience should be cheered because it certainly isn’t what it used to be. Cabin crews are stressed; high load factors and misbehaving passengers don’t make it pleasant. And this isn’t a US problem; it’s everywhere.

Here’s where hard data meets Mr. Kirby’s aspirations.