United CEO Commends Employees for Putting Customers First
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has thanked employees for their dedication and teamwork during the recent government shutdown.
In an internal message, he acknowledged how United teams acted swiftly to manage the FAA’s directive to reduce flights, prioritizing safety, transparency, and customer care. The airline implemented customer-focused measures, including proactive flight notifications, flexible rebooking options, and refunds for all travelers, regardless of fare type.
Kirby highlighted that despite one of the most challenging operational weeks of 2025, United recorded some of its highest Net Promoter Scores (NPS) in four years — a reflection of employees’ commitment to supporting customers and one another.
United team:
I am writing to thank you for your extraordinary performance over the last several days.
Last week’s FAA directive to cut flights during the government shutdown, which we supported, came without much notice and our team sprang into action – by the end of the day Thursday we had already cut hundreds of flights scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And many of you worked through the weekend as we planned additional cuts for this week.
We acted quickly and strategically, while keeping safety a top priority. And we gave our customers as much notice and flexibility as possible knowing the circumstances were ever-changing.
We decided early on to focus on doing what’s right for customers and crews without worrying about the expense or short-term financial impact. That meant that United was the first (and in many cases, the only) airline to implement customer friendly policies like:
- Publish our cancellations on a dedicated site – United.com/GovShutdown – and update it on a rolling, three-day basis. That gave our customers a real-time resource to help them plan.
- Proactive, advance notifications to customers of alternative flights, using our award-winning app to tell people if their flight changed and to offer rebooking options.
- And we offered every customer – whether their flight was cancelled or not – the opportunity to get a refund (even if they had purchased a nonrefundable ticket).
Most importantly, these policies were complemented and amplified by our frontline teams. Their instinct to be open, direct and transparent with our customers – before their trip, at the airport, and onboard – and offer a helping hand at every step along their journey made all the difference.
And here’s the proof: while this weekend had more FAA staffing triggers than any day in history – Saturday alone saw more than 7,500 industry delays nationwide – the past week also produced our fourth, fifth and sixth highest NPS days of the entire year and among the top 25 NPS days since 2022! It’s extraordinary that some of our best NPS days *of the past four years* came during one of the most operationally disruptive weeks of 2025.
It’s clear that the way that you have come together to take care of our customers has made an impact and is a genuine reflection of Good Leads The Way.
Thank you for all you’ve done during the longest government shutdown in history to take care of our customers and one another.
I’ve never been prouder to be on this team with all of you.
Scott
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