United is America’s Success Story
United is Successful? How? Brooke dives deep to explore!
Why is United so successful?
Let us first define success.
In a capitalist society like ours, success is generally measured by the annual generation of net profit—enough to place a business firmly in the fiscal black rather than the red. By this metric, and several others, United has achieved astonishing success, though it still trails Delta Air Lines (IATA code: DAL) by an appreciable margin.
United trails Delta largely because Delta has aggressively marketed itself to premium passengers, branding itself as the United States’ premier airline. However, with American Airlines fading toward low-cost carrier status and Southwest Airlines positioning itself as yet another average carrier—or, as I like to call them, “AAC” (Another Average Carrier)—United is steadily closing the gap.
If Delta stands at the peak of Mount Everest, United is just behind, nearing the summit.
United CEO Scott Kirby is driving the airline forward through the United Next strategy, which includes the forthcoming Polaris Next premium cabin. This product will enhance the already impressive Polaris seat, introducing closing floor-to-ceiling doors for increased privacy and an upgraded hard and soft product. These improvements will debut on long-haul international routes, beginning with SFO–LHR and SFO–SIN (San Francisco to London Heathrow and San Francisco to Singapore), with additional routes planned as the service expands.
Under Scott Kirby’s leadership, United consistently looks toward the next milestone—the next advancement, the next improvement in customer satisfaction. This forward momentum defines the core of the United Next philosophy. Kirby has been explicit about his vision for where United should be in ten, fifteen, or even twenty years. His ultimate goal is to surpass Delta Air Lines while correcting the missteps of prior leadership—particularly the attempt to turn United into a stripped-down, bare-bones airline similar to American. Kirby firmly rejected that approach.
From a business-model perspective, United is advancing faster than its competitors and accelerating its global reach. The airline already operates the world’s largest route network, serving distant and less-traveled destinations that Delta avoids and American rarely attempts. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, for example, was added to United’s route map in spring 2025.
United is deliberately positioning itself as the airline of choice for globally minded, intelligent travelers. Its award-winning mobile app—frequently ranked best in the industry—reflects this strategy by prioritizing functionality, information, and usability. Delta, by contrast, focuses primarily on high-revenue travelers capable of filling 80–90 percent of first- and business-class cabins. While Delta offers economy class, it is not central to its branding strategy.
United’s Polaris Next cabin will effectively function as a de facto international first class, though the existing Polaris product remains exceptionally competitive. American Airlines, in contrast, contributes little to this conversation—an issue explored more thoroughly in my article The Fall of a Titan.
United’s strength is also evident in its global profit-sharing partnerships, particularly its joint business with Lufthansa, Germany’s flag carrier. With eight major U.S. hubs—Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Denver (DEN), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH), Newark Liberty (EWR), Washington Dulles (IAD), and Guam (GUM)—and headquarters in Chicago’s Willis Tower, United pairs seamlessly with Lufthansa’s Frankfurt (FRA) hub and secondary hub in Munich.
When Star Alliance partners Air Canada and Copa Airlines (Panama’s flag carrier) are added to this transatlantic framework, the resulting economy of scale becomes formidable—arguably unmatched.
It is likely that within ten to fifteen years, distinctions between United and Lufthansa will blur even further, offering passengers an increasingly seamless, unified experience across the Atlantic.
Learn more and book your dream trip with Brooke In The Air Travel. Visit brookeintheairtravel.squarespace.com to schedule your first consultation. Next time, we’ll explore route networks and economies of scale in greater depth.
Photo credit: planespotters.net
