Hope United is happy with profits

It's nice to read in today's Herald that United"s profits have resumed to $1.7 billion in the second quarter. Sorry to hear that they are also in a tiff with Washington over sweetheart deals with the Port Authority in Newark. And that they are having such difficulty getting their aircraft to fly.

That's much more serious than their delays, cancellations and "tech glitches," etc.

For example, the two ancient A319 Air Buses I encountered on a recent connection in Denver on the way to San Francisco. Preparing to board the aircraft, we were told it was unable to fly, was taken out of service and we would instead continue on a flight from Houston which would arrive three and a half hours later. When it did arrive, another A319, we were boarded and buckled in, given the "welcome aboard" greeting, and backed away from the gate. But wait. We sat there for a while until we were given a second message from the crew that, and I'm serious,

This time another aircraft magically appeared from a hangar instead of a thousand miles away and we flew the two hours to S. F. four hours late at 12:30 a.m.

Compared to the narrow escape from the engine fire in Las Vegas, ours was much less traumatic. But new CEO Munoz, how close did we come to flying with one of your engines starting and stopping somewhere over the mountains in Colorado?

Not one, but two unfit aircraft, which makes all your other "glitches" look less bothersome, yes?

Another billion or two will make you feel better, I know. But I certainly feel really well-being here to tell you not to get too comfortable while you are getting all those former United customers back to the "friendly skies."

Ed Larrabee

Lake Zurich