CHICAGO, March 8, 2010 – United Airlines today reported its preliminary consolidated traffic results for February 2010. Total consolidated revenue passenger miles (RPMs) increased in February by 2.1% on a decrease of 5.3% in available seat miles (ASMs) compared with the same period in 2009. This resulted in a reported February consolidated passenger load factor of 78.7%, an increase of 5.7 points compared to 2009.
For February 2010, consolidated passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) is estimated to have increased 17.0% to 19.0% year over year. Consolidated PRASM is estimated to have increased 3.8% to 5.8% for February 2010 compared to February 2008, 2.9 percentage points of which was due to growth in ancillary revenues.
The company estimates that weather related cancellations in February from the severe storms that affected the East coast reduced February revenue by approximately $40 million. In addition, the company estimates a benefit to PRASM of approximately 1.5 points from storm-related reductions in ASMs and the impact of the Lufthansa strike on trans-Atlantic loads.
Storm-related cancellations accounted for 3.5 percentage points of the 5.3% year-over-year decline in consolidated ASMs for the month of February, and are expected to reduce consolidated ASMs for the first quarter 2010 by approximately 1.0 percentage point.
United reported a U.S. Department of Transportation on-time arrival rate of 79.5% in February.
Average February 2010 mainline fuel price, including gains or losses on settled fuel hedges and excluding non-cash, mark-to-market fuel hedge gains and losses, is estimated to be $2.25 per gallon. Including non-cash, mark-to-market fuel hedge gains and losses, the estimated fuel price is $1.64 per gallon for the month.
About United
United Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UAL Corporation (Nasdaq: UAUA), operates approximately 3,300* flights a day on United and United Express to more than 230 U.S. domestic and international destinations from its hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C. With key global air rights in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and Latin America, United is one of the largest international carriers based in the United States. United also is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides connections for our customers to 1,077 destinations in 175 countries worldwide. United's 46,000 employees reside in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world. United ranked No. 1 in on-time performance for domestic scheduled flights for 2009 among America's five largest global carriers, as measured by the Department of Transportation and published in the Air Travel Consumer Report for 2009. News releases and other information about United can be found at the company's Web site at united.com, and follow United on Twitter @UnitedAirlines.
* Based on United's forward-looking flight schedule for January 2010 to December 2010
|
REVENUE PASSENGER MILES (‘000)*
|
|
|
|
February 2010
|
February 2009
|
Change
|
|
North America
|
3,929,502
|
4,084,182
|
-3.8%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pacific
|
1,518,158
|
1,405,668
|
8.0%
|
|
Atlantic
|
1,012,424
|
975,398
|
3.8%
|
|
Latin America
|
259,552
|
286,069
|
-9.3%
|
|
Total International
|
2,790,134
|
2,667,135
|
4.6%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Mainline
|
6,719,636
|
6,751,317
|
-0.5%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Regional Affiliates
|
1,098,381
|
908,220
|
20.9%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Consolidated
|
7,818,017
|
7,659,537
|
2.1%
|
|
AVAILABLE SEAT MILES (‘000)*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
North America
|
4,859,647
|
5,295,138
|
-8.2%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pacific
|
1,869,166
|
2,027,931
|
-7.8%
|
|
Atlantic
|
1,413,483
|
1,491,646
|
-5.2%
|
|
Latin America
|
317,984
|
400,813
|
-20.7%
|
|
Total International
|
3,600,633
|
3,920,390
|
-8.2%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Mainline
|
8,460,280
|
9,215,528
|
-8.2%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Regional Affiliates
|
1,470,262
|
1,275,545
|
15.3%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Consolidated
|
9,930,542
|
10,491,073
|
-5.3%
|
|
LOAD FACTOR*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
North America
|
80.9%
|
77.1%
|
3.8 pts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pacific
|
81.2%
|
69.3%
|
11.9 pts
|
|
Atlantic
|
71.6%
|
65.4%
|
6.2 pts
|
|
Latin America
|
81.6%
|
71.4%
|
10.2 pts
|
|
Total International
|
77.5%
|
68.0%
|
9.5 pts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Mainline
|
79.4%
|
73.3%
|
6.1 pts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Regional Affiliates
|
74.7%
|
71.2%
|
3.5 pts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Consolidated
|
78.7%
|
73.0%
|
5.7 pts
|
|
REVENUE PASSENGERS BOARDED (‘000)*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mainline
|
3,721
|
3,968
|
-6.2%
|
|
Regional Affiliates
|
1,939
|
1,714
|
13.1%
|
|
Total Consolidated
|
5,660
|
5,682
|
-0.4%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CARGO TON MILES (000)*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Freight
|
130,545
|
89,891
|
45.2%
|
|
Mail
|
14,890
|
17,182
|
-13.3%
|
|
Total Mainline
|
145,435
|
107,073
|
35.8%
|
*Includes Scheduled and Charter Operations. Regional Affiliates results only reflect flights operated under capacity purchase agreements.
|
REVENUE PASSENGER MILES (‘000)*
|
|
|
|
YTD Feb. 2010
|
YTD Feb. 2009
|
Change
|
|
North America
|
8,131,250
|
8,353,560
|
-2.7%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pacific
|
3,317,035
|
3,221,679
|
3.0%
|
|
Atlantic
|
2,327,575
|
2,205,628
|
5.5%
|
|
Latin America
|
585,626
|
619,575
|
-5.5%
|
|
Total International
|
6,230,236
|
6,046,882
|
3.0%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Mainline
|
14,361,486
|
14,400,442
|
-0.3%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Regional Affiliates
|
2,225,319
|
1,825,895
|
21.9%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Consolidated
|
16,586,805
|
16,226,337
|
2.2%
|
|
AVAILABLE SEAT MILES (‘000)*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
North America
|
10,224,284
|
10,835,779
|
-5.6%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pacific
|
3,975,830
|
4,383,046
|
-9.3%
|
|
Atlantic
|
3,128,937
|
3,199,283
|
-2.2%
|
|
Latin America
|
718,226
|
856,841
|
-16.2%
|
|
Total International
|
7,822,993
|
8,439,170
|
-7.3%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Mainline
|
18,047,277
|
19,274,949
|
-6.4%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Regional Affiliates
|
3,054,808
|
2,617,519
|
16.7%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Consolidated
|
21,102,085
|
21,892,468
|
-3.6%
|
|
LOAD FACTOR*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
North America
|
79.5%
|
77.1%
|
2.4 pts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pacific
|
83.4%
|
73.5%
|
9.9 pts
|
|
Atlantic
|
74.4%
|
68.9%
|
5.5 pts
|
|
Latin America
|
81.5%
|
72.3%
|
9.2 pts
|
|
Total International
|
79.6%
|
71.7%
|
7.9 pts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Mainline
|
79.6%
|
74.7%
|
4.9 pts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Regional Affiliates
|
72.8%
|
69.8%
|
3.0 pts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Consolidated
|
78.6%
|
74.1%
|
4.5 pts
|
|
REVENUE PASSENGERS BOARDED (‘000)*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mainline
|
7,745
|
8,188
|
-5.4%
|
|
Regional Affiliates
|
3,960
|
3,444
|
15.0%
|
|
Total Consolidated
|
11,705
|
11,632
|
0.6%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CARGO TON MILES (000)*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Freight
|
254,032
|
178,263
|
42.5%
|
|
Mail
|
32,526
|
35,757
|
-9.0%
|
|
Total Mainline
|
286,558
|
214,020
|
33.9%
|
*Includes Scheduled and Charter Operations. Regional Affiliates results only reflect flights operated under capacity purchase agreements.
GAAP To Non-GAAP Reconciliations
Pursuant to SEC Regulation G, the Company has included the following reconciliation of reported non-GAAP financial measures to comparable financial measures reported on a GAAP basis. Since the Company does not apply cash flow hedge accounting, the Company believes that the net fuel hedge adjustments provide management and investors with a better perspective of its performance and comparison to its peers because the adjustments reflect the economic fuel cost during the periods presented and many of our peers apply cash flow hedge accounting.
|
|
|
February 2010
|
|
Mainline fuel price per gallon excluding non-cash, net mark-to-market gains and losses
|
|
$2.25
|
|
Add: Non-cash, net mark to market (gains) and losses per gallon
|
|
(0.61)
|
|
Mainline fuel price per gallon
|
|
$1.64
|
|
