United Airlines continues to brace for a choppy recovery

Airlines worldwide have been forced to overhaul their businesses in a short period of time as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to upend air travel.

The predictions that leisure and visiting friends and relatives (VFR) passenger segments will lead a recovery in air travel are starting to materialise. And as result, all operators will start aggressively chasing those passenger segments in an effort to prop up severely depressed revenues. 

In the US, United Airlines is working to cater to leisure customers on both long haul international and domestic routes, joining rivals in bolstering its presence in leisure markets. 

But as United and other airlines work to structure their networks, revenue remains severely depressed, and many operators, including United, are pulling in capacity as the recovery continues to remain choppy.