United Just Became the World's Second Largest Airline by Passenger Traffic
United Airlines is once again the second largest airline in the world by passenger traffic, edging out Delta as the second biggest in the worldwide metric.
In 2018, the Chicago-based carrier flew 230.2 billion revenue passenger miles -- a key measure of traffic obtained by multiplying the number of passengers by the distance flown. By comparison, Delta's revenue passenger miles for 2018 totaled 225.2 billion. Delta had been the No. 2 airline since 2015, when it knocked United out of the second place slot. American Airlines has held the title of world's largest airline by passenger traffic and is expected to hold its place after it releases its 2018 numbers.
According to Bloomberg, United's growth can be attributed to a recent concentrated push to increase its flight capacities by as much as 6% in some of its key markets like Chicago, Houston and Denver. That growth is not likely to slow down in 2019, with United already targeting 22 new domestic route launches and 11 new regional jet routes taking off so far this year. That's in addition to the airline upgrading its capacity on transcontinental routes, adding flights with its new widebody Boeing 787-10.
"Our goal is not to be the biggest," United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy told Bloomberg. "We want to be the best and as we implement our strategy, we are looking to build on this momentum in 2019."
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app