United Airlines today
          announced that three of its technology innovations were
          accepted into the Smithsonian Permanent Research
          Collection on Information Technology at the National
          Museum of American History. The 2000 Information
          Technology Innovation Collection was formally
          presented to the institution at ceremonies attended by
          representatives of United Airlines held in Washington
          D.C. earlier this week.
United was recognized for its electronic ticketing
          software, aircraft scheduling tools and flight planning
          system.
“This prestigious recognition from the Computerworld
          Smithsonian Program confirms United’s leadership
          position as an innovator that is creating new technology
          solutions to improve our customers’ experience and add
          value for our shareholders and employees,” said Bob
          Bongiorno, Managing Director of Customer Service and
          Planning at United’s Information Services Division.
“United is leveraging the power of technology to improve
          our ontime performance, become a more efficient
          organization and realize its full potential as the global
          airline of choice,” said Nirup Krishnamurthy, Managing
          Director of United Operations in the carrier’s Information
          Services Division. “Our three case studies for the
          permanent research collection on information technology
          demonstrate the power of these innovative products.”

United was nominated for a Computerworld Smithsonian
          Award for its electronic ticketing software, now used by
          fourteen airlines around the world. Electronic ticketing
          has changed the way airline consumers travel by
          eliminating the need to pick-up, carry or change paper
          tickets, and have removed the hassle of worrying about a
          lost or forgotten ticket. February ticketing statistics
          showed that nearly 60% of all tickets used by United
          customers worldwide were electronic.
United was also nominated for an award for its
          “SkyPath” program, an internally developed computer
          model that examines millions of possible flight paths in
          search of the fastest and most efficient option. SkyPath
          has reduced United’s average flying time, contributing to
          improvements in the airline’s ontime performance and
          reducing fuel consumption, key areas of concern for the
          entire airline industry.

United received its third nomination for its Aircraft
          Scheduling Automation Project (ASAP). ASAP helps
          the airline construct schedules for its 596 aircraft fleet,
          maximizing the use of its entire fleet by matching airplanes
          with the carrier’s schedule of 2,400 daily flights. The
          program has also allowed United to build greater
          profitability and reliability into its schedule, improving
          utilization of the fleet and better matching its aircraft to
          customer demands.

The Computerworld Smithsonian Program was
          established in 1988 to search out and publicly honor
          organizations and individuals whose use of information
          technology produces positive social, economic and
          educational change. United received laureate honors in
          1998 for its Excalibur program, which moved aircraft
          maintenance documents from paper to computers.

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