United Airlines has begun the roll-out of its all-new United Polaris business class, the airline’s most significant product transformation in more than a decade. The new product features a reimagined, sleep-enhancing experience for intercontinental travellers. The first phase of United Polaris features an elevated in-flight food and beverage experience, tranquil custom bedding from Saks Fifth Avenue, exclusive amenity kits with products from Soho House & Co’s Cowshed Spa, and the opening of the first of nine United Polaris lounges around the world, at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

United Airlines continued its stretch of record-breaking operational performance by achieving its best on-time results for a summer travel season in company history. Beginning June 1st through August 31st, more than 76 per cent of mainline and regional flights arrived on time, representing a five percent increase over summer 2015 and a nearly ten per cent increase over summer 2014.

United Continental Holdings has announced that Scott Kirby has been named president of United Airlines. In this newly created role, Kirby will assume responsibility for United’s operations, marketing, sales, alliances, network planning and revenue management.

iPass has entered into an agreement with United Airlines to provide customers with Wi-Fi access to the United Airlines Wi-Fi inflight network. United Airlines passengers who are iPass customers will benefit from a secure, frictionless Wi-Fi experience as they move from the airport terminal to United Airlines aircraft and beyond, utilising a single service.

This fall, United Airlines customers will have a historic opportunity to board one of the first commercial flights from the United States to Havana, Cuba in more than a half century. On Thursday, the US department of transportation tentatively awarded the airline non-stop flights to the Cuban capital from its global gateways in New York/Newark and Houston.

United and the Association of Flight Attendants announced earlier they have reached an agreement on terms of a joint contract that would bring the airline’s more than 25,000 flight attendants together into a single work group. The agreement is subject to approval by the Joint Master Executive Council, including all local presidents, after which it will become a tentative agreement and will be put out for ratification by flight attendants.