A few months ago, on a flight across the country or perhaps even the world, you may have reached into your seatback pocket to pull out the latest copy of Hemispheres and flip through one of our illustrious “Three Perfect Days” features. As you soared through the Friendly Skies at 35,000 feet, the pages may have taken you into the Red Fort in New Delhi, the middle of Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, or to the top of Diamond Head in Honolulu.
For most of us, that feels like a distant memory. While we do not know when travelers will fully return to the skies, we do know that even in these challenging and unprecedented times, our love of flying, our passion for travel around the world, and our desire to connect with friends and family endures. Although you may not join us aboard this month, we are bringing the magazine to you—one of our most valued customers—to continue that exploration.
Your Safety First
The impact of COVID-19 has forced us to make profound changes, and I am proud to say that we have partnered with Clorox and Cleveland Clinic to become a global industry leader when it comes to the safety of our customers and crew. We were among the first airlines in the United States to require everyone on board to wear a mask— and to ban those who refused to comply. We overhauled our cleaning procedures to disinfect the interior of our aircraft with the same devices used to disinfect hospital rooms. Every mainline United aircraft is equipped with hospital-grade filters that capture more than 99.97 percent of the particulates in the air and recirculate that air every two to three minutes. These measures— and many more—are the reasons you can be confident in your safety when you are ready to fly United again.
An Invitation
At United Airlines, our shared purpose is “Connecting People, Uniting the World.” That’s a difficult mission to fulfill at a time when the world is focused on social distancing. But the men and women of United have persevered through the worst crisis our company has ever faced to deliver for our customers who have an urgent reason to travel.
The last few months of sheltering in place have shown us that while modern technology is helpful, it just isn’t a replacement for face-to-face interactions, which are a fundamental part of living meaningful lives and building rewarding careers. That’s “Connecting People, Uniting the World,” and it’s what we do best.
Now, more than ever, your loyalty is so deeply appreciated by every member of the United family. We look forward to welcoming you back on board—please consider this issue of Hemispheres your invitation.
