As United’s Senior Vice President of Market & Community Innovation, I, with my team, explore partnerships, products, and programs unique to the communities that we serve to connect more meaningfully with customers around the globe.
We work closely with business leaders and nonprofit organizations across our system to ensure the positive impact of our brand is felt from curb to cabin—and beyond. We are passionate about showing how United cares for our customers, employees, and the planet. With one of the most comprehensive route networks in the world, we are uniquely positioned to be a force for good in all areas we serve.
Together with our partners, we have utilized our reach and resources to identify ways to remove barriers to opportunities. This approach is demonstrated in our work with the PGA Tour: We have provided travel grants to golf programs at 51 Historically Black Colleges and Universities to ensure that air travel would not be a barrier to team recruitment and tournament access. We also recently became the official airline sponsor and travel partner for the Red Stars—Chicago’s National Women’s Soccer League team—as we believe it’s important to champion and invest in women in sports.
It’s a very exciting time at United, and we have a lot to celebrate, including reaching two major milestone anniversaries in the Mile High City and the Aloha State, with our 85th anniversary serving Denver and our 75th anniversary serving Hawaii. Both anniversaries underscore our commitment not only to bring tourism and business to these destinations but also to support them locally through strategic investments.
To fete Hawaii, we held gate celebrations in our West Coast hubs—Los Angeles and San Francisco—and replicated the inaugural 1947 flight from San Francisco to Honolulu. Upon arrival in Honolulu, passengers were welcomed with a traditional hula dancing and lei ceremony, along with the placement of a 75-foot lei on the airplane. We also surprised our customers with Kona Brewing Company beer onboard and offered complimentary Mai Tais in the United Club throughout May. In honor of the anniversary, our employees volunteered on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the island of Hawaii with our local sustainability partner, Kanu Hawaii. We continue to invest in key partners in Hawaii and find unique ways to promote sustainable tourism.
In Denver, we hosted several volunteer opportunities with our nonprofit partners, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado and the Food Bank of the Rockies.
We are also the presenting sponsor for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce’s State of the City event, and we will host a 5K on the Runway, at which runners will be able, for the first time, to race down the runway at Denver International Airport. We want you to know that when you choose to fly with United, you are choosing an airline that is proud to support a diverse range of programs dedicated to giving back to the communities we serve.
Sincerely,
Janet Lamkin
Senior Vice President, Market & Community Innovation
Next Up: Aloha Anniversary: United Celebrates 75 Years of Flying to Hawai’i
