This is Patti Carson and welcome to FLT-LINE. Today is Tuesday, December 3rd. There’s a lot going on this week so I’m recording a message today and will also record my regularly scheduled message on Friday.

Despite weather-related operational irregularities in the Midwest and on the East Coast, we had an incredible weekend. On Sunday, Dec. 1st, our load factor was a record breaking 90.5 percent.  We carried more than a quarter-of-a-million passengers on the busiest travel day of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

We received the Department of Transportation (DOT) results for October. Continuing our year-long trend of operational excellence, we came in first place for on-time performance and for completing 99.6 percent of our scheduled flights. We also moved up from eighth to fourth place in mishandled baggage ratings.

The great news is… our employees are focused. You are putting the customer first and it shows. We are running a great airline and surpassing our competitors in areas that are important to our customers. Thank you for providing them the reliable flight service they depend on and the care that they deserve.

On the labor front, we had several significant announcements over the last few days.

·        By now you know that on Nov. 30, 87 percent of eligible AFA members who cast their ballots voted for the tentative agreement. More than 67 percent of eligible AFA members voted. This is really good news for our company as the forward momentum continues in United’s recovery efforts. I’m incredibly proud of our flight attendants for showing support of the company. These are extraordinarily difficult times and your participation demonstrates your commitment to the future of United.

·        United and the International Associations of Machinists (IAM) have reached a new tentative agreement on labor cost savings. The IAM District 141M leadership has approved the new agreements, which are consistent with the labor cost savings called for in the company’s business plan, which was to the ATSB. It requires a ratification vote by the IAM 141M membership. The vote is scheduled for Thursday, December 5th.

At this point, all labor organizations except IAM 141M have voted for their tentative agreements. All of our union members must be commended for agreeing to labor cost savings as part of United’s overall financial recovery program. Clearly, we are on a path to transform our airline and to do this we need to pull together. Our employees not only continue to provide our customers with the best possible product, but they have shown an unprecedented level of cooperation to ensure this company's financial recovery. 

Okay, that’s it for now. As a reminder, bidding for voluntary furlough closes on December 4 at 0800, Central Time. Awards will be announced by 1700 on December 5th.

If you’re interested in taking some long-term time off, be sure your bid is on file before 0800 Dec. 4th. Thank you for dialing in and I look forward to talking to you on Friday. Until then, take care of our customers and each other…