Technological problems and Mother Nature combined to give United a one, two blow this week. Whether you were caught up in the massive power outage that affected large areas of the United States and Canada or sweated through the incredibly hot weather that has afflicted our stations in Europe, irregular operations were the order of the day for many of you.

I was in the midst of a domicile visit at Los Angeles, enjoying the hospitality of our staff and flight attendants there, when I heard of the massive power outage that affected large areas of the U.S. East and Midwest and Canada. My thoughts immediately turned to all of you on the front lines and behind the scenes who were facing many of the same anxieties and challenges you faced on Sept. 11, 2001. I know that as you struggled with your own feelings, many of you were in situations where our customers were looking to you for reassurance and assistance. What I saw around me, and what I'm sure our customers saw, was the amazing ability the people of United have for dealing with whatever challenges come their way. As you worked through the problems posed by this massive irregular operation, you took care of our customers and you watched out for one another.

While the power outage and the heat wave in Europe will continue to play out over the next few days, I want to thank you for everything you've already done to keep United operating. Special thanks to our employees on the front lines and in support positions in the affected areas. I know that the power outage turned your workplace upside down and demanded the ultimate in leadership and resourcefulness. Thanks, too, to everyone across the system who dealt with the domino effect of that event and the heat wave in Europe. From assisting customers on our flights to working behind the scenes on scheduling changes, catering needs and crew accommodations, you have done a magnificent job.

While the events of this week have shown what all of you do for United under extraordinary circumstances, I continue to be struck by your desire to do whatever you can to help the company on a daily basis. Throughout my domicile visits and town-hall meetings, I have received the same question many times: "What can I, as a flight attendant, do to help United succeed?" My first answer is that each of you already is doing a great deal by providing exceptional customer service. Our Marketrak ratings for flight attendant courtesy and helpfulness are at their highest level ever. Thanks for making that happen.

For those of you who want to do more, we're delighted to take you up on that offer. While I am mindful of the press of your duties, I also recognize that you are in a unique position to help United in other ways. You spend more time with our customers than any other employees, and you have demonstrated a very special ability to engage customers and make them think of United as "their" airline. You also can be a powerful force in helping us win back customers and rebuild marketshare by letting customers know what United can offer them.

For example, I hope you are as excited as I am about the many revenue-generating initiatives United has launched recently and the attractive TV and print ads supporting them. I'm talking about our "Fly Three, Fly Free" U.S. fare sale and our "Ticket to the World" international fare sale. There's also United's sponsorship of the U.S. Open tennis tournament and our newest promotion -- "Go. Go. Stay." That's the one that includes a hotel discount and is featured in our fun, new TV ads. These promotions are among the tools that you can use to engage customers, generate revenue and restore confidence in our company. It's as if United is telling the world, "We're back, and we're here to reclaim our rightful position as the industry's top airline."

I know you already are making onboard announcements about "Go. Go. Stay." It's a great deal for our customers, as demonstrated by the fact that more than 8,000 of them called United Reservations the day it was announced. You also have an opportunity to present interested customers with Mileage Plus applications when they inquire about the program.

While United's recent promotions and advertising may seem light-hearted, their purpose is serious. They play a key role in driving more customers to us and generating the revenue we need to meet our financial obligations and emerge from Chapter 11.

Looking to the week ahead, on Thursday and Friday I'll be stopping by our domiciles at JFK and Newark. We'll also be posting the Employee Survey results for Onboard Service on our division web site on SkyNet, and I'll address that topic in my next message. In the meantime, you can review the companywide Employee Survey results on SkyNet. From the home page main menu, just click on "About United" and select "2003 Employee Survey Results."

As always, thanks for listening. For those of you caught up in irregular operations, I hope you get some respite over the next few days. For those looking forward to a normal weekend, make it a safe and enjoyable one.