Hi, this is Glenn and it is Friday, the 13th of August and I am calling from Chicago.

Last week on the call, I talked about responsibility, accountability and the importance of making the right decisions, regardless of how difficult or tough the decisions may be. And, I talked about the need for those who have a stake in the future of United to participate fully in the discussions regarding our decisions.

Since that call, we have had many such discussions. We have had information sharing meetings with four of our union groups and others are currently scheduled. On Wednesday we had our monthly creditors committee meeting, and yesterday we met with our board of directors for the second time in two weeks.

Today on the call, I am going to talk about some of the things that we discussed with our creditors committee and our board. The single most important thing that we discussed and we all agreed, is that United today is at a critical crossroads. If ever there was a time in the company’s history where we needed to stare hard at the facts and the reality of our situation, and at the marketplace in which we compete, now is the time.

Our history shows that we have repeatedly shied away from difficult decisions and today, we are suffering the consequences of either poor decisions or decisions that we avoided.

We have made significant progress in the past two years, as hard as that experience has been on all of us. We have dramatically improved the company, and we need to continue to build on that foundation.

As Pete McDonald, our chief operating officer, mentioned on a recent call, we know we have more to do across our cost structure. And that work is going to be across the entire organization, including headquarters, and we are moving forward daily on performance and cost improvements. And, many of you continue to contribute your ideas on how we can improve.

We must be cost competitive. We must be able to weather the impact of external factors that are beyond our control, such as the cost of fuel, which is today at a 20-year high with no sign of relief, coupled with the continued pressure on our revenue line.

Our discussions with both the creditors and the board are very direct, they are very candid, with the knowledge that everyone has a commitment to the successful restructuring of United. I expect our ongoing meetings with our union groups will be equally open, direct and candid, and share the same commitment.

Where we have differences, we will resolve our differences based on the facts and based on our mutual interests for the success of the entire enterprise.

We should all have the same ambition for United: Working together to get the company in the best possible shape to compete and, to have a future that allows us to participate in the industry for the longer term — whatever that future may be.

Within this environment, we must have and be able to execute a feasible and a finance-able business plan. I can tell you, without any doubt, that to achieve that ambition, we are going to have to make tough choices.

We must also continue to deliver the experience our customers now have come to expect from the new United. Your ability to consistently meet and exceed performance targets during this time of such change and stress and potential distraction has distinguished us in the eyes of customers and commentators. And, I know how hard this has been on all of you.

But I have to tell you, you have done more to reestablish our credibility with our customers than any combination of advertising, special fares, or other incentives that we have devised. When our customers make their choices, the experience that they have with every employee at United is critical.

It is precisely because of the success of the past two years, because our customers have told us they want to continue to fly United … that I know, that I believe we are going to get through this challenging time.

We need to constantly remind ourselves what this is really about. This is about the future of United and it’s about the future of everyone who works at the company or has a stake in the company.

We will do the work necessary to complete a credible business plan that will attract the financing we need and, that best meets the various needs of our employees, our creditors and the court.

Decisions that may seem very tough today, will be the decisions that will reposition this company to the benefit of our employees and other stakeholders for the long term. We have to be accountable for these decisions and we have to decide which road we are going to take.

There is a genuine opportunity for us. Keep your focus on the one that ensures success — our relationships with one another and with our customers.

I will be talking to you again soon, and until then, keep your heads up, stay focused and most of all, stay united.