Hello, this is Beth Mack, managing director -- Onboard Service Field Support. I'm pleased to provide you with an Update for Friday, June 2, 2006.

Part of the support my staff group provides is to manage the Qualified Purser program. Six times a year, we offer an event called Purser Seminar. Just last week, a group of pursers from across the system came together at WHQ, along with a smaller group of purser supervisors, to hear from United's leaders, and talk with many of the people whose work affects you all every day.

We invited select corporate leaders, and people from different areas of the company, to meet with these pursers over the course of a two-day event. Hearing what senior management has to say and having the opportunity to ask them questions is one of the highlights of the meetings.

Pete McDonald, executive vice president- Operations, spoke to the pursers, along with a group of pilots attending the Command Seminar, which is held for those who are just attaining the rank of Captain.

Captain Steve Forte, senior vice president - Flight Operations, spoke about building a partnership between those on both sides of the cockpit door. And Kevin Knight, vice president- Resource Planning, talked about how decisions are made about where we fly and why. But most of all, pursers appreciated the opportunity to ask questions and get answers directly from the men and women who lead the company.

We had an in-depth conversation around our customer strategy. It included a detailed look at how United is performing as compared to our competition, along with the results of market research aimed at determining exactly what is important to our customers. No surprises, really – a positive attitude, consistency and availability throughout the flight are three of the top flight attendant attributes customers value most. Rachel McCarthy, director - Product Development, also explained how the products that distinguish United from our competition – Ted, p.s., Economy Plus and exPlus – are performing and why they are an important part of our business strategy. Pursers also had the opportunity to spend time with an important 1K customer, who shared what he feels differentiates United from the competition.

Also very meaningful to the pursers was an interactive panel discussion. For each seminar, we invite WHQ staff from various departments in Onboard, along with representatives from Customer Service, Cabin Condition, Maintenance and Flight Safety to talk with pursers. Each member of the panel gives an overview of the work being done in their area, with an emphasis on initiatives that affect flight attendants and customers. A lengthy question and answer session follows.

Purser seminars were designed to promote dialogue between those who serve as leaders onboard our aircraft and the management and staff who work behind the scenes. Here are some comments from attendees: “Many thanks for this opportunity. I've avoided attending for a long time, now I wish I had experienced this sooner!” “This whole meeting was extremely valuable and I would love to come back again!” “It's a great way to feel connected in a personal way to such a huge organization.”

If you are a qualified purser who has never attended a seminar, please join us for one. It is a great opportunity to learn more about the company, and for you to talk about the topics and issues that are most important to you and your fellow crew members. You can find the dates for the 2006 seminars on SkyNet – go to the Purser page within the Onboard Service site and click on Bi-Monthly Seminars. Then contact your supervisor to select a date, and we'll see you then!

Thank you for listening and fly safely.