United Airlines' Uniforms Fly to New Heights

CHICAGO, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- United employee uniforms will undergo a makeover as the airline partners with world-renowned fashion designer Cynthia Rowley to create new uniforms for the airport runway. Fashionable, functional uniforms will be designed for United flight attendants, pilots, customer service representatives, ramp service and maintenance employees.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091106/CG06633)

"New uniforms, with an improved look and feel, are a key investment in our company and our people, who are the face of United," says John Tague, President, United Airlines. "It is one of the many investments we are making in our future, including improving our aircraft interiors, on-time reliability and customer satisfaction. We have chosen Cynthia for her keen sense of style and for her commitment to involving our employees' important input throughout the design process."

Like United, Cynthia Rowley is a Chicago-area native and has global brand recognition, with approximately 50 of her own stores in locations such as New York, Chicago, Boston, Charleston, Japan (including Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto) and Taiwan. Her signature collection of womenswear and related accessories is also sold in better department, specialty and online stores all over the world. She has designed beauty, baby and housewares lines and has been a judge on numerous TV shows such as "Project Runway" and "Design Star." Cynthia and her designs have appeared in hundreds of fashion magazines as well as on "Oprah," "Today," "The Late Show with David Letterman," the Style Network and more. The Council of Fashion Designers of America honored her with the Perry Ellis Award for Womenswear and nominated her for the Perry Ellis Award for Menswear.

"Travel is a huge part of my life and authentic to our brand," says Cynthia Rowley. "It's such an exciting opportunity to design for United, a company with a rich history, expansive global reach and, like myself, Chicago roots."

Cynthia is kicking off a month-long schedule of open forum meetings with United employees around the world, including Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and London.

The new uniforms, available in mid 2011, will provide a modern, consistent look for our colleagues, as well as improve how they feel with increased functionality in design and more breathable and durable fabrics. New uniforms will also be more cost-effective as a result of the updated fabrics and a streamlined inventory process. This is one more step United is taking with respect to investments in the airline. Additional work continues to be done systemwide to improve our aircraft interiors, on-time reliability performance and customer satisfaction.

United is already making significant progress. Throughout 2009, United has been an industry leader in on-time reliability performance. Overall customer satisfaction is improving too as customers respond favorably to United's new international first and business lie-flat seats, new first class cabins and leather seats on select A320 aircraft, and soon-to-come new leather seats in all domestic first class cabins.

About United

United Airlines (Nasdaq: UAUA) operates approximately 3,300* flights a day on United and United Express to more than 200 U.S. domestic and international destinations from its hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C. With key global air rights in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and Latin America, United is one of the largest international carriers based in the United States. United also is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides connections for our customers to 1,071 destinations in 171 countries worldwide. United's 47,000 employees reside in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world. News releases and other information about United can be found at the company's Web site at united.com or follow United on Twitter @UnitedAirlines.

*Based on United's forward-looking flight schedule for October 2009 to October 2010.