Pros
Executive leadership has a clear and consistent vision and it shows through the investment in aircraft interiors, Starlink WiFi and the best international network by a long shot among U.S. carriers. No other airline can take you from Greenland to Mongolia to small cities in Spain to major cities in Asia. The best sick time from all the companies I've worked at. It rolls over every year up to 1,000 hours so if you need to take FMLA or any sort of medical leave, you are able to use those concurrently and be paid your full salary. Having worked for three other airlines, the flight benefits here are better in some ways. Everything is automated including the ability to freely switch your seats. Our ZED agreements have tons of business class partners. Polaris cabins are also on average has more seats than Delta and American's premium cabins, so I have been able to consistently get business class with a lot of creativity and flexibility despite being seniority based. Willis Tower is a great space. They renovated it a few years ago and it feels fresh and has tons of phone rooms, little quiet corners to work, and easy-to-book conference rooms. Some teams have the best and smartest people. They are also kind, which is rare in this company. They do incredible work and it shows in the product.
Cons
My goodness, where do I begin. Most of the middle management at United (Sr. Managers, Directors, and Managing Directors) have not only been the worst leaders I've worked for but also the worst people I've met. Full stop. I firmly believe many of them are genuinely evil. There is a finite amount of leadership positions and they will do everything they can to claw their way up including fabricating lies, giving unfair performance reviews and mistreating POCs and other minorities. Leaders lack empathy and expect you to function as a soulless robot undeserving of any compassion. Speaking of POCs, despite its claim to be diverse - this is not a diverse company. Just look at the executive team and majority of the leaders below. My last director was racist, ableist, and a homophobe that truly does not belong in any leadership position. Many of the leaders also lack intelligence which cascades down to the product. Over a billion dollars have been spent to improve the onboard food program but it somehow has gotten worst. It is beyond embarrassing to our customers who pay thousands of dollars or points to be served slop. They need to simplify the menu and master the execution. Why are we choosing to serve complicated dishes like Coq Au Vin and Beef Bourguignon when we can't even properly execute a salad? While sick time is great, PTO is not. You only get 10 days off with an option to buy another 5 days which seems incredibly cheap and insulting. Lastly, for an industry that is powered by passionate people, United does not function as an airline that is rooted in the aviation spirit. This is a financial company that just happens to fly airplanes. It's a double edged sword because it makes us profitable but also creates a workplace many people do not enjoy working in. I have seen so many smart and passionate people who genuinely love the industry get up and leave. You look around and majority of the people now do not care about this industry that I would argue is the most fun, dynamic, and interesting. If you are passionate about the airlines, this place is sadly not for you. With everything said above, most people you meet at United are miserable. It's a place where you come in filled with love and passion for the industry and come out so burnt out you question your entire existence. It's a place where you truly realize that they are evil people out there. It pains me to say this because there are so many exciting things on the horizon for United but I can confidently say I do not want to be part of it.