Timeline



April 25, 1946
United and the Air Lines Stewardesses Association (ALSA) sign their first labor agreement. The contract is retroactive to Jan. 1, 1946.






April 27, 1947
United launches the Douglas DC-6, the first postwar aircraft, featuring innovative full-cabin pressurization. U.S. coast-to-coast travel time is reduced to 10 hours.
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May 1, 1947
United inaugurates service to the Hawaiian Islands with its first flight from San Francisco to Honolulu.
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August 1947
With the publication of Mainliner Traveler, United becomes the first airline to have its own inflight magazine, although only a single issue was published.   The company did not publish its own inflight magazine regularly until 1957.
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January 1948
United's new operations hub is established at the Denver airport to provide centralized control of the airline's day-to-day operations.






April 28, 1948
United activates its new "push button" overhaul base at San Francisco.
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Jan. 15, 1950
The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser joins United's fleet, flying between San Francisco and Honolulu.
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July 1950
United starts its U.S. military airlift to support the Korean War effort. Operations are terminated Oct. 3, 1952.

May 1952
United introduces the Convair 340.

July 1952
United sells LAMSA, its Mexican airline subsidiary, to local interests.

Nov. 6, 1952
United flight engineers stage a strike ordered by the Flight Engineers International Association (FEIA). U.S. President Truman intervenes, and strikers return to work the following day. A new contract is signed Jan. 30, 1953.

February 1953
United and the Radio Corporation of America launch a joint project to develop an airborne weather-mapping (C-band) radar. Fleet installation of the units in July 1955 marks an industry first.

April 26, 1953
United introduces "Executive Flights" for men only, featuring complimentary cocktails, steaks, business publications and cigars on board. This popular program ends in January 1970.

May 24, 1954
United introduces its Douglas DC-7 service with a dramatic "Dawn-to-Dusk" flight from New York to Honolulu, via San Francisco.

June 1, 1954
United inaugurates the first U.S. transcontinental nonstop scheduled service between San Francisco and New York, flying the 3,000 miles with the new Douglas DC-7 aircraft in 7-1/2 hours.

Oct. 24, 1955
United's flight engineers commence an FEIA-ordered strike, which ends with the signing of a new contract on Dec. 14, 1955.

Oct. 25, 1955
United becomes the first U.S. domestic airline to order Douglas DC-8 Jet Mainliners.

Oct. 28, 1956
United retires the last of its Douglas DC-3 aircraft.



May 1957
Ten years after publishing one issue of its pioneering inflight magazine, Mainliner Traveler, United begins regular production of an inflight magazine and calls it simply Mainliner.  
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Era 1 (1910-1925)

Era 7 (1970-1989)

Era 2 (1926-1933)

Era 8 (1990-1993)

Era 3 (1934-1940)

Era 9 (1994-1999)

Era 4 (1941-1945)

Era 10 (2000-...)

Era 6 (1959-1969)

 

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