The article (and United?) is a hot mess.
1) United made C-level folks available with comments, you would think they would control their message. What should have been a strong message about focus on operations becomes diluted with other nonsense. I really don't know what the point of the article is? This is just PR 101.
2) United is fixated on some magic back-office cure to their ills. It isn't going to happen. No re-banking, no cleaner with RFID chip... What is needed is real operations management. Empowered staff on the ground and actual oversight of their many contractors. It is hard work and doesn't fit into an investor-targeted press release, but that is what would start to turn United around.
It is obvious when you watch operations that this is lacking. No sense of urgency, no management presence even at Intl irrops gates. There really is no leadership...