UA Executives Reshuffling: Nunn, Bondar out; Vasu Raja, Jarad Fisher in
Jan 17, 2026 | 8:21 am
#31
Join Date: Jun 2014
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Posts: 5,175
I understand and I agree for the most part. I am also a (former) multiple business owner and help make many business decisions.
Where I feel FTers often lose sight of things is we tend to evaluate airline decisions from personal passenger perspective rather than from 5,000 feet. These days, airlines have a mega-ton of data to use to orient decisions. Data that I do not have access to. So regardless of my level business acumen, I cannot second guess an airlines decision without having access to that data, be it modifying a route, changing something on the menu, decision on a new plane type or a new LOPA. When an airline makes these decisions and I find them curious, my first question is: Hmmmwhat do they know that I do not? Whereas most posts I read on FT are in the lines of: The airline is run by idiots and the IT is crappy.
There are a lot of smart airline people listed in this post with a ton of experience. Brushing them off as incompetent because of mistakes a large organization made is near-sighted and somewhat obtuse, in my opinion.
Where I feel FTers often lose sight of things is we tend to evaluate airline decisions from personal passenger perspective rather than from 5,000 feet. These days, airlines have a mega-ton of data to use to orient decisions. Data that I do not have access to. So regardless of my level business acumen, I cannot second guess an airlines decision without having access to that data, be it modifying a route, changing something on the menu, decision on a new plane type or a new LOPA. When an airline makes these decisions and I find them curious, my first question is: Hmmmwhat do they know that I do not? Whereas most posts I read on FT are in the lines of: The airline is run by idiots and the IT is crappy.
There are a lot of smart airline people listed in this post with a ton of experience. Brushing them off as incompetent because of mistakes a large organization made is near-sighted and somewhat obtuse, in my opinion.
Jan 17, 2026 | 9:02 am
#32
Formerly known as tireman77
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,797
Never met the man, so difficult to voice an informed opinion. I can only form an opinion based on his public record.
Turned around CO and ran large airlines for nearly two decades. By that metric alone, he must be a very smart person. I wouldn't last 5 minutes as a CEO of a public company, so obviously a lot more suited to running an airline than I could ever be. Was never actually charged with anything so that would suggest there was not sufficient evidence of wrong doing. Also never walked a mile in his shoes.
Turned around CO and ran large airlines for nearly two decades. By that metric alone, he must be a very smart person. I wouldn't last 5 minutes as a CEO of a public company, so obviously a lot more suited to running an airline than I could ever be. Was never actually charged with anything so that would suggest there was not sufficient evidence of wrong doing. Also never walked a mile in his shoes.
Jan 17, 2026 | 9:40 am
#33
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Never met the man, so difficult to voice an informed opinion. I can only form an opinion based on his public record.
Turned around CO and ran large airlines for nearly two decades. By that metric alone, he must be a very smart person. I wouldn't last 5 minutes as a CEO of a public company, so obviously a lot more suited to running an airline than I could ever be. Was never actually charged with anything so that would suggest there was not sufficient evidence of wrong doing. Also never walked a mile in his shoes.
Turned around CO and ran large airlines for nearly two decades. By that metric alone, he must be a very smart person. I wouldn't last 5 minutes as a CEO of a public company, so obviously a lot more suited to running an airline than I could ever be. Was never actually charged with anything so that would suggest there was not sufficient evidence of wrong doing. Also never walked a mile in his shoes.
Vasu Raja almost single handily bankrupted AA which is why he was fired. To hire him at United is a very strange decision considering how incompetent and just plain dumb he is.
Jan 17, 2026 | 12:24 pm
#35
Join Date: Jan 2025
Posts: 101
Except he didnt turn CO around, he destroyed it. Gordon Bethune turned CO around and Larry Kellner continued to steer it in the right direction. Smisek undid much of their work.
Vasu Raja almost single handily bankrupted AA which is why he was fired. To hire him at United is a very strange decision considering how incompetent and just plain dumb he is.
Vasu Raja almost single handily bankrupted AA which is why he was fired. To hire him at United is a very strange decision considering how incompetent and just plain dumb he is.
Jan 17, 2026 | 12:58 pm
#36
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Posts: 1,307
Scott Kirby (CEO) is ex-AA/US
Brett Hart (President) joined at the beginning of the merger
Andrew Nocella (CCO) is ex-AA/US
Josh Earnest (Comms) joined after the merger
Mike Leskinen (CFO) joined after the merger
Terri Fariello (government affairs) joined after the merger
Toby Enqvist (COO) is ex-CO
So really, if there's only one PMUA person and one PMCO person in the C-Suite, then I think we can say that the "UA vs. CO" stuff is truly dead if the airline is being led by fresh blood. And that shows.
Jan 17, 2026 | 1:25 pm
#37
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Raja speaheaded the failed distrbution approach, which was a "move fast and break things" miscalculation (perhaps premature) but I think history will show that he was a fall guy for the overall management team's flawed post-COVID strategy... a management team that largely remains in place to continued mixed-at-best results.
Jan 17, 2026 | 2:56 pm
#38
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Still paying the price for ditching the 330s and the small premium cabins on widebodies. Completely failed to anticipate increased premium cabin demand.
Jan 17, 2026 | 4:12 pm
#39
Join Date: Aug 2010
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At the helm, no, I don't think any of us as customers were better off in his CEO era ... but just being completely objective, he may have been out over his skis as CEO, but was also a key player in the turnaround, too. Think he just ended up in a role that wasn't his best fit. Some folks are better in supporting roles and letting others be the 'face'.
Jan 17, 2026 | 4:18 pm
#40
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Jan 18, 2026 | 1:02 am
#41
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: SQ, QF, UA, CO, DL
Posts: 3,840
To be completely fair to the man, he was absolutely part of Bethune's inner circle at the CO turnaround; a major part of the negotiating team that got them out of trouble and (incredibly, almost impossibly) avoiding COs 3rd - and presumably fatal - bankruptcy.
At the helm, no, I don't think any of us as customers were better off in his CEO era ... but just being completely objective, he may have been out over his skis as CEO, but was also a key player in the turnaround, too. Think he just ended up in a role that wasn't his best fit. Some folks are better in supporting roles and letting others be the 'face'.
At the helm, no, I don't think any of us as customers were better off in his CEO era ... but just being completely objective, he may have been out over his skis as CEO, but was also a key player in the turnaround, too. Think he just ended up in a role that wasn't his best fit. Some folks are better in supporting roles and letting others be the 'face'.
Jan 18, 2026 | 5:15 am
#42
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To be completely fair to the man, he was absolutely part of Bethune's inner circle at the CO turnaround; a major part of the negotiating team that got them out of trouble and (incredibly, almost impossibly) avoiding COs 3rd - and presumably fatal - bankruptcy.
At the helm, no, I don't think any of us as customers were better off in his CEO era ... but just being completely objective, he may have been out over his skis as CEO, but was also a key player in the turnaround, too. Think he just ended up in a role that wasn't his best fit. Some folks are better in supporting roles and letting others be the 'face'.
At the helm, no, I don't think any of us as customers were better off in his CEO era ... but just being completely objective, he may have been out over his skis as CEO, but was also a key player in the turnaround, too. Think he just ended up in a role that wasn't his best fit. Some folks are better in supporting roles and letting others be the 'face'.
Jan 18, 2026 | 5:16 am
#43
Formerly known as tireman77
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,797
Except he didnt turn CO around, he destroyed it. Gordon Bethune turned CO around and Larry Kellner continued to steer it in the right direction. Smisek undid much of their work.
Vasu Raja almost single handily bankrupted AA which is why he was fired. To hire him at United is a very strange decision considering how incompetent and just plain dumb he is.
Vasu Raja almost single handily bankrupted AA which is why he was fired. To hire him at United is a very strange decision considering how incompetent and just plain dumb he is.
Jan 18, 2026 | 5:40 am
#44
Join Date: Jun 2014
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Posts: 5,175
Like many leadership teams and management philosophies, they tend to have a shelf life. By the 2010s, the 90s-era CO turnaround team had run its course: to Jeff's credit, at least he recognized the rising tide of consolidation and made the case that it was essential to CO's survival that it not be left out. I also respect Kellner for the self-awareness it took to realize he was on the wrong side of history, in this regard, and stepped down before it was too late. Jeff's legacy will be getting the deal done with United, which should not be understated, but his post-merger execution will always cast a major shadow. And then... that's to say nothing of the scandal that eventually brought him down.
Jan 18, 2026 | 10:12 am
#45
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,005
The ones that turned CO around were G Bethune & Greg Brenneman. Kellner was the bean counter. Smisek was general council. Kellner & other airline ceos didnt want to merge with UAL with their pesky labor situations while they were struggling to get out of BK, they all just wanted UA to fail & cherry pick the routes & assets & a handful of disgruntled employees.
It was game on when DL gobbled up NW & Tilton convinced Kellner that a merger of equals was the only way to go after that. No one from inside or outside industry wanted anything to do with running the new UA so Smisek raised his hand said he could do it. the rest is history.
It was game on when DL gobbled up NW & Tilton convinced Kellner that a merger of equals was the only way to go after that. No one from inside or outside industry wanted anything to do with running the new UA so Smisek raised his hand said he could do it. the rest is history.