Skift

Episode Notes Airline executives, like everyone else, were unable to predict the future of the industry when the pandemic struck in 2020. But United Airlines believes 2023 will give the company a clearer picture of its post-pandemic future, reports Contributor Madhu Unnikrishnan.   Despite United’s challenging first quarter, Unnikrishnan writes the Chicago-based carrier believes it spotted a noticeable trend during the period. CEO Scott Kirby said during its first quarter earnings call on Wednesday that business travel, historically strong in January and February, hasn’t yet returned to 2019 levels. Kirby added there’s a clear change in seasonality, noting the airline expects both business and leisure demand to peak between March and October.  United reported $11.4 billion worth of revenue during the first quarter. That’s a 51 percent increase from the same period last year. But the airline lost $256 million during the quarter.  Next, a growing number of major hotel companies, including Hyatt and Marriott, ha