United Airlines Holdings 10-K 2022-12-31

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022

OR

For the transition period from to

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this Chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

The aggregate market value of common stock held by non-affiliates of United Airlines Holdings, Inc. was $11.5 billion as of June 30, 2022 based on the closing sale price of $35.42 on that date. There is no market for United Airlines, Inc. common stock.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant's classes of common stock, as of February 9, 2023.

This combined Form 10-K is separately filed by United Airlines Holdings, Inc. and United Airlines, Inc.

OMISSION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION

United Airlines, Inc. meets the conditions set forth in General Instruction I(1)(a) and (b) of Form 10-K and is therefore filing this form with the reduced disclosure format allowed under that General Instruction.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Certain information required by Items 10, 11, 12 and 13 of Part III of this Form 10-K is incorporated by reference for United Airlines Holdings, Inc. from its definitive proxy statement for its 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

United Airlines Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiary Companies

United Airlines, Inc. and Subsidiary Companies

Annual Report on Form 10-K

For the Year Ended December 31, 2022

This Annual Report on Form 10-K ("Form 10-K") contains various "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Forward-looking statements represent our expectations and beliefs concerning future results or events, based on information available to us on the date of the filing of this Form 10-K, and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those referenced in the forward-looking statements are listed in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors and in Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. We disclaim any intent or obligation to update or revise any of the forward-looking statements, whether in response to new information, unforeseen events, changed circumstances or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

PART I

Overview

United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, "UAL" or the "Company") is a holding company and its wholly-owned subsidiary is United Airlines, Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, "United"). United's shared purpose is "Connecting People. Uniting the World." United has the most comprehensive route network among North American carriers, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. 

As UAL consolidates United for financial statement purposes, disclosures that relate to activities of United also apply to UAL, unless otherwise noted. United's operating revenues and operating expenses comprise nearly 100% of UAL's revenues and operating expenses. In addition, United comprises approximately the entire balance of UAL's assets, liabilities and operating cash flows. When appropriate, UAL and United are named specifically for their individual contractual obligations and related disclosures and any significant differences between the operations and results of UAL and United are separately disclosed and explained. We sometimes use the words "we," "our," "us," and the "Company" in this report for disclosures that relate to all of UAL and United.

The Company's principal executive office is located at 233 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606 (telephone number (872) 825-4000). The Company's website is located at www.united.com and its investor relations website is located at ir.united.com. The information contained on or connected to the Company's websites is not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K and should not be considered part of this or any other report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The Company's filings with the SEC, including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports, as well as UAL's proxy statement for its annual meeting of stockholders, are accessible without charge on the Company's investor relations website, as soon as reasonably practicable, after we electronically file such material with, or furnish such material to, the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Such filings are also available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

Operations

The Company transports people and cargo throughout North America and to destinations in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America. UAL, through United and its regional carriers, operates across six continents, with hubs at Newark Liberty International Airport ("EWR"), Chicago O'Hare International Airport ("ORD"), Denver International Airport ("DEN"), George Bush Intercontinental Airport ("IAH"), Los Angeles International Airport ("LAX"), A.B. Won Pat International Airport ("GUM"), San Francisco International Airport ("SFO") and Washington Dulles International Airport ("IAD").

All of the Company's domestic hubs are located in large business and population centers, contributing to a large amount of "origin and destination" traffic. The hub and spoke system allows us to transport passengers between a large number of destinations with substantially more frequent service than if each route were served directly. The hub system also allows us to add service to a new destination from a large number of cities using only one or a limited number of aircraft. As discussed under Alliances below, United is a member of Star Alliance, the world's largest alliance network.

United Next. Our United Next plan is our fundamental strategic evolution for driving future growth that we believe will have a transformational effect on the customer experience and earnings power of our business. As part of our United Next plan, in June 2021 we announced our firm order for the purchase of 270 new Boeing and Airbus aircraft, which at the time was the largest combined order in the airline's history and the biggest by an individual carrier in the last decade. In December 2022, we announced the largest widebody order by a U.S. carrier in commercial aviation history (100 Boeing 787 Dreamliners with

options to purchase 100 more), the exercise of options to purchase 44 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for delivery between 2024 and 2026, the firm orders of 56 more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for delivery between 2027 and 2028 and the acquisition of an additional 100 options to purchase additional Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. We now expect to take delivery of about 700 new narrow and widebody aircraft by the end of 2033.

Our groundbreaking United Next strategy is expected to increase United's average gauge in North America, to increase the total number of available seats per departure and to significantly lower carbon emissions per seat. United will retrofit 100% of its mainline, narrow-body planes with its signature interior that includes seat-back entertainment in every seat, larger overhead bins for every passenger's carry-on bag and the industry's fastest available in-flight WiFi, as well as a bright look-and-feel with LED lighting. The carrier's international widebodies will feature the United Polaris® business class seat as well as United Premium Plus® seating. The Company plans to replace older, smaller mainline jets and at least 200 single-class regional jets with larger aircraft, which we expect will lead to fuel efficiency benefits compared to older planes, including an expected 17-25% lower carbon emissions per seat compared to older planes. We believe that United Next will allow us to differentiate our network and segment our products with a greater premium offering while also maintaining fare competitiveness with low-cost carriers.

Regional. The Company's business and operations are dependent on its regional flight network, with regional capacity accounting for approximately 8% of the Company's total capacity for the year ended December 31, 2022. The Company has contractual relationships with various regional carriers to provide regional aircraft service branded as United Express. This regional service complements our operations by carrying traffic that connects to our hubs and allows flights to smaller cities that cannot be provided economically with mainline aircraft. CommuteAir LLC ("CommuteAir"), Republic Airways Inc. ("Republic"), GoJet Airlines LLC ("GoJet"), Mesa Airlines, Inc. ("Mesa"), SkyWest Airlines, Inc. ("SkyWest") and Air Wisconsin Airlines LLC ("Air Wisconsin") are all regional carriers that operate with capacity contracted to United under capacity purchase agreements ("CPAs"). The Company plans to wind down its CPA with Air Wisconsin in 2023 as part of its United Next plan to reduce service on single-cabin 50-seat regional jets. Under these CPAs, the Company pays the regional carriers contractually agreed fees (carrier costs) for operating these flights plus a variable rate adjustment based on agreed performance metrics, subject to annual adjustments. The fees are based on specific rates multiplied by specific operating statistics (e.g., block hours, departures), as well as fixed monthly amounts. Under these CPAs, the Company is also responsible for all fuel costs incurred, as well as landing fees and other costs, which are either passed through by the regional carrier to the Company without any markup or directly incurred by the Company. In some cases, the Company owns some or all of the aircraft subject to the CPA and leases such aircraft to the regional carrier. In return, the regional carriers operate the capacity of the aircraft included within the scope of such CPA exclusively for United, on schedules determined by the Company. The Company also determines pricing and revenue management, assumes the inventory and distribution risk for the available seats and permits mileage accrual and redemption for regional flights through its MileagePlus loyalty program.

Alliances. United is a member of Star Alli

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Any of the risks and uncertainties described below could significantly and negatively affect our business operations, financial condition, operating results (including components of our financial results), cash flows, prospects, reputation or credit ratings, which could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline significantly. Additional risks and uncertainties that are not presently known to us, or risks that we currently consider immaterial, could also impair our business operations, financial condition, operating results, cash flows, prospects, reputation or credit ratings.

Strategic and Business Development Risks

We may not be successful in executing elements of our strategic operating plan, which may have a material adverse impact on our business, financial results and market capitalization.

In June 2021, the Company announced its United Next plan, including initial firm orders of 270 aircraft, retrofitting plans and plans to increase mainline daily departures and available seats across the Company's North American network. In developing our United Next plan, we made certain assumptions including, but not limited to, those related to the duration and scope of the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, customer demand (in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and changing economic conditions), fuel costs, delivery of aircraft, labor market constraints and related costs, supply chain constraints, inflationary pressures, voluntary or mandatory groundings of aircraft, our regional network, competition, market consolidation and other macroeconomic and geopolitical factors. Actual conditions may be different from our assumptions and could cause the Company to adjust its strategic operating plan. In addition, we cannot provide any assurance that we will be able to successfully execute our strategic plan, our strategic plan will not result in additional unanticipated costs, the growth that we anticipate will occur through execution of our strategic plan will not exacerbate any other risk described in this Form 10-K (especially relating to fuel costs, the impact of inflationary pressures, our supply chain or our ability to attract, train and retain talent), our suppliers will timely provide adequate products or support for our products (including delivery of aircraft) or our strategic plan will result in improvements in future financial performance. If we do not successfully execute our United Next or other strategic plans, or if actual results vary significantly from our expectations, our business, operating results, financial condition and market capitalization could be materially and adversely impacted. The failure to successfully structure our business to meet market conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

Changes in the Company's network strategy over time or other factors outside of the Company's control may make aircraft on order less economic for the Company, result in costs related to modification or termination of aircraft orders or cause the Company to enter into orders for new aircraft on less favorable terms, and any inability to accept or integrate new aircraft into the Company's fleet as planned could increase costs or affect the Company's flight schedules.

The Company's orders for new aircraft are typically made years in advance of actual delivery of such aircraft, and the financial commitment required for purchases of new aircraft is substantial. As a result of our network strategy changing or our demand expectations not being realized, our preference for the aircraft that we previously ordered may decrease; however, the Company may be responsible for material liabilities to its counterparties if it were to attempt to modify or terminate any of its existing aircraft order commitments and our financial condition could be adversely impacted. These risks are heightened as a result of the Company's United Next orders in the second quarter of 2021 and the fourth quarter of 2022. Additionally, the Company may have a need for additional aircraft that are not available under its existing orders and may seek to acquire aircraft from other sources, such as through lease arrangements, which may result in higher costs or less favorable terms, or through the purchase or lease of used aircraft. The Company may not be able to acquire such aircraft when needed on favorable terms or at all.

Furthermore, if, for any reason, the Company is unable or does not want to accept deliveries of new aircraft or integrate such new aircraft into its fleet as planned, the Company may face higher financing and operating costs than planned or litigation risks, or be required to seek extensions of the terms for certain leased aircraft or otherwise delay the exit of other aircraft from its fleet. Unanticipated extensions or delays may require the Company to operate existing aircraft beyond the point at which it is economically optimal to retire them, resulting in increased maintenance costs, or reductions to the Company's schedule, thereby reducing revenues.

The imposition of new tariffs, or any increase in existing tariffs, on the importation of commercial aircraft that the Company orders may also result in higher costs.

Failure to effectively manage acquisitions, divestitures, investments, joint ventures and other portfolio actions could adversely impact our operating results. In addition, any businesses or assets that we acquire in the future increase our exposure to unknown liabilities or other issues and also may underperform as compared to expectations.

Although we are committed to reducing our debt over the long term, an important part of the Company's strategy to expand its global network has included making significant investments, both domestically and in other parts of the world, including in other airlines and other aviation industry participants, producers of SAF and manufacturers of electric and other new generation aircraft. The Company plans to continue to make additional investments through its corporate venture capital arm, UAV. However, increased competition in forming and maintaining relationships with other airlines (since there are a limited number of potential arrangements and other airlines and industry participants seek to enter into similar relationships) may make it difficult for the Company to complete strategic investments on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

These investments are inherently risky and may not be successful. Future revenues, profits and cash flows of these and future investments and repayment of invested or loaned funds may not materialize due to safety concerns, regulatory issues, supply chain constraints or other factors beyond our control. Where we acquire debt or equity securities as all or part of the consideration for business development activities, such as in connection with a joint venture, the value of those securities will fluctuate and may depreciate in value. We may not control the companies in which we make investments, and as a result, we will have limited ability to determine their management, operational decisions, internal controls and compliance and other policies, which can result in additional financial and reputational risks. Further, acquisitions and investments create exposure to assumed litigation and unknown liabilities, as well as undetected internal control, regulatory compliance or other issues, or additional costs not anticipated at the time the transaction was completed, and our due diligence efforts may not identify such liabilities or issues, or they may not be disclosed to us.

From time to time we also divest assets. We may not be successful in separating any such assets, and losses on the divestiture of, or lost operating income from, such assets may adversely affect our earnings. Any divestitures also may result in continued financial exposure to the divested businesses f

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None.

Fleet. As of December 31, 2022, United's mainline and regional fleets consisted of the following:

In addition to the aircraft presented in the table above, United is leasing one Boeing 767-200 that is being subleased to a third party as of December 31, 2022.

In addition to the aircraft presented in the table above, United owned or leased the following regional aircraft as of December 31, 2022:

• 23 CRJ550s,18 Embraer E175LLs and 38 Embraer ERJ 145s that were temporarily grounded; and

• 8 CRJ700s awaiting conversion to CRJ550s.

Firm Order and Option Aircraft. As of December 31, 2022, United had firm commitments to purchase aircraft from Boeing and Airbus presented in the table below:

The aircraft listed in the table above are scheduled for delivery through 2033. The amount and timing of the Company's future capital commitments could change to the extent that: (i) the Company and the aircraft manufacturers, with whom the Company has existing orders for new aircraft, agree to modify the contracts governing those orders; (ii) rights are exercised pursuant to the relevant agreements to modify the timing of deliveries; or (iii) the aircraft manufacturers are unable to deliver in accordance with the terms of those orders. Airbus notified United that eight Airbus A321neo aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2023, as shown in the table above, are now expected to deliver in 2024, and Boeing notified United that 37 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2023, as shown in the table above, are now expected to deliver in 2024. Also, United estimates that an additional six Boeing 737 MAX aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2023, as shown in the table above, will deliver in 2024.

See Note 12 to the financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this report for additional information.

Facilities. United leases gates, hangar sites, terminal buildings and other airport facilities in the municipalities it serves. United has major terminal facility leases at SFO, IAD, ORD, LAX, DEN, EWR, IAH and GUM with expiration dates ranging from 2023 through 2053. Substantially all of these facilities are leased on a net-rental basis, resulting in the Company having financial responsibility for maintenance, insurance and other facility-related expenses and services.

United also maintains administrative, catering, cargo, training, maintenance and other facilities to support its operations in the cities it serves. In addition, United has multiple leases, which expire from 2029 through 2033, for its principal executive office and operations center in downtown Chicago and administrative offices in downtown Houston.

In 2022, United expanded its club footprint with new United Clubs in EWR, ORD and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, as well as a new Polaris Club at IAD and announced a planned club expansion at DEN. United also added new operational support facilities with a new Inflight Training Center at IAH and new widebody hangar in LAX. Additionally, in January 2023, United opened new gates in DEN and ORD as well as EWR's New Terminal A.

The Company is involved in legal proceedings, including litigation, arbitration and other claims, and investigations, inspections, subpoenas, audits, inquiries and similar action, involving its passengers, customers, suppliers and employees as well as government agencies arising in the ordinary course of business and that have not been fully resolved. Legal proceedings, in general, and securities, class action and multi-district litigation, in particular, can be expensive and disruptive. Some of these suits may purport or may be determined to be class actions and/or involve parties seeking large and/or indeterminate amounts, including punitive or exemplary damages, and may remain unresolved for several years. Additionally, from time to time, the Company becomes aware of potential non-compliance with applicable environmental regulations, which have either been identified by the Company (through internal compliance programs such as its environmental compliance audits) or through notice from a governmental entity. In some instances, these matters could potentially become the subject of an administrative or judicial proceeding and could potentially involve monetary sanctions.

Management believes, after considering a number of factors, including (but not limited to) the information currently available, the views of legal counsel, the nature of contingencies to which the Company is subject and prior experience, that its defenses and assertions in pending legal proceedings have merit and the ultimate disposition of any pending matter will not materially affect the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows. However, the ultimate resolutions of the Company's legal proceedings and other contingencies are inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties. There can be no assurance that there will not be an increase in the scope of one or more of these pending matters or any other or future lawsuits, claims, government investigations or other legal proceedings will not be material to the Company's financial position, results of

operations or cash flows for a particular period. As such, the Company's financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected in any particular period by the unfavorable resolution of one or more of these matters.

Antitrust Litigation

On June 30, 2015, UAL received a Civil Investigative Demand ("CID") from the Antitrust Division of the DOJ seeking documents and information from the Company in connection with a DOJ investigation related to statements and decisions about airline capacity. The Company has completed its response to the CID. The Company is not able to predict what action, if any, might be taken in the future by the DOJ or other governmental authorities as a result of the investigation. Beginning on July 1, 2015, subsequent to the announcement of the CID, UAL and United were named as defendants in multiple class action lawsuits that asserted claims under the Sherman Antitrust Act, which have been consolidated in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The complaints generally allege collusion among U.S. airlines on capacity impacting airfares and seek treble damages. The Company is vigorously defending against the class action lawsuits.

Not applicable.

PART II

Market Information for Common Stock

UAL's common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market ("Nasdaq") under the symbol "UAL."

Holders of Common Stock

As of February 9, 2023, there were 5,885 holders of record of UAL common stock.

The number of record holders is based upon the actual number of holders registered on our books at such date based on information provided by Computershare Investor Services, our transfer agent, and does not include holders of shares in "street name" or other holders identified in security position listings maintained by depository trust companies.

Dividend Policy

There were no cash dividend payments during the year ended December 31, 2022 and we do not expect to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Future decisions to pay cash dividends continue to be at the discretion of the Board and will be dependent on our profitability expectations, net income, operating performance, financial condition, capital expenditure requirements and other factors that the Board considers relevant.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

In 2020, the Company's Board of Directors terminated the Company's share repurchase program. As such, the Company did not make any purchases of its common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2022.

Recent Sale of Unregistered Securities and Use of Proceeds

The Company did not sell any securities that were not registered under the Securities Act during the period covered by this report that have not been previously disclosed on a Form 10-Q or Form 8-K.

Stock Performance Graph

The following graph compares the cumulative total stockholder return during the period from December 31, 2017 to December 31, 2022 of UAL's common stock to the Standard and Poor's 500 Index ("SPX") and the NYSE Arca Airline Index ("XAL"). The comparison assumes $100 was invested on December 31, 2017 in our common stock and in each of the foregoing indices and assumes that all dividends were reinvested.

Note: The stock price performance shown in the graph above should not be considered indicative of potential future stock price performance. The foregoing performance graph is being furnished as part of this report solely in accordance with the requirement under Rule 14a-3(b)(9) to furnish our stockholders with such information, and therefore, shall not be deemed to be filed or incorporated by reference into any filings by the Company under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

Management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is provided as a supplement to and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Form 10-K and the description of our business and reportable segments in Part I, Item 1. Business of this Form 10-K to enhance the understanding of our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

This section generally discusses 2022 and 2021 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021. Discussions of 2020 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2021 and 2020 are not included in this Form 10-K and can be found in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II, Item 7 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 18, 2022 (the "2021 Annual Report").

Executive Summary

Overview

United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, "UAL" or the "Company") is a holding company and its wholly-owned subsidiary is United Airlines, Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, "United").

As UAL consolidates United for financial statement purposes, disclosures that relate to activities of United also apply to UAL, unless otherwise noted. United's operating revenues and operating expenses comprise nearly 100% of UAL's revenues and operating expenses. In addition, United comprises approximately the entire balance of UAL's assets, liabilities and operating

cash flows. When appropriate, UAL and United are named specifically for their individual contractual obligations and related disclosures and any significant differences between the operations and results of UAL and United are separately disclosed and explained. We sometimes use the words "we," "our," "us," and the "Company" in this report for disclosures that relate to all of UAL and United.

Our business and operating results for 2022 continued to be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the first half of the year. Given the more significant impact of the pandemic on our business and operating results in 2020 and 2021, we believe that a comparison of our 2022 results to 2019 for certain key metrics in this financial overview discussion is more reflective of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our current expectations described below are forward-looking statements and our actual results and timing may vary materially based on various factors that include, but are not limited to, those discussed below under "Economic and Market Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors, of this Form 10-K.

Strategy

Our shared purpose is "Connecting People. Uniting the World." We have the most comprehensive route network among North American carriers, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

Our United Next plan is our fundamental strategic evolution for driving future growth that we believe will have a transformational effect on the customer experience and earnings power of our business. As part of our United Next plan, in June 2021 we announced our firm order for the purchase of 270 new Boeing and Airbus aircraft, which at the time was the largest combined order in the airline's history and the biggest by an individual carrier in the last decade. In December 2022, we announced the largest widebody order by a U.S. carrier in commercial aviation history (100 Boeing 787 Dreamliners with options to purchase 100 more), the exercise of options to purchase 44 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for delivery between 2024 and 2026, the firm orders of 56 more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for delivery between 2027 and 2028 and the acquisition of an additional 100 options to purchase additional Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. We now expect to take delivery of about 700 new narrow and widebody aircraft by the end of 2033.

Our groundbreaking United Next strategy is expected to increase United's average gauge in North America, to increase the total number of available seats per departure and to significantly lower carbon emissions per seat. United will retrofit 100% of its mainline, narrow-body planes with its signature interior that includes seat-back entertainment in every seat, larger overhead bins for every passenger's carry-on bag and the industry's fastest available in-flight WiFi, as well as a bright look-and-feel with LED lighting. The carrier's international widebodies will feature the United Polaris® business class seat as well as United Premium Plus® seating. The Company plans to replace older, smaller mainline jets and at least 200 single-class regional jets with larger aircraft, which we expect will lead to fuel efficiency benefits compared to older planes, including an expected 17-25% lower carbon emissions per seat compared to older planes. We believe that United Next will allow us to differentiate our network and segment our products with a greater premium offering while also maintaining fare competitiveness with low-cost carriers.

The Company remains squarely focused on delivering on four strategic pillars:

• United Next: Along with the items mentioned above, additional elements of the United Next plan include hiring over 50,000 new employees, expanding our leading global network to underserved countries and making significant technology changes designed to improve the customer experience and drive operational efficiency.

• Operational excellence: The most important factor for customer satisfaction is on-time flights. We face some unique challenges in this respect because we operate hubs in the most congested and constrained airports in the country. That backdrop means that United needs to be a leader at using technology to overcome these challenges. We believe that we have been doing that, but we have a lot of ideas to continue making advancements in this area.

• Adjusted cost per available seat mile ("CASM-ex"): We believe that our CASM-ex (a non-GAAP financial measure defined as cost or operating expense per available seat mile ("CASM") excluding fuel, profit sharing, third-party business expense and special charges (credits)) targets in connection with our United Next plan will be key in driving absolute and relative margin improvement. Moreover, having best-in-class CASM-ex performance is expected to provide the cash flow needed to support our planned investments in growth.

• Customer service: We believe that excellent customer service is part of de-commoditizing air travel. Our people are our greatest asset and they are by far the most important part of our product. A great route network, new aircraft, great

Wi-Fi, etc. are a necessary but not sufficient condition for a great brand. Ultimately our people provide customers with the service they expect.

Economic and Market Factors

The airline industry is highly competitive, marked by significant competition with respect to routes, fares, schedules (both timing and frequency), services, products, customer service and frequent flyer programs. We, like other companies in our industry, have been subject to these and other industry-specific competitive dynamics. In addition, our operations, supply chain, partners and suppliers have been subject to various global macroeconomic factors. We expect to continue to remain vulnerable to a number of industry-specific and global macroeconomic factors that may cause our actual results of operations to differ from our historical results of operations or current expectations. The factors and trends that we currently believe are or will be most impactful to our results of operations and financial condition include the following: the execution risks associated with our United Next plan; the impa

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We are exposed to market risk resulting from changes in currency exchange rates and interest rates. These risks, along with other business risks, impact our cost of capital. It is our policy to manage our debt structure and foreign exchange exposure in order to manage capital costs, control financial risks and maintain financial flexibility over the long term. In managing market risks, we may employ derivatives according to documented policies and procedures, including interest rate swaps, interest rate locks, foreign currency exchange contracts and combined interest rate foreign currency contracts (cross-currency swaps). We do not use derivatives for trading or speculative purposes. We do not foresee significant changes in the strategies we use to manage market risk in the near future. All of our financial instruments are subject to counterparty credit risk considered as part of the overall fair value measurement.

Interest Rates. Our net income is affected by fluctuations in interest rates (e.g. interest expense on variable rate debt and interest income earned on short-term investments). The Company's policy is to manage interest rate risk through a combination of fixed and variable rate debt. The following table summarizes information related to the Company's interest rate market risk at December 31, 2022 (in millions):

On January 1, 2022, LIBOR was phased out for the one-week and two-month USD LIBOR settings and starting on July 1, 2023 the remaining USD LIBOR settings are expected to be phased out. Uncertainty as to the nature and performance of alternative reference rates may adversely impact our interest rates and related interest expense. See Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Other Liquidity Matters, of this report for more information on interest expense. Risks and uncertainties related to the LIBOR phase out are further described in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors— "The proposed phase out of the London interbank offer rate could have a material adverse effect on us."

A change in market interest rates would also impact interest income earned on our cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. Assuming our cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments remain at their average 2022 levels, a 100 basis point increase in interest rates would result in a corresponding increase in the Company's interest income of approximately $186 million during 2023.

Commodity Price Risk (Aircraft Fuel). The price of aircraft fuel can significantly affect the Company's operations, results of operations, financial position and liquidity.

Our operational and financial results can be significantly impacted by changes in the price and availability of aircraft fuel. To provide adequate supplies of fuel, the Company routinely enters into purchase contracts that are customarily indexed to market prices for aircraft fuel, and the Company generally has some ability to cover short-term fuel supply and infrastructure disruptions at some major demand locations. The Company's current strategy is to not enter into transactions to hedge fuel price volatility, although the Company regularly reviews its policy based on market conditions and other factors. The Company's 2023 forecasted fuel consumption is presently approximately 4.3 billion gallons, and based on this forecast, a one-dollar change in the price of a barrel of aircraft fuel would change the Company's annual fuel expense by approximately $102 million.

Foreign Currency. The Company generates revenues and incurs expenses in numerous foreign currencies. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates impact the Company's results of operations through changes in the dollar value of foreign currency-denominated operating revenues and expenses. Some of the Company's more significant foreign currency exposures include the Canadian dollar, European euro, British pound, Japanese yen, Chinese renminbi and Mexican peso. The Company's current strategy is to not enter into transactions to hedge its foreign currency exposure, although the Company regularly reviews its policy based on market conditions and other factors.

The result of a uniform 1% strengthening in the value of the U.S. dollar from December 31, 2022 levels relative to each of the currencies in which the Company has foreign currency exposure would result in a decrease in pre-tax income of approximately $17 million for the year ending December 31, 2023. This sensitivity analysis was prepared based upon projected 2023 foreign currency-denominated revenues and expenses as of December 31, 2022.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of United Airlines Holdings, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (the "Company") as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), cash flows, and stockholders' equity for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a) (collectively referred to as the "consolidated financial statements"). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB"), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated February 16, 2023, expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

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None.

Evaluation of Disclosure Control and Procedures

UAL and United each maintain controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports filed or submitted by UAL and United to the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified by the SEC's rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to management including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The management of UAL and United, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, performed an evaluation to conclude with reasonable assurance that UAL's and United's disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Exchange Act") were designed and operating effectively to report the information each company is required to disclose in the reports they file with the SEC on a timely basis. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of UAL and United have concluded that as of December 31, 2022, disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

Management's Reports on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

UAL and United Management's Reports on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting are included herein.

Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the Company's financial statements included in this Form 10-K and issued its report on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, which is included herein.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting during the Quarter Ended December 31, 2022

During the three months ended December 31, 2022, there was no change in UAL's or United's internal control over financial reporting that materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, their internal control over financial reporting.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of United Airlines Holdings, Inc.

Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

We have audited United Airlines Holdings, Inc.'s (the "Company") internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the "COSO criteria"). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on the COSO criteria.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB"), the 2022 consolidated financial statements and our report dated February 16, 2023 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

The Company's management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management's Reports on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Chicago, Illinois

February 16, 2023

United Airlines Holdings, Inc. Management Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

February 16, 2023

To the Stockholders of United Airlines Holdings, Inc.

Chicago, Illinois

The management of United Airlines Holdings, Inc. ("UAL") is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Because of its inherent limitations, our internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Under the supervision and with the participation of management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the design and operating effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022. In making this assessment, management used the framework set forth in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013 Framework) issued by the Committee of the Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2022.

Our independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP, who audited UAL's consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K, has issued a report on UAL's internal control over financial reporting, which is included herein.

United Airlines, Inc. Management Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

February 16, 2023

To the Stockholder of United Airlines, Inc.

Chicago, Illinois

The management of United Airlines, Inc. ("United") is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). United's internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Because of its inherent limitations, United's internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Under the supervision and with the participation of management, including United's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, United conducted an evaluation of the design and operating effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022. In making this assessment, management used the framework set forth in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013 Framework) issued by the Committee of the Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, United's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that its internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2022.

This annual report does not include an attestation report of United's registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management's report was not subject to attestation by United's registered public accounting firm pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission that permit United to provide only management's report in this annual report.

None.

Not applicable.

PART III

Reference is made to the 2023 Proxy Statement with respect to information about UAL's directors and corporate governance, which is incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof in response to the information required by Item 10 with respect to UAL.

The information required by Item 10 with respect to UAL's and United's executive officers has been included in Part I of this Form 10-K under the caption "Information about Our Executive Officers" and is incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof in response to the information required by Item 10 with respect to UAL.

Reference is made to the 2023 Proxy Statement with respect to UAL's non-compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, if applicable, which is incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof in response to the information required by Item 10 with respect to UAL.

Code of Ethics. The Company has a code of ethics, the "Code of Ethics and Business Conduct," for its directors, officers and employees. The code serves as a "Code of Ethics" as defined by SEC regulations, and as a "Code of Conduct" under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5610. The code is available on the Company's investor relations website at ir.united.com. Waivers granted to certain officers from compliance with or future amendments to the code will be disclosed on the Company's investor relations website in accordance with Item 5.05 of Form 8-K.

Information required by this item with respect to United is omitted pursuant to General Instruction I(2)(c) of Form 10-K.

Reference is made to the 2023 Proxy Statement with respect to information about UAL's executive and director compensation and certain related matters, which is incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof in response to the information required by Item 11 with respect to UAL.

Information required by this item with respect to United is omitted pursuant to General Instruction I(2)(c) of Form 10-K.

Reference is made to the 2023 Proxy Statement with respect to the security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management and certain equity compensation plan information, which is incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof in response to the information required by Item 12 with respect to UAL.

Information required by this item with respect to United is omitted pursuant to General Instruction I(2)(c) of Form 10-K.

Reference is made to the 2023 Proxy Statement with respect to information about certain relationships and related transactions and director independence, which is incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof in response to the information required by Item 13 with respect to UAL.

Information required by this item with respect to United is omitted pursuant to General Instruction I(2)(c) of Form 10-K.

The Audit Committee of the UAL Board of Directors (the "Audit Committee") has adopted a policy on pre-approval of services of the Company's independent registered public accounting firm. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of UAL, United's audit services are determined by UAL. The policy provides that the Audit Committee shall pre-approve all audit and non-audit services to be provided to UAL and its subsidiaries and affiliates by its independent auditors. The process by which this is carried out is as follows:

For recurring services, the Audit Committee reviews and pre-approves the independent registered public accounting firm's annual audit services in conjunction with the annual appointment of the outside auditors. The reviewed materials include a description of the services along with related fees. The Audit Committee also reviews and pre-approves other classes of recurring services along with fee thresholds for pre-approved services. In the event that the additional services are required prior to the next scheduled Audit Committee meeting, pre-approvals of additional services follow the process described below.

Any requests for audit, audit-related, tax and other services not contemplated with the recurring services approval described above must be submitted to the Audit Committee for specific pre-approval and services cannot commence until such approval has been granted. Normally, pre-approval is provided at regularly scheduled meetings. However, the authority to grant specific preapproval between meetings, as necessary, has been delegated to the Chair of the Audit Committee. The Chair must update the Audit Committee at the next regularly scheduled meeting of any services that were granted specific pre-approval.

On a periodic basis, the Audit Committee reviews the status of services and fees incurred year-to-date and a list of newly pre-approved services since its last regularly scheduled meeting. The Audit Committee has considered whether the 2022 and 2021 non-audit services provided by Ernst & Young LLP (PCAOB ID No. 42), the Company's independent registered public accounting firm, are compatible with maintaining auditor independence and concluded that such services were compatible with maintaining Ernst & Young LLP's independence.

All of the services in 2022 and 2021 under the Audit Fees, Audit Related Fees, Tax Fees and All Other Fees categories below have been approved by the Audit Committee pursuant to paragraph (c)(7) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Exchange Act.

The aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by the Company's independent auditors in 2022 and 2021 are as follows (in thousands):

Audit Fees. For 2022 and 2021, audit fees consist primarily of the audit and quarterly reviews of the consolidated financial statements and the audit of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Audit fees also include the audit of the consolidated financial statements of United Airlines, attestation services required by statute or regulation, comfort letters, consents, assistance with and review of documents filed with the SEC, and accounting and financial reporting consultations and research work necessary to comply with generally accepted auditing standards.

Audit-Related Fees. For 2022, fees for audit-related services primarily consisted of assessments of climate-related disclosures.

Tax Fees. Tax fees for 2022 and 2021 relate to professional services provided for research and consultations regarding tax accounting and tax compliance matters and review of U.S. and international tax impacts of certain transactions, exclusive of tax services rendered in connection with the audit.

PART IV

None.

EXHIBIT INDEX

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