United chief says fares may rise further and argues middle seats should cost more to avoid

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said air travel is expensive and fares may have to rise further. The discussion also reported Kirby’s view that a middle seat should be less attractive on price—in other words, passengers should pay more to avoid sitting there.

A participant framed this as Kirby quickly responding to Delta’s Wi-Fi problems and criticized the idea of raising prices. That was the participant’s interpretation, not a confirmed explanation from United.

In a profile recap, Kirby was said to have called a United board member after American Airlines passed him over for its top job; United hired him in 2016 and named him CEO in 2020. He took over the airline during the COVID-19 pandemic. The host said United shares had risen more than 300% during his tenure. Kirby said he believed the airline had become the best overall, though not in every respect.

Kirby said better Wi-Fi, more films and TV shows, and a user-friendly app help reduce the stress of flying, especially for families with children. That was his explanation of service priorities; a separate discussion of seatback screens and in-flight entertainment was personal conversation among the participants.