March 12, 2020 1530 ET
CHICAGO, IL, March 12, 2020: United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NYSE: UAL) announced a new seating diagram and discounted ticket fares due to the COVID-19 virus that has sent their stocks plummeting to a 52-week low. United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz sent out an internal company memo laying out the changes as well as United Airlines plans to move forward to deal with the global pandemic. The memo laid out many changes and potential changes on the horizon:
1. Approved unpaid time off for any employee
2. Reducing salary of executives by 1%
3. Furloughs
4. Cutting unnecessary expenses
5. Offering discounted fares to sell seats
The new seating chart shows where possible seats were flown with potential carries of the deadly COVID-19 virus. United offers fares as little as $5 for the COVID-19 seats but customers must sign disclosures and will be assigned boarding group 5 with no authorized carry-on.