United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) shares traded lower Monday after the airline expanded meal preorder access to shorter flights, while investors also looked ahead to United’s third-quarter earnings release Tuesday.
The expansion adds to United’s broader cabin upgrades, including Starlink Wi-Fi, Bluetooth-enabled seatback screens and larger overhead bins.
Meal Preorders Expand
United lowered the minimum flight distance for United Economy fresh-food preorders to more than 900 miles from more than 1,190 miles, adding about 420 eligible flights per day across North America and the Caribbean.
The expansion gives as many as 65,000 additional customers per day access to meal preordering, including travelers between Chicago and Houston, Denver and San Francisco, and Houston and Washington, D.C.
Customers can preorder fresh Bistro on Board meals and eligible retail items through United’s website or mobile app beginning five days and up to 24 hours before departure.
Starlink Rollout Accelerates
Last Thursday, United said Starlink Wi-Fi was live on more than 635 United and United Express aircraft, covering nearly half of its daily departures.
More than 250,000 customers fly on Starlink-equipped aircraft each day across more than 2,500 flights. United also launched a digital Starlink tracker that lets travelers check whether their upcoming flight is scheduled to offer the service.
The airline plans to complete Starlink installations across its fleet by the end of 2027.
United’s Starlink rollout has also drawn comparisons with rival Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL), which chose Amazon’s Leo satellite internet service instead.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly criticized Delta for passing on Starlink.
United Earnings Tomorrow Put Q3 Guidance In Focus
United is scheduled to report third-quarter earnings Tuesday.
Analysts expect earnings of $2.59 per share, down from $2.78 a year earlier, while revenue is projected at $17.89 billion, up from $15.22 billion.
United previously guided for third-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.50 to $3.50.
That means the current $2.59 analyst estimate sits near the lower end of management’s guidance range, putting added focus on whether United can deliver toward the midpoint or upper end.
Wall Street remains broadly constructive despite recent forecast cuts. The stock carries a Buy rating with an average price forecast of $157.80.
Recent analyst moves include: UBS maintained a Buy rating while lowering its price forecast to $139 from $146 on Oct. 16.
Susquehanna retained a Positive rating with a $150 forecast on Oct. 7, while Wells Fargo maintained Overweight with a $160 forecast on Oct. 6.
UAL Technical Setup
United Airlines remains under technical pressure, trading 11.1% below its 20-day SMA, 13.5% below the 50-day SMA, and 16.8% below the 100-day SMA.
The RSI stands at 29.40, placing the stock in oversold territory, while the MACD remains below its signal line, pointing to continued bearish momentum.
Key support sits at $88, with resistance near $115. A break below support could open the door to further weakness, while a move above resistance would improve the technical setup.
UAL’s June golden cross remains intact, with the 50-day SMA above the 200-day SMA, but near-term indicators remain weak.
The stock is down 4.59% over the past 12 months and sits at roughly 22.4% of its 52-week range, keeping it closer to its lows than its highs.
UAL Stock Price Activity: United Airlines shares traded lower by 4.91% at $96.32 during Monday trading, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Photo: Miguel Lagoa / Shutterstock
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