The Cranky Flier Interview: Janet Lamkin, United Airlines, President of California

Mar 7, 2019

More Reading on This Topic: Across the Aisle Interviews, Podcast, United

It’s a lofty title to be sure. Janet joined United in November 2017 to fill the first regional president position here on the West Coast. I assume this role was meant to project both internally and externally just how important California is to the airline. But what does that mean, and what does a President of California do?

I sat down with Janet on a chilly, gray day after attending the ground-breaking ceremony for the airline’s new TechOps building at LAX. You can listen to the 16 minute podcast below or by clicking here.

Brett

10 responses to “The Cranky Flier Interview: Janet Lamkin, United Airlines, President of California”

Jon Snow

Mar 7, 2019 at 5:52 am

Did Janet just say the Beaumont/Harrisburg bus service is coming to Oakland?! United buses! Or boats!

Great interview, impressive performance for someone who’s only worked in airlines for a year or two.

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Tim

Mar 7, 2019 at 10:29 am

It’s not really outside the box thinking over very “creative” but the best way to serve East Bay customers is probably to serve OAK with actual airplane service

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Kilroy

Mar 8, 2019 at 7:27 am

I’d love to see a post or explanation going into a bit more detail on the tech ops hangars, what the process is for working on the planes, what work is done “locally” or internally, at places like this new tech ops hangar, what work (or which A/B/C/D checks) are outsourced or done elsewhere, how they organize and plan the work, etc.

As someone who rarely gets out to the West Coast, I like how SFO (and OAK as well, I believe) have decent and fairly direct/quick rail connections to downtown. The other major city airports I can think of in the US that offer that are ORD and ATL; shame the taxi lobby has blocked that at the NYC airports.

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1. Jim P.
  
  Mar 10, 2019 at 6:57 am
  
  Add STL to your list. The Red Line makes a stop at Terminal E (all Southwest) and terminates at Terminal D. The return trip goes right through downtown STL and terminates in Illinois across the revier.
  
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  1. Jim P.
    
    Mar 10, 2019 at 7:10 am
    
    that’s “across the river” not revier. My bad. BTW, Got Terminal designations wrong also. There is Terminal 1 & 2. Terminal 2 is all Concourse E gates (Southwest).
    Terminal 1 where the Red Line rail line ends has Concourses A, C & D. Concourse D is the former TWA International Concourse. Last I heard D is not in use except as a very long walk to/from C to E and vice vesa..
    
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    1. Jim P.
      
      Mar 10, 2019 at 7:13 am
      
      My typing is not up to par this morning. That’s vice versa.
      
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Observationist

Mar 8, 2019 at 9:10 am

Take a good hard look at Polaris service between International and Domestic. The level of service is shocking domestically compared to the wonderful experience when flying international. If the Polaris name is to truly mean something then the level of service should be consistent across the entire fleet.

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ktenorman

Mar 9, 2019 at 12:19 pm

I’m with the other commenters, 3-4 daily OAK-LAX and OAK-DEN wouldn’t kill United and would really shore up their position amongst the East Bay crowd when connecting is otherwise required.

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AL

Mar 12, 2019 at 1:45 pm

Janet standing on the ramp with no safety gear,no I’d showing

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1. CF
  
  Mar 12, 2019 at 3:42 pm
  
  Al – Right before the interview was an event on the ramp there for the new techops center groundbreaking. That area was blocked off and nobody was wearing safety gear.
  
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