10,000 United Tickets Help Make Wishes Come True

Chidinma, a 14-year-old Make-A-Wish recipient, has longed to tour Europe’s most famous cities for as long as she can remember. On June 21, amidst the cheers and applause of a crowd of United Airlines employees and customers, Chidinma and her family boarded United flight 40 bound for Rome, ready for her wish to come true.

Since 1986, United and Make-A-Wish have teamed up to send children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions on the trip of a lifetime. Over the past three decades, MileagePlus members have made more than 98,000 individual donations, and the company and its customers have donated more than a total of 550 million miles to Make-A-Wish through United’s MileagePlus Charity Miles program. The June 21, festivities at Newark Liberty International Airport commemorated the airline’s 10,000-ticket milestone, along with its lasting commitment to fulfilling the wishes of children like Chidinma.

“Here at United, our expansive route network enables us to connect passengers to exciting destinations all over the world. It also gives us an opportunity to connect thousands of special children to places they have only dreamed of,” said Brett Hart, executive vice president and general counsel at United. “We are proud of our longstanding partnership with Make-A-Wish, and grateful to our customers who have generously donated their miles to help make children’s wishes come true.”

“It is an honor and a privilege to work with United, who has shown their dedication to wish kids and their families through their extraordinary miles donation,” said David Williams, president and chief executive officer for Make-A-Wish America. “With nearly 75 percent of the wishes granted each year requiring travel, travel costs are our largest expense. United and their customers make wishes possible through their generous donation of miles each year.”