United Airlines, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
United Airlines Flight Attendant 401(k) Plan
Chicago, ILTransportation & Warehousing27,544 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,105Employer $ per active participant
$6,622Employee $ saved per active participant
0.02%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$5.3BNet plan assets, end of year
$166,685Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity36.7 / 5073th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost22.8 / 2591th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.3 / 1576th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score78 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 10,000+ active participants (46 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 73th |
| Lower admin cost | 91th |
| Employee saving | 76th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 30% |
Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $38,236 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- United Airlines put in about $3,105 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,415). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $85,529,425 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $182,401,324 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $7,802,341 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $969,259 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $45,402 |
| Other admin expenses | $183,292 |
| Benefits paid out | $299,629,212 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $4.6B / $5.3B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 27,196 / 27,891 |
| Participants with account balances | 31,946 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Mitchell & Titus, LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $106,462,166 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fid Inv Inst Ops Co | $718,471 reported compensation |
| Learnlux Inc. | $183,292 reported compensation |
| Mercer | $70,809 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013141952NAL0000708243001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 74-2099724, plan #008, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.
Other 401(k) plans filed under this employer's EIN
AUnited Airlines Pilot Retirement Account PlanBContinental Micronesia, Inc. 401(k) Savings PlanBUnited Airlines 401(k) Savings Plan
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