United Airlines, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
United Airlines 401(k) Savings Plan · d/b/a Benefits Department - Whqhr
Chicago, ILTransportation & Warehousing62,947 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,619Employer $ per active participant
$7,184Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$10.3BNet plan assets, end of year
$133,477Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity32.2 / 5064th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost21.3 / 2585th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.7 / 1584th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score66 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 10,000+ active participants (46 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 64th |
| Lower admin cost | 85th |
| Employee saving | 84th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 30% |
Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $107,326 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- United Airlines put in about $2,619 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.
- 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 | $164,852,259 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $452,223,476 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $38,499,184 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $2,668,821 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $58,897 |
| Other admin expenses | $875,823 |
| Benefits paid out | $828,293,555 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $8.9B / $10.3B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 57,326 / 68,568 |
| Participants with account balances | 77,056 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Mitchell & Titus, LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $235,541,417 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fid Inv Inst Ops Co | $1,700,281 reported compensation |
| Learnlux Inc. | $430,031 reported compensation |
| United Airlines, Inc. | $385,369 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015145838NAL0010232146001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 74-2099724, plan #222, 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 Flight Attendant 401(k) PlanAUnited Airlines Pilot Retirement Account PlanBContinental Micronesia, Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan
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