United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby declared the era of $9 tickets is ending, confirming higher fares are not solely driven by fuel costs but reflect a structural shift toward reasonable pre-pandemic yield levels. During the Q2 2026 earnings announcement on 16 July 2026, Kirby stated the airline expects pricing gains to hold despite a nearly $6 billion fuel expense surge this year, with Q2 fuel costs alone rising $2.3 billion. The carrier observed minimal to no damage to travel demand from recent fare increases, validating its strategy to rely on pricing power rather than volume to absorb fuel shocks. United raised its full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $9–$11, beating Wall Street expectations with Q2 diluted EPS of $2.46, signaling that the ultra-low-cost fare model is unsustainable in the current high-cost environment.