United is rallying its loyalty customers to donate MileagePlus miles to the Fisher House Foundation ahead of Veterans Day to help support travel for families of wounded, injured and ill service members who are undergoing medical treatment through their Hero Miles program. During the month of November, the airline’s industry-leading crowdsourcing program, Miles on a Mission, will spotlight Fisher House Foundation and encourage donations – United will match the first one million miles raised.
Fisher House Foundation manages more than 95 homes around the world where military and veteran families can stay free of charge while a loved one is receiving care at a military or Veterans Affairs medical center. Often, families must pay their own way to get to a Fisher House home.
“Fisher House Foundation is incredibly excited to partner with United’s Miles on a Mission,” says Ken Fisher, chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation. “This collaboration will allow us to further help service members and their families meet their travel needs through our Hero Miles program and effectively remove the burden that the cost of travel brings for our country’s service members in their time of need.”
Over the last three decades, Fisher House has provided over 85,000 airline tickets to military and veteran families, saving them nearly $120 million. And since 2004, United has provided 16,000 tickets.
United currently employs nearly 8,000 veterans and, in addition to supporting organizations like Fisher House, has created recruiting and job opportunities across the airline. United recently launched the United Military Pilot Program, designed to give full-time, active-duty U.S. military pilots access to conditional jobs as a First Officer and just last month, announced the Calibrate Technician Pathway Program, giving U.S Army reservists a direct path to become a maintenance technician. Additionally, the airline recently signed a strategic partnership with the U.S. Army, through its Army PaYS Program, offering employment opportunities to service men and women post military service.
“In times of need, there is no better feeling than having your loved ones surrounding you,” said Hector Chahin, Managing Director of Operational Strategy & Performance at United, and President of the airline’s internal business resource group United for Veterans. “No one, especially those who have sacrificed so much, should have to be alone during the hardships many of our service members are facing. Together with Fisher House Foundation, we’re able to continue connecting service members with their families and give them the tools they need to balance both their physical and mental well-being on the road to recovery.”
