United Airlines needs some short term positive momentum as it works toward long term aspirations

United Airlines has been in a state of flux for the better part of a decade since Continental swooped in to forge a hasty merger with United, ousting US Airways as the preferred partner. After Continental's management took the helm at United, employee relations worsened and the airline's operational performance tanked.

After his appointment as United's CEO in 2015, Oscar Munoz put together a new management team that outlined ambitious goals in late 2016, including closing the margin gap with Delta, significantly shoring up United's revenue and pairing down costs.

Since that time, United has increased its capacity growth, and endured challenges in achieving sustained positive unit revenue while its costs are also moving in the wrong direction. The result: the company being left in the unenviable position of attempting to steer investors to its long term strategy as short term metrics continue to suffer.