United employees at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Photo courtesy of United AIrlines.

United employees at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Photo courtesy of United Airlines.

If you notice some happier employees while flying United, this could be a factor:  United Airlines management today said eligible employees earned a $125 cash bonus for making travelers happier, according to a new SEC filing.

The bonuses are related to improving service – specifically for “exceeding the airline’s on-time arrival and departure performance goals for the month of July,” the SEC document says. The “on-time” rate’s based on flights arriving within 14 minutes of the scheduled arrival time.

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Additionally, United’s eligible employees earned another bonus for exceeding the airline’s customer satisfaction goal for July.

The outstanding customer service performance came despite obstacles such as runway construction at San Francisco International Airport, which is one of its largest hubs, the filing says.

The document quotes Greg Hart, United’s executive veep and chief operations officer:

“While we still have room for improvement, we’re seeing a lot of momentum as we work to create a more reliable and efficient airline. These bonuses are further proof that the actions we are taking are paying off.”

The airline operates an average of more than 5,200 flights a day.

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