Who I am

Hello, I’m Adam. My career in the airline industry started in 2006 with Continental Airlines based in my hometown of Houston. A few years later, we merged with United, and not long after that I moved to Chicago, my wife Kim’s hometown. We’ve been married 11 years, and our boys are ages nine, eight, and four. It’s a stressful season for me at work and at home. I’m coaching my two older boys’ Little League team, while also dealing with changes at work brought on by the turbulence of the last few years.

How I chose

I’ve been working for a while, so we know that annual enrollment is our only shot at changing our benefits each year unless we experience a life event or family status change. Kim works as a traveling nurse, so the best way for us to decide which benefits are right for our family is for each of us to review United’s benefits materials on our own.

When Kim was back in town one night last fall, we put the boys to bed and talked about our options while we watched a Bears game. (Highly recommend this approach—Go Bears!) I pulled up my United benefits guide on the Your Benefits Resources site. Fortunately, we don’t have to pay the spousal surcharge for benefits because Kim is an independent contractor.

What matters to me

Turning 40 happened before I was ready for it. All of a sudden, it feels like I’d better start thinking about retirement. This year, our family is feeling the pinch of inflation, so we’re looking for ways to make our money stretch further.

Recently, my buddy, Gerald, told me how much he’s saving in his health savings account, earning interest, and planning to invest for retirement, and my ears perked up. That seems like an easy way to do all the smart stuff at once: save money on taxes, build up savings for healthcare expenses, and earn interest on a balance that will benefit us whenever we need it—now or in retirement. So, this year we’re moving to a high-deductible plan with an HSA. We’re going to save enough this year to cover our deductible, and if we don’t use it, the money will roll over to next year. I also plan to start a commuter account for my trips on the L to and from the airport.

Last year, we elected dental and vision coverage for everyone, and Kim encouraged me to add voluntary life insurance and long-term disability coverage over what United provides for me. Since we had all the kids’ information on hand, it was a good time to verify my beneficiaries. After learning about it on the site, Kim downloaded the telehealth app so she can see a provider whenever she’s traveling. And, she insisted we get identity theft protection to safeguard our financial information given the nature of her work and mine. I had to admit that was probably money well spent.

As I’ve researched ways to stretch our dollars, I’ve been looking at the full list of benefits on lifeatunited.com, and I’ve found some programs that are really helping us.

For example, I found out that my gym offers a discount to United employees and another provider offers free exercise programs to help with chronic back pain, which is something I’ve experienced for a while.

With three active and growing boys, I’ll be taking a close look at the accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity coverage options for next year in case one of them has an incident that needs it.

Speaking of kids, they won’t be little forever, so we try to make it back to Texas to see my family every year. My United Travel Privileges really come in handy for these trips. It’s wonderful to fly south when Chicago is snowed in!

Who I am

My name is Kelly. I’ve been working for United about 10 years, since my youngest child went off to college. My husband, Chan, retired this year, and I’ve got only three more to go! But, he keeps busy with our 12-year-old granddaughter, Lina, who lives with us. We got custody of her after our daughter, Lisa, her mother, died of breast cancer five years ago. Lina is on a competitive gymnastics team, so she has events almost every weekend at certain times of the year. In fact, Chan’s job is probably busier than mine right now!

How I chose

Technology is a special interest of mine, so I make full use of it for my own convenience. Since I’ve been with United for a while, I’m familiar with navigating the Your Benefits Resources site, but I really love the convenience of the Alight Mobile app. The United benefits guide is all I need, in addition to my benefits statements from the last year showing how we used my benefits. I can open these and review them on my phone and even walk through the entire enrollment process while I’m sitting on my back porch.

What matters to me

I took care of my mother for three years until she died of breast cancer at age 69, and during that time I learned a lot about the healthcare system, preventive measures, helpful benefits, and how to plan for retirement. So, since I started working full-time, I’ve been saving money in a health savings account, which is available only with a high-deductible health plan, and maxing out my 401(k) contributions to get the full United match.

When I reached age 55, I also started making catch-up contributions to my 401(k). We had to suspend my contributions while I was furloughed during the quarantines, but I’m now back to my full contribution level. We also don’t have to pay the spousal surcharge anymore because my husband is on Medicare.

My sister, Cara, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, so I added critical illness and hospital indemnity insurance to my coverage, since this dreadful disease runs in our family. All my screenings have been clear, but I’m at a higher risk. I appreciate that United offers a cancer support resource. I always take advantage of the monthly wellness credit by getting my annual physical, because it’s important to me to set a good example for Lina and to stay ahead of the disease. I’m in a United Business Resource Group for employees with multicultural backgrounds, and they have become my friends and confidants. They’ve been very encouraging to me, Cara, and Lina throughout our journey, and I’m grateful for the support.

Before our daughter died, we had purchased legal services coverage through United, and I was really glad we had it for all the paperwork that was required after her death and in the process of taking custody of Lina. With all the loss and trauma we’ve suffered, Lina and I have used the app-based mental health services and the United employee assistance program frequently in past years. I appreciate that I don’t have to worry about confidentiality and that these services are free and easy to use. I tell my granddaughter that no one should feel ashamed of being sad or having dark thoughts when life is hard. The important thing is to get the help you need to be able to live a fulfilling and grateful life, no matter what. Each day is a gift.