Pros
The level of tenure at United tells you they are doing something right in retaining people to work with them. The collaborative headquarters work environment really seems to lend itself to new ideas and different points of view, although the very nature of the business means that change is not as rapid. It also really appears that there is a conscious effort to align the thinking and efforts from the people at the airports, to the people in the planes, to the people in the head office, and everywhere in between.
Cons
Career development program is not well articulated, so the onus is on the individual to set out goals and work to achieve them, with very little structure. This benefits highly-motivated employees with plenty of initiative, but still provides less guidance than many companies, and may be unattractive to new employees who are looking for that support.