United Airlines drops inflight magazine print edition after 32 years

United Airlines has announced that it is to pull the print edition of its inflight magazine, Hemispheres. The magazine will transition to a digital-only format as of autumn 2024.

After 32 years in seat-back pockets, the final issue of Hemispheres magazine will be published in September 2024. United said that the decision to drop the print edition comes as part of the carrier’s strategy to modernize its in-flight services and reduce fuel costs. The new digital edition of the magazine will feature the same content as the print version, including the ‘Three Perfect Days’ series which showcases cities and smaller towns worldwide served by the airline. According to the carrier, the digital format will offer more personalized content, plus new features such as screen reading and text enlargement. The airline plans to translate its digital magazine version into eight languages.

“A digital experience allows us to make the Hemispheres even better – we can reach a wider audience, offer more personalized content and tell richer stories,” a United spokesperson said in a statement. “We’re excited about the future possibilities and look forward to sharing more details as we get closer to launch.”

In recent years, the carrier has been focused on reducing the weight of onboard materials to save fuel. In 2018, United started to print Hemisphere on lighter paper, saving one ounce (about 29.57 ml) per magazine. According to the airline, this slight weight reduction saved 170,000 gallons (about 643519.7 liters) of fuel annually, or $290,000 of fuel expenses per year.

United’s Hemispheres is the longest-running inflight magazine of any major US airline. In early March 2020, Delta Air Lines became the first US airline to ditch its inflight magazine. American Airlines became the second major carrier to do so when it ceased publication of its inflight magazine, American Way, in June 2021 after 55 years.