Inspiring gestures at United Airlines fail to halt a share price plunge

If gestures mean anything, United just completed a great week. The CE spent US$1m buying shares. The carrier reached a deal with dissident hedge fund shareholders. The biggest union applauded a new labour agreement. Q1 earnings beat estimates. And in an exercise in extraordinary customer service, a college choir met a concert obligation because United somehow managed to find an available aircraft and arrange a dedicated flight after a snowstorm closed the Denver hub. Sadly, that wasn't the United that investors saw. Rather, they saw weak guidance on current quarter passenger revenue per available seat miles, followed Thursday by a disastrous earnings call, where executives failed to muster convincing responses to analysts questions. Between Wednesday's close and Thursday's opening, United shares fell 10%. <br/>