United Airlines’ MileagePlus Members Can Request A Copy Of The Final Hemispheres Magazine Print Issue. Here’s How.

United Airlines’ inflight magazine, Hemispheres, has been a staple of the carrier’s inflight entertainment products since the 1990s, and the publication has reached audiences around the globe. The upscale travel magazine is estimated to have been read by nearly 140 million

United Airlines

customers annually, offering both unique updates on the airline’s network and service offerings as well as all the latest in business, fashion, and luxury travel.

However, Hemispheres‘ time has sadly come, with the airline announcing on September 7, 2024, that its flagship print issue would be discontinued after nearly thirty years of publication. Despite the sad nature of the magazine’s final issue this month, MileagePlus members have been offered the unique opportunity to receive the final copy in the mail this month.

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United has shared that it will be extending the opportunity to receive a free final copy for certain SkyMiles members, who are eligible to RSVP on the carrier’s website to be one of the 50,000 who receive the final issue. However, the airline has noted that this offer will only be available while supplies last and that not all who have entered the online queue for the magazine will be selected to receive a free final issue by mail, according to reports from Travel + Leisure.

How to get your free issue

United Airlines understands the profound legacy that its inflight magazine leaves behind, as it has long been a favorite for travelers across the globe and nostalgic for a different time before seatback screens and other forms of inflight entertainment. As a result, they have made it easier than ever to receive their free copy of the magazine’s final issue, which currently sits in the seatback pockets onboard most United Airlines aircraft.

Photo: United Airlines

To receive a copy of the final issue, MileagePlus members are invited to request one online, by entering a special promotional site with their loyalty program login information. From there, the carrier indicated that one could enter a queue of passengers who would like the magazine and that they would be contacted if selected to receive the publication.

Some online have pointed to difficulty being able to request the magazine online. According to Live And Let’s Fly, the MileagePlus website was unable to offer any confirmation as to when passengers would hear about whether their copy would be shipped. Passengers can still simply take a copy of the magazine with them after their next United flight, should they feel so inclined. Some, however, appear to have already received theirs in the mail:

​​​​​​A relic of the past

The United Hemispheres magazine has been a staple of the airline’s experience since 1992 when the publication first made its way into the carrier’s seatback pockets. By 2009, all United and United Express aircraft had the magazine in their seatback pockets.

Photo: United Airlines

The carrier has cycled through multiple iterations and publishers of the magazine, which is currently produced in New York City. Despite the discontinuation of the print version, United will continue to publish a digital version of the magazine on its website. United is the last of the three major US carriers to discontinue its inflight magazine, with both Delta Air Lines and American Airlines doing so during the COVID-19 Pandemic.