United reports Q1 loss

United Continental has reported a first-quarter net loss of $609 million, including $120 million of special charges, compared to a net loss of $417 million in the same period last year. Excluding special charges, the net loss was $489 million, compared to a net loss of $358 million in Q1 2013. Revenue fell only very slightly to $8.7 billion, while passenger revenue during the period decreased 2.3% to $7.4 billion on a consolidated capacity reduction of 0.3%. United Airlines cash balances fell by 2% to $5.02 billion during the first quarter, as it made $637 million in debt and capital