(Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

Associated Press | United Airlines is expecting its a key revenue metric to be 16 to 17 percent higher in the first quarter than a year earlier.

The Chicago-based airline said Wednesday in a regulatory filing it expects consolidated passenger unit revenue between $11.44 and $11.59. The key metric gauges how much money the airline makes for every mile it flies a paying passenger.

The airline is forecasting capacity, or the number of available seats,
to be down 3.4 percent in the first-quarter.