Exhibit 12.1 UAL Corporation and Subsidiary Companies Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividend Requirements Nine Months Ended September 30 ----------------- 1999 1998 ---- ---- (In Millions) Earnings: Earnings before income taxes $ 1,739 $ 1,173 Fixed charges, from below 905 858 Undistributed earnings of affiliates (26) (53) Interest capitalized (56) (82) ------ ------ Earnings $ 2,562 $ 1,896 ====== ====== Fixed charges: Interest expense $ 273 $ 265 Preferred stock dividend requirements 152 127 Portion of rental expense representative of the interest factor 480 466 ------ ------ Fixed charges $ 905 $ 858 ====== ====== Ratio of earnings to fixed charges 2.83 2.21 ====== ======