United last flew into Auckland Airport in 2003 and like other US carriers there were perception problems around service.
She said customer satisfaction surveys showed passengers were positive.
''People are starting to see the new United as opposed to what they may have seen when we last flew here.''
The airline is about to launch one of the most significant upgrades in a decade of its premium-class cabins and lounges on its global network.
Polaris business class will be rolled out on December 1 with new business-class cabins and products progressively being introduced and a new lounge opening in Chicago.
Reid said that traditionally airline lounges in the United States ''have never been flash".
The new Polaris lounges are for business-class passengers and feature custom-designed chairs, private daybeds, spa-like showers and hot meals served in a boutique restaurant setting.
Lounges in eight other locations - Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, New York/Newark, Washington Dulles, Tokyo Narita, Hong Kong and London Heathrow - will follow next year.
United, the third biggest US airline by passenger traffic, said profit fell 80 per cent to US$965 million ($1.3 billion) in the third quarter.