Doesn't sound like you understand what an internship is. Whether paid or unpaid, the primary benefit is for the intern, not the company. (There is a slew of labor case law on that topic.). An airline college internship always was, and still is, a highly competitive and coveted position. If it was simply volunteering to make copies and fetch coffee for free, then anyone could sign up for it. But that's not the case, as you have to be a competitive applicant from a college or university that participates in the program. In the case of the United internship, the benefits that flow to the intern far outweigh any considerations of a semester without pay.