United Airlines has launched a benefits program for
corporate travelers to receive priority consideration for upgrades and re-accommodation.
The United Corporate Preferred program has three tiers,
based on the share and volume a company gives to the carrier: Corporate
Preferred, Corporate Preferred Plus and Corporate Elite.
Travelers in the Preferred and Plus programs will get higher
priority for upgrades, standby lists and rebooking during irregular operations,
as well as occasional offers for promotions and discounts. At the Elite level,
travelers additionally will get increased flexibility for rebooking when travel
waivers are in place.
In the fourth quarter, Elite level travelers will get
priority boarding, in United's Group 2, as well as access to economy seats -- standard
seats, not Economy Plus seats -- closer to the front of the plane, United
worldwide sales senior vice president Jake Cefolia said.
"Our customers have been asking for this for a long
time," he said. "Our corporate advisory board said we'd like to have
all our travelers receive some distinct level of benefits as a customer that
spends a lot with you."
The program is open to businesses with United contracts as
well as members of the carrier's new Propel program for small and midsize
enterprises, Cefolia said. Travelers must include their corporate account
numbers at the time of booking, and the travel must be for business. The
benefits apply only to United and United Express flights.
Participating travel buyers will get customized webpages
showing the benefits available for their travelers. United is working on
messaging to the travelers, such as providing an option to have the preferred
status appear on boarding passes, Cefolia said. "Some don't want it
publicized, and some do. We'll want to be able to toggle it off or on."
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Source: Business Travel News