United Investing in Business Travel
United Airlines recently has redoubled efforts to address the corporate travel market by announcing several new business traveler promotions and services and investing in industry initiatives.
"The competition for today's business traveler has never been more significant," said John Tague, United executive vice president of customer, today in unveiling a free ticket promotion targeted at business travelers.
Meanwhile, the Institute of Business Travel Management--the National Business Travel Association's educational foundation--yesterday announced United committed $100,000 to the Business Travel Today & Tomorrow capital project. The carrier will contribute $20,000 each year between 2004 and 2008. It is the third airline, following Continental and Northwest, to renew financial commitments to IBTM.
The new business travel promotion provides free roundtrip tickets to qualifying Mileage Plus members who fly three eligible roundtrip "business trips" between tomorrow and Sept. 30. United defined business trips as flights booked in first and business classes, and economy class fares that do not include a Saturday night stay. All flights on partner airlines are excluded.
The promotion has a slew of other restrictions. Reward tickets, which can be redeemed for travel between Sept. 2, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2004, must include a Saturday night stay and be booked at least 14 days in advance and not on one of more than 50 black-out dates. A maximum of two free tickets can be earned.
United also is working to improve the experience for business travelers. By the end of the month, the airline plans to activate online checkin for domestic flights. It continues to add self-service airport kiosks, with more than 450 already deployed in 19 locations. Meanwhile, with an eye on providing additional inflight comfort to business passengers, United by early next year plans to increase seat pitch and recline throughout business class and also install Economy Plus seating on Boeing 777 aircraft.