United Airlines automatically is extending contract expiration dates for all corporate accounts with contracts otherwise set to end within the next six months, according to SVP of worldwide sales Jake Cefolia.
Contract extension lengths will depend on contract types, and sales managers will reach out to corporate customers directly to give details, he said. In addition, United has extended service funds and MileagePlus Premier status credits set to expire in March or April for another six months through Jetstream. For agency clients, United has pushed back the sign-up deadline from April 1 until May 15.
An American Airlines spokesperson said the carrier has not adopted a blanket extension policy for corporate contracts but is "offering the option to customers and extending based on their feedback for a time period that best meets their needs."
(Update, March 20): Delta provided the following statement:
"Delta is offering our corporate customers the option to extend all contracts currently scheduled to expire within the next six months. We ask that our customers engage with their sales representative for specific details on extension length, which will vary based on contract type and current expiration date. For customers who would instead prefer to continue to renegotiate a new deal per normal, we are also willing to work with them during this time. Our sales representatives will be reaching out proactively to customers to discuss options in the days ahead."