Expanding Mercedes-Benz USA partnership—to the airport, plane to plane GS transport
Jul 17, 2013, 4:46 pm
#46
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SEA, WAS, PEK
Programs: UA 3K UGS 3MM
Posts: 2,176
hi everyone,
it's been reported a bit already, but i wanted to provide some more information about the pilot tarmac transportation program we just soft-launched at houston-iah...
Starting yesterday, we’ve expanded our partnership with mercedes-benz usa to pilot this option for select global services members and united global first customers connecting to domestic or international flights. Our first hub for the pilot will be houston, and we’ll have two cars, one s-class sedan and one gl-class suv, to start at iah.
How this works is fairly straightforward—a uniformed global services agent will meet the customer with a sign upon disembarkation from the aircraft and escort him/her to the waiting vehicle. The mercedes will then zoom (safely of course; the airport tarmac is no autobahn) to the connecting gate, where the customer will be invited to board via the jetbridge stairs. While this service can’t be requested or reserved in advance, we’ll aim to prioritize those gs and global first customers who are on very tight connections.
Looking ahead, we’ll monitor the results of the pilot as we look to expand, and over the next few days we’re soft-launching the service at a second hub. In fact, the cars for this additional hub will be delivered to their parking spaces today. They should be visible from the terminal, in case anyone wants to take a guess as to where that is :-).
Aaron goldberg
sr. Manager – customer experience planning
united airlines
it's been reported a bit already, but i wanted to provide some more information about the pilot tarmac transportation program we just soft-launched at houston-iah...
Starting yesterday, we’ve expanded our partnership with mercedes-benz usa to pilot this option for select global services members and united global first customers connecting to domestic or international flights. Our first hub for the pilot will be houston, and we’ll have two cars, one s-class sedan and one gl-class suv, to start at iah.
How this works is fairly straightforward—a uniformed global services agent will meet the customer with a sign upon disembarkation from the aircraft and escort him/her to the waiting vehicle. The mercedes will then zoom (safely of course; the airport tarmac is no autobahn) to the connecting gate, where the customer will be invited to board via the jetbridge stairs. While this service can’t be requested or reserved in advance, we’ll aim to prioritize those gs and global first customers who are on very tight connections.
Looking ahead, we’ll monitor the results of the pilot as we look to expand, and over the next few days we’re soft-launching the service at a second hub. In fact, the cars for this additional hub will be delivered to their parking spaces today. They should be visible from the terminal, in case anyone wants to take a guess as to where that is :-).
Aaron goldberg
sr. Manager – customer experience planning
united airlines
Jul 17, 2013, 5:18 pm
#48
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Springfield,MO,USA
Programs: UA 1K MM, HH Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,604
Not GS and not much GF at IAH so more propaganda than useful for me.
I would rather have elevators and pleasant line wardens at the ORD F gate to C gate shuttle but Mercedes might not pay for that.
I would rather have elevators and pleasant line wardens at the ORD F gate to C gate shuttle but Mercedes might not pay for that.
Jul 17, 2013, 5:24 pm
#50
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MEL
Programs: VAG
Posts: 1,865
When I read that UA was to provide free unicorn rides for all its F passengers I was excited, but then I found out that they're only going to be regular unicorns and not the rainbow-powered flying kind. Thanks $mi$ek!
Jul 17, 2013, 5:28 pm
#51
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 8,634
Jul 17, 2013, 5:29 pm
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,909
In the 16 years I have been flying UA, 10 of it as a 1K, UA has never been much of an innovator, they usually just copy from other airlines. So not much change in that respect with the new regime.
Jul 17, 2013, 6:12 pm
#55
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: USA
Programs: AA EXP, UA GLD, Bonvoy Titan, HH Dia, WoH Exp
Posts: 2,673
LH runs a smooth operation in FRA. UA will have a lot of logistical challenges in order to match LH, but this trial is a start. Some of the nice things I like about LH:
- At your departure gate, the elevator ride up puts you on the jetbridge. No need to go through the boarding process as your boarding pass was already collected at the FCT prior to the limo ride.
- The FCT has its own passport control.
- The FCT itself. This is beyond the scope of this thread.
Interestingly, in FRA LH uses E-class sedans and Cayennes. GL makes sense. I wonder why UA/MBZ chose S-class instead of E for the trial?
- At your departure gate, the elevator ride up puts you on the jetbridge. No need to go through the boarding process as your boarding pass was already collected at the FCT prior to the limo ride.
- The FCT has its own passport control.
- The FCT itself. This is beyond the scope of this thread.
Interestingly, in FRA LH uses E-class sedans and Cayennes. GL makes sense. I wonder why UA/MBZ chose S-class instead of E for the trial?
UA's service for tight connections is more valuable so you don't miss a connecting international flight. However since IAH has only 3-class GF to LHR and I assume most of them are O/D passengers, I am thinking most passengers utilizing this service will be GS passengers.
Jul 17, 2013, 6:52 pm
#56
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: US CP ; LH FTL ; *G
Posts: 1,630
However, the only people who will meaningfully benefit from this service are those going to an int'l destination from a non-hub if they have a tight connection at a hub. Not too many people if you ask me. If it's an important business trip, nobody's gonna plan a tight connection, especially on UA ( and risk missing the int'l flight ). On the other hand, a true ground FC service would benefit everyone in FC, which I guess is too much to ask for.
Surprisingly, LH, whose FC is on par in terms of the price with UA GF somehow manages to provide some FC ground service at its hubs. Of course, LH CASM must be lower - after all, EU companies don't usually provide their top management with the US-style multimillion compensation packages ( which according to our 'economists' leads to inability to acquire top management talent
).
Jul 17, 2013, 7:38 pm
#57
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: DCA, IAD (not BWI if I can help it)
Programs: UA 1MM 1K, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Explorist, status-free on AA, AS, B6, DL, WN, Amtrak, etc.
Posts: 1,481
Aw, that's nothing. If you arrive at IAD's D concourse, they'll whisk you to the main terminal in a massive, special-purpose vehicle that's so exclusive I don't even think you can legally drive one on public roads.
(But UA needs to watch out for the value of this service getting diluted--most arriving international passengers also get a ride to customs in one of these magical vehicles.)
(But UA needs to watch out for the value of this service getting diluted--most arriving international passengers also get a ride to customs in one of these magical vehicles.)
Jul 17, 2013, 8:03 pm
#58
Join Date: Jun 2002
Programs: UA 1MM, Marriott LT Plat
Posts: 65
I actually like those Apollo-Class Limos. On a more substantive note, on my one IAD arrival experience on NH, the NH ground staff dedicated a moon buggy for F and C pax only. UA could do the same - expedited transfer from C/D to the C&I area for premium passengers, in an MB (buggy or Benz).
Jul 17, 2013, 9:34 pm
#59
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SJC, SFO, YYC
Programs: AA-EXP, AA-0.41MM, UA-Gold, Ex UA-1K (2006 thru 2015), PMUA-0.95MM, COUA-1.5MM-lite, AF-Silver
Posts: 13,437
Don't look for OTIS to provide free elevators for the shuttle. One of those outfits that provides retrofitted elevators for the home might (i.e. the ones that are a track along an staircase) but I doubt those would pass muster with the regional commercial building inspector.
As far as usefulness, this forum is littered with apocryphia about planes being held for late arriving GSes. Getting those pax to the next flight sooner means fewer late flights.
Jul 17, 2013, 9:48 pm
#60
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Boston
Programs: UA GS MM
Posts: 129
LH runs a smooth operation in FRA. UA will have a lot of logistical challenges in order to match LH, but this trial is a start. Some of the nice things I like about LH:
- At your departure gate, the elevator ride up puts you on the jetbridge. No need to go through the boarding process as your boarding pass was already collected at the FCT prior to the limo ride.
- The FCT has its own passport control.
- The FCT itself. This is beyond the scope of this thread.
Interestingly, in FRA LH uses E-class sedans and Cayennes. GL makes sense. I wonder why UA/MBZ chose S-class instead of E for the trial?
- At your departure gate, the elevator ride up puts you on the jetbridge. No need to go through the boarding process as your boarding pass was already collected at the FCT prior to the limo ride.
- The FCT has its own passport control.
- The FCT itself. This is beyond the scope of this thread.
Interestingly, in FRA LH uses E-class sedans and Cayennes. GL makes sense. I wonder why UA/MBZ chose S-class instead of E for the trial?