Aug 13, 2018, 11:55 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
United Airlines Strengthens Commitment to Top Corporate Customers with Launch of United Corporate Preferred
New exclusive program provides multi-level benefits to airline's top business travelers
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines today debuted United Corporate Preferred, the industry's newest corporate travel program designed to offer top travel benefits to the airline's most loyal business customers. United announced the new program this morning at the Global Business Traveler Association (GBTA) Convention in San Diego.
United Corporate Preferred is a new and exclusive benefits program that provides added perks for the airline's top corporate customers. A multi-level program, United Corporate Preferred offers escalating benefits at three levels, including United Corporate Preferred, United Corporate Preferred Plus and United Corporate Preferred Elite. Eligibility for the new program is determined by a corporation's contract status, revenue contribution and loyalty with United. Eligible corporate agreements include United corporate share agreements, United PassPlus and United Meetings.
"Every day thousands of road warriors are jetting off on United to work events and business meetings all over the world," said Jake Cefolia, United's senior vice president of Worldwide Sales. "We designed our United Corporate Preferred program with the customer's entire travel experience in mind, from booking to landing, to identify opportunities to show our appreciation to our loyal business customers with a program that offers extra perks and travel benefits."
Benefits offered to all United Corporate Preferred customers include:
• Preferred upgrades – tie-breaker preferences for upgrades.
• Preferred standby – prioritization when traveling on standby for a different flight and when waitlisting for a seat in a different cabin or booking class.
• Operational adjustment protection – protection during travel interruptions, as well as seat protection to retain the same or similar seat in the event of an aircraft swap.
• Preferred discounts and offers – eligibility to receive exclusive promotions offered by both United and its partners in the near future.
Customers in the airline's new United Corporate Preferred Elite level will also receive the following:
• Additional travel waiver flexibility – when United has a travel waiver in place, customers will receive additional flexibility to adjust their travel beyond restrictions in place on the standard waiver.
• Preferred boarding – later this year, customers will receive priority boarding in group two.
• Preferred seating – later this year, customers will have access to book designated standard economy seats closer to the front of the plane.
To receive these benefits, tickets must be flown on United or United Express flights, reservations must include the customer's corporate account number at the time of booking, and the travel must be for the corporate customer's business. Companies invited to participate in United Corporate Preferred will receive a tailored webpage with information on benefits eligible to their employees. For more information on the program, visit unitedcorporatepreferred.com.
New exclusive program provides multi-level benefits to airline's top business travelers
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines today debuted United Corporate Preferred, the industry's newest corporate travel program designed to offer top travel benefits to the airline's most loyal business customers. United announced the new program this morning at the Global Business Traveler Association (GBTA) Convention in San Diego.
United Corporate Preferred is a new and exclusive benefits program that provides added perks for the airline's top corporate customers. A multi-level program, United Corporate Preferred offers escalating benefits at three levels, including United Corporate Preferred, United Corporate Preferred Plus and United Corporate Preferred Elite. Eligibility for the new program is determined by a corporation's contract status, revenue contribution and loyalty with United. Eligible corporate agreements include United corporate share agreements, United PassPlus and United Meetings.
"Every day thousands of road warriors are jetting off on United to work events and business meetings all over the world," said Jake Cefolia, United's senior vice president of Worldwide Sales. "We designed our United Corporate Preferred program with the customer's entire travel experience in mind, from booking to landing, to identify opportunities to show our appreciation to our loyal business customers with a program that offers extra perks and travel benefits."
Benefits offered to all United Corporate Preferred customers include:
• Preferred upgrades – tie-breaker preferences for upgrades.
• Preferred standby – prioritization when traveling on standby for a different flight and when waitlisting for a seat in a different cabin or booking class.
• Operational adjustment protection – protection during travel interruptions, as well as seat protection to retain the same or similar seat in the event of an aircraft swap.
• Preferred discounts and offers – eligibility to receive exclusive promotions offered by both United and its partners in the near future.
Customers in the airline's new United Corporate Preferred Elite level will also receive the following:
• Additional travel waiver flexibility – when United has a travel waiver in place, customers will receive additional flexibility to adjust their travel beyond restrictions in place on the standard waiver.
• Preferred boarding – later this year, customers will receive priority boarding in group two.
• Preferred seating – later this year, customers will have access to book designated standard economy seats closer to the front of the plane.
To receive these benefits, tickets must be flown on United or United Express flights, reservations must include the customer's corporate account number at the time of booking, and the travel must be for the corporate customer's business. Companies invited to participate in United Corporate Preferred will receive a tailored webpage with information on benefits eligible to their employees. For more information on the program, visit unitedcorporatepreferred.com.
What benefits do United Corporate Preferred travelers receive?
Specific benefits are listed below. Being a multi-level program, within each benefit in tie-breaker scenarios, United Corporate Preferred Elite travelers receive the highest priority, followed by United Corporate Preferred Plus and then United Corporate Preferred.
Specific benefits are listed below. Being a multi-level program, within each benefit in tie-breaker scenarios, United Corporate Preferred Elite travelers receive the highest priority, followed by United Corporate Preferred Plus and then United Corporate Preferred.
Refunds:
UA says
Refunds for preferred seating purchases are processed automatically after scheduled departure in the event of flight cancellation change, when travel is completed in a standard United Economy seat, or when travel is completed in a seat of equal or greater value through the purchase of a premium cabin seating offer.
In the event of a ticket refund or cancellation, preferred seating purchases will be automatically refunded.
...
If you decide to change your flight, your preferred seating purchase will be automatically refunded. If the ticket is partially used at the time of the change, only the value of unused preferred seating will be refunded.
...
If you decide to change your flight, your preferred seating purchase will be automatically refunded. If the ticket is partially used at the time of the change, only the value of unused preferred seating will be refunded.
MileagePlus Premier® members will receive access to preferred seating, where available, at no additional cost.
Preferred seat refunds (changed flights, upgraded, purchased E+, ...)
New Corporate Preferred (upgrade tiebreaker) / new 'preferred' seating section
Dec 18, 2018, 12:31 pm
#106
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,855
T&Cs for Prefered Seating -- generally nothing unexpected
- A preferred seating selection reserves a seat within the preferred seating area. Specific seat assignments are not guaranteed.
- Any customer-requested changes to any portion of an itinerary will result in loss of preferred seats for the modified segments. Preferred seating may be re-selected, if available, for the revised portions of the itinerary.
- Preferred seating is subject to availability. A preferred seating request is processed based on seat availability at time of request.
- Valid for travel on United and United Express® only. Star Alliance(TM) or marketed codeshare flights do not provide preferred seating.
- Complimentary access is excluded when traveling on Basic Economy tickets. Customers who are traveling on Basic Economy tickets are eligible to purchase preferred seating.
- Offer subject to change without notice.
Dec 18, 2018, 1:50 pm
#107
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: EWR
Programs: UA 1.65M , Platinum, 1K Emeritus, UC Lifetime , HHonors Gold, Presidential Plus card holder
Posts: 697
I see this as an inventory control issue that should improve the experience for Silvers. By charging for them the General Members will stay away and Silvers will have a better selection when booking near the departure date. With fewer upgrades to the premium cabin, E+ is often left with only middle seats at T+24 so Silvers may choose to stay.
Dec 18, 2018, 7:50 pm
#109
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
I'll take it. With status, I don't expect I'll ever have to pay for the seats. I also think that as aircraft like the CRJ and ERJ, that don't really have an E+, that these preferred will be the last to be filled. Probably means that I've just increased my chance of having an empty next to me...Which is a big deal on the CRJ, IMhO.
I already get annoyed when on the CR2s they ask for volunteers in Rows 1 to 3 to sit in the back for weight adjustments, when the GAs filled Rows 2 and 3 with the standbys at the last minute. In that plane, they should sit the standbys back to front.
Dec 18, 2018, 8:11 pm
#110
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: New Jersey
Programs: UA MM 1K, AA MM Gold, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 3,236
Dec 19, 2018, 7:16 am
#111
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: WAS
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, IHG Silver, Hilton Silver, Hertz PC, National Exec Elite, Avis PC
Posts: 1,295
Just noticed this message changed today for one of my spouse's reservations: "Because you're a Premier® Gold member, you're entitled to complimentary Economy Plus® seating for you and 1 companion or preferred seating for you and 8 companions."
Dec 19, 2018, 7:42 am
#112
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,429
that for all aircraft.
Dec 19, 2018, 9:01 am
#113
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 16,901
I can't see much use for me. I always get E+ when planning ahead, Occasionally if I'm making a last minute change during irrops only E- is available, but I'd think that in that call all these seats would already have been filled anyway.
Dec 19, 2018, 9:37 am
#114
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 7
I have to pay to get smacked in the head now
Before, the oversized creature in front of me in economy plus, could just slam his seat back to hit me in the head. Now I see I have to pay $9 to get treated the same, or sit in the middle aisle. Can this airline get any lower on the food chain??/ If one person in United's management were to take a flight on Luftansa and see how a real airline is run, they might understand
Dec 19, 2018, 12:13 pm
#115
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,023
"United President Scott Kirby, a pioneer of seat fees when he was president of US Airways a decade ago, has long said paying different prices for seats on a plane, even if the only perk is getting off sooner than other passengers, is no different than paying higher prices for seats closer to the front at a concert or sporting event.
Brett Snyder, a former airline employee who writes the Cranky Flier blog and runs a travel service called Cranky Concierge, calls that a "completely ridiculous comparison.''
"It's not like you need a view of the pilot here,'' he said."
Not even that - it's not like you need a view of the cockpit door here. And people don't pay for front row seats at a concert or sporting event to get out the door faster.
Quote from:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/skyrocket...020000455.html
Slightly OT: Sat in 738 10C SFO-OGG yesterday afternoon, full flight. Two sisters (standby, late boarders) asked me if I was traveling alone and asked if I would mind switching seats so they could sit together. I said "Maybe, I don't want a middle seat'. Second sister said, "It's an aisle seat". Me - "Which one?". 36D was the response. I think "Sorry, no" came out of my mouth before she got to "D"...
Brett Snyder, a former airline employee who writes the Cranky Flier blog and runs a travel service called Cranky Concierge, calls that a "completely ridiculous comparison.''
"It's not like you need a view of the pilot here,'' he said."
Not even that - it's not like you need a view of the cockpit door here. And people don't pay for front row seats at a concert or sporting event to get out the door faster.
Quote from:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/skyrocket...020000455.html
Slightly OT: Sat in 738 10C SFO-OGG yesterday afternoon, full flight. Two sisters (standby, late boarders) asked me if I was traveling alone and asked if I would mind switching seats so they could sit together. I said "Maybe, I don't want a middle seat'. Second sister said, "It's an aisle seat". Me - "Which one?". 36D was the response. I think "Sorry, no" came out of my mouth before she got to "D"...
Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Dec 19, 2018 at 12:24 pm
Dec 19, 2018, 12:46 pm
#116
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,416
Dec 20, 2018, 5:28 am
#117
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: CLE
Programs: UA:1K 0.81M
Posts: 135
"United President Scott Kirby, a pioneer of seat fees when he was president of US Airways a decade ago, has long said paying different prices for seats on a plane, even if the only perk is getting off sooner than other passengers, is no different than paying higher prices for seats closer to the front at a concert or sporting event.
Not even that - it's not like you need a view of the cockpit door here. And people don't pay for front row seats at a concert or sporting event to get out the door faster.
Not even that - it's not like you need a view of the cockpit door here. And people don't pay for front row seats at a concert or sporting event to get out the door faster.
I fly UA because: former hub CLE captive, 0.6M, corporate contract, they go where I mostly need to go and seem to be a somewhat "adult" of an airline. I had always tried to avoid US because they were full of broken planes, eliminated IFE and trans-atlantic adult beverages,and cheapened everything (except the ticket agents who were awesome because they knew the mess on-going air side). I have a gag reflex at paying, again, for a seat on AA, DL, etc. especially for a still lousy seat that I had to pay big money close-in. Not playing these stupid, cheapening games made it easier to look past other deficiencies and just book the UA ticket.
At least they seem to have stopped hawking the stupid credit card.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...d-pumping.html
Dec 20, 2018, 8:40 am
#118
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Discussions which devolve into false comparisons never go anywhere. If the premise of the thread is "can UA go any lower" OP is asking the wrong question. Rather, he should be asking to be directed to a carrier where he will be less unhappy.
Feb 5, 2019, 12:44 pm
#119
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 142
United Preferred Corporate
Sadly, my gold status expired Janurary 31st and currently have no status. However, my company was selected to participate in United's Corporate Preferred Elite program. Ive read up on its "benefits" but i still can differentiate this program. To me gold status is obviously better with 2 free checked bags, priority group 1 boarding with or without a companion. The "upgrades" listed on the FAQ of CPE is pretty vague.
Does anyone have experience with United Corporate Preferred Elite ?
Does anyone have experience with United Corporate Preferred Elite ?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Feb 5, 2019 at 1:00 pm Reason: removed company specific indentifier in URL
Feb 5, 2019, 12:49 pm
#120
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,157
Corporate Preferred doesn't apply to you as such (like status normally does). It applies to any tickets that you book for business travel via your corporate travel agency.
Some of the benefits are better than you get with status (eg, some of the reaccommodation/waiver options depending on what level of Corporate Preferred your company is).
Some of the benefits are not as good as you get with status (eg, preferred seat selection, but not E+ selection).
Some of the benefits work in conjunction with your status (eg, tie-breaker for upgrades - your status gets you on the upgrade list, but corporate preferred might help improve your location on the list).
Presuming you don't have any status, the main benefits you you will likely be the ability to select Preferred seats (those behind E+, but not E+), and the ability to board with group 2. But again, this will ONLY apply on business tickets, not any personal tickets you buy.
Some of the benefits are better than you get with status (eg, some of the reaccommodation/waiver options depending on what level of Corporate Preferred your company is).
Some of the benefits are not as good as you get with status (eg, preferred seat selection, but not E+ selection).
Some of the benefits work in conjunction with your status (eg, tie-breaker for upgrades - your status gets you on the upgrade list, but corporate preferred might help improve your location on the list).
Presuming you don't have any status, the main benefits you you will likely be the ability to select Preferred seats (those behind E+, but not E+), and the ability to board with group 2. But again, this will ONLY apply on business tickets, not any personal tickets you buy.