In such a fierce and chaotic industry as tourism and aviation, it is common to see many companies losing focus on numerous objectives and metrics, with some forgetting what might be the most important element in any successful business or enterprise: the customers. Let’s talk about the United Airlines customer experience.
In the case of airlines, passenger satisfaction plays a crucial role, as while the options and competitors may not be as vast and travel is always a necessity, users and their opinions wield significant power in positioning or negatively impacting a brand or airline.
Maintaining a healthy relationship with passengers and providing them with an exceptional experience is a game-changer for any airline. Therefore, in this article, we will explore some actions and strategies implemented by one of the country’s most important airlines and the measures taken to establish itself as a reference within its industry.
5 Customer Experience Strategies from United Airlines
Over the years, United Airlines has positioned itself as an airline with a customer-centric focus. Therefore, it is worth taking a moment to analyze its main strategies, which can undoubtedly serve as inspiration for implementing your initiatives in your project or business.
Some of the most notable strategies are:
Implementation of Innovative Technologies: In a changing and voracious world, adapting to new technologies is crucial. United Airlines knows this very well, so they are always incorporating new technologies at every step of their passenger journey. Clear examples of this include the MyFlight app, an application that provides valuable information to flight attendants to delight their passengers. In this application, they are able to see if a passenger recently celebrated a birthday or joined a new loyalty tier.
Innovation: United introduced its Airshop Innovation Laboratory, a project where dedicated teams venture into the realm of virtual reality, the metaverse, intelligent baggage tags, and a plethora of other emerging technologies.
Knowing their Users and Taking Actions with Them in Mind: United Airlines knows that one of its main target audiences is families. United Airlines has taken significant strides in pursuit of a more family-friendly flying experience. Building upon a recent family seating policy implementation designed to facilitate youngsters under 12 sitting alongside an adult from their group at no additional cost, the airline has now introduced an ingenious seat mapping feature. This dynamic tool swiftly locates available adjacent seats during the booking process, ensuring families can sit together effortlessly.
CX Methodologies: Conducting thorough research and data collection regarding Customer Experience (CX) is invaluable. One effective measure for assessing CX performance is the Net Promoter Score (NPS), which allows them to gain comprehensive insights into the needs and perceptions of their esteemed passengers. These methodologies can be strategically implemented at multiple touchpoints within the passenger journey map, providing a holistic understanding of their experience throughout their travel process.
The Passenger Journey Map of United Airlines
A Passenger Journey Map is a tool often not widely used by all companies related to the mobility, transportation, and tourism world. However, the Passenger Journey Map is essential for airlines because it offers a deep understanding of the customer experience, helping them identify pain points, areas for improvement, and opportunities to enhance passenger satisfaction.
In this visual representation, it is possible to place not only the touchpoints of their consumers but also enrich them with valuable information previously collected or highlight sections that require special attention.
Below is an example of how a basic Passenger Journey Map would look based on the most common actions implemented by United Airlines to understand this concept better.
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Table 01: AWARENESS
| Touchpoint | Activity | Pain Point | Solution |
| Search Online (SEO) | Customers discover United Airlines through online searches. | Limited visibility in search results. | Optimize SEO strategies to improve search engine rankings. |
| Content Marketing (Blog) | Customers find United Airlines’ blog content. | Lack of engaging and informative content. | Produce high-quality blog posts about travel tips and experiences. |
| Magazine Advertising | Customers see United Airlines ads in magazines. | Limited exposure to magazine readership. | Target relevant magazines with large and engaged readerships. |
| Pay per Click Campaigns | Customers click on United Airlines’ PPC ads. | Irrelevant or misleading ad content. | Design PPC campaigns with accurate and enticing ad content. |
| Product Placement in Movies or Series | Customers notice United Airlines in media. | Difficulty in making a memorable brand appearance. | Strategically integrate the brand into popular media for better recognition. |
| TV Advertising | Customers view United Airlines’ TV commercials. | Ad avoidance or inability to reach the target audience. | Place TV ads during high viewership periods for maximum reach. |
Table 02: CONVERSION
| Touchpoint | Activity | Pain Point | Solution |
| Website User Friendly | Customers find United Airlines’ website user-friendly. | Difficulty navigating the website. | Improve website design and navigation for a seamless user experience. |
| Flight Sites | Customers book flights through United Airlines’ partner sites. | Inconvenience in finding the best flight deals. | Offer competitive prices and deals on partner flight booking sites. |
| Points of Sale | Customers purchase tickets at United Airlines’ physical points of sale. | Limited accessibility to physical sales locations. | Increase points of sale and promote their availability. |
| Apps | Customers use United Airlines’ apps for flight booking and management. | Uncertainty about app features and usability. | Enhance app functionalities and user interface for easy navigation. |
Table 03: LOYALTY
| Touchpoint | Activity | Pain Point | Solution |
| MileagePlus (Loyalty Program) | Customers enroll and engage in the MileagePlus loyalty program. | Perceived lack of rewards and benefits. | Enhance loyalty program perks and introduce tier-based rewards. |
| United Credit Card | Customers utilize the United Airlines credit card for rewards. | Lack of understanding of credit card benefits. | Educate customers about maximizing mileage rewards with the credit card. |
Table 04: ADVOCACY
| Touchpoint | Activity | Pain Point | Solution |
| Apps | Customers share positive experiences with United Airlines’ apps. | Limited incentives to share app experiences. | Encourage customers to share app experiences through rewards or referral programs. |
| Incentivize Online Reviews | Customers write positive reviews about United Airlines. | Unwillingness to leave reviews without incentives. | Offer incentives or rewards for customers who leave positive online reviews. |
Create your own Passenger Journey Map
With SuiteCX by QuestionPro; you have access to the most powerful customer journey mapping software in the market, making it easy to visualize your persona-based journey. Choose from over 20 different mapping visualization templates to find the best fit for your customer’s experience. SuiteCX empowers you to use words, iconography, and images to create each persona-based map, enabling you to build more compelling customer journey maps.
By using SuiteCX, you can make informed decisions about improving customer interaction and creating a seamless and satisfying journey for your customers. This tool takes Customer Journey Mapping to a whole new level of power, usefulness, and value for your business, so start using it today.
