Author Archives: See Below

United Airlines: Robert Rivkin Named SVP and General Counsel

Leave a reply

CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — United Airlines today named transportation industry veteran Robert S. Rivkin senior vice president and general counsel. For the last three decades, Rivkin has drawn on his exceptional legal skills while serving in leadership positions in the airline industry, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and local government.  Rivkin brings this unique background and extraordinary skill set to a top role at one of the world’s leading airlines. At United, he will be responsible for all legal matters, as well as ethics, compliance, government contracting and security. Rivkin will report to Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Brett Hart.

“Bob’s distinguished career in public service, the legal community and the airline industry make him an ideal fit for this critical role on our United team. He’s a proven leader who will make an immediate impact as we work to fulfill United’s incredible potential,” said United Airlines Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz.

Rivkin is no stranger to the commercial aviation industry, having served as deputy general counsel for Delta Air Lines from 2013 to 2016. Prior to joining Delta, he served as general counsel for the DOT from 2009 to 2013, where he was sworn in following a unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Currently, Rivkin serves as the deputy mayor of the City of Chicago.  He has also worked in private law practice and as a federal prosecutor.

Rivkin graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College, and received a juris doctorate degree from Stanford Law School, where he was an associate editor of the Stanford Law Review. Rivkin and his wife of more than 30 years have three children. Rivkin’s last day as Chicago’s deputy mayor will be February 28, and he will start his new role at United the week of March 18.

Every customer. Every flight. Every day.

In 2019, United is focusing more than ever on its commitment to its customers, looking at every aspect of its business to ensure that the carrier keeps customers’ best interests at the heart of its service. In addition to today’s announcement, United recently released a re-imagined version of the most downloaded app in the airline industry and made DIRECTV free for every passenger on 211 aircraft, offering more than 100 channels on seat back monitors on more than 30,000 seats. The multimillion-dollar investment in improving inflight entertainment options will benefit the more than 29 million people expected to fly United’s DIRECTV-enabled planes this year.

About United

United’s shared purpose is “Connecting People. Uniting the World.” We are more focused than ever on our commitment to customers through a series of innovations and improvements designed to help build a great experience: Every customer. Every flight. Every day. Together, United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,800 flights a day to 353 airports across five continents. In 2018, United and United Express operated more than 1.7 million flights carrying more than 158 million customers. United is proud to have the world’s most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 770 mainline aircraft and the airline’s United Express carriers operate 559 regional aircraft. United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter and Instagram or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United’s parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “UAL”.

 

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-airlines-taps-industry-veteran-for-senior-role-robert-rivkin-named-svp-and-general-counsel-300800151.html

SOURCE United Airlines

Related Photos:
Photo,

United Airlines Argues It Can Block Expedia From Future Fares as Standoff Persists

Leave a reply

United Airlines is within its rights to cut off Expedia from selling tickets for flights after October due to a contractural dispute, the carrier said Friday in a federal court filing, a reply to what it called a “meritless” lawsuit filed by the online travel agency earlier this month.

In a complaint filed Feb. 4 in federal court in New York, Expedia acknowledged its contract with United ends Sept. 30, but said it may sell whatever tickets it wants until then, even for flights that depart late this year or early in 2020. United said is contractually permitted to stop Expedia from selling post-September flights if it wants, so it can have an “orderly wind-down” of the business relationship.

“Limiting ticketing authority to flights that depart during the duration of the parties’ contract is a common-sense solution to an obvious and impeding problem, and a solution that is entirely permissible and appropriate under the parties’ contract,” United said in its reply.

An Expedia spokeswoman could not immediately be reached for comment despite multiple attempts. In its complaint, Expedia said, “While United may ultimately choose to enter into a new commercial agreement with Expedia when the term of the current agreement ends, it has no right to breach the existing agreement and to unilaterally inflict harm on Expedia and its customers as a negotiating tactic.”

At one point, United had threatened to turn off Expedia’s access as soon as this month, but both companies said Feb. 8 that United would hold off as the litigation played out. 

What’s at Issue

Neither United nor Expedia has said much in public court documents about what’s behind the contract dispute, though Expedia said in its complaint United expressed dissatisfaction with the “economic terms” of the agreement in 2017.

It is possible this will be a temporarily blip as the sides work out their differences. Or it could be a long-term problem, with United’s fares disappearing from Expedia for the foreseeable future.

Regardless, United said, it is not practical for Expedia to sell tickets for post-contract travel. Some flights will need to be changed or canceled, United said, but Expedia will not be able to do so beginning in October. Customers will be confused, and could take out their anger on the airline and Expedia.

In its reply, United argued this is part of Expedia’s strategy. The company, United alleged, may want to sell as many tickets as possible before the contract ends, so it can have more leverage on a new agreement.

“Recognizing that United now intends to walk away from Expedia upon the Sept. 30, 2019 expiration of their contractual relationship, Expedia has resorted to litigation to maximize the number of Expedia customers holding United tickets for flights after the expiration of the parties’ contract,” United said in its reply. “The reason is simple: Expedia hopes that the frustration, disruption, and expense that would otherwise result to these customers will force United to continue working with it after the contract expires.”

United said it had been open to a new deal, but accused Expedia of being an unwilling participant.

“Expedia refused to negotiate,” the filing said, “even as Expedia customers began in greater numbers to book flights set to depart after their contract expired—and even though Expedia, with ample opportunity to protect its customers, now claims it will be irreparably harmed by not being able to service these same customers.”

In the complaint, Expedia said otherwise, telling the court it had pursued a comprehensive negotiation on a new agreement.

The following is United’s answer to the Expedia complaint:

Download (PDF, 166KB)

Winter storm stretching across much of U.S. brings crashes, air travel woes

Leave a reply

A massive winter storm created travel and commuting trouble for almost 200 million people in as many as 39 states Wednesday.

The system dumped rain, snow and ice across the South, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and southern New England.

By 12:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, almost 2,000 flights had been canceled and more than 2,700 flights had been delayed, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.

New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday reported 316 canceled flight arrivals and departures; LaGuardia Airport had 255 cancellations; and Newark Liberty International Airport reported 205 canceled flights.

In Nebraska, several people were injured, including one with life-threatening injuries, after crashes involving nine semis and two passenger vehicles, and the weather played a role, the state patrol said.

Two tractor-trailers crashed and jackknifed on Interstate 80 in Hamilton County around 9 a.m. Wednesday, and other vehicles, including a Jeep Cherokee, were involved in a chain reaction crash. Then a pair of semis came upon that crash scene and were unable to stop and one struck the other, pushing it into the Jeep, the state patrol said.

A passenger in the Jeep, Jason Palmer, 29, of Indiana, was airlifted to a hospital in Kearney with life threatening injuries, according to the agency. The driver of the Jeep was treated and released, and a semi’s driver also suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the state patrol said.

Snow and a wintry mix is expected to hit the northern mid-Atlantic states and the Great Lakes and Northeast on Wednesday evening, and rain is expected across much of the Deep South through Friday evening, the National Weather Service said.

Flash flood watches stretched from western Tennessee and northern Mississippi to northern Georgia and in parts of West Virginia, and winter weather advisories or warnings covered a swath of the nation from northern Minnesota to Maine.

More than 10 inches of snow was reported in parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the Minneapolis area saw more than 8 inches, according to the weather service. In parts of central and Pennsylvania, ice between 0.12 inches and 0.25 inches was reported Wednesday evening. Parts of Mississippi had gotten around 3 inches of rain over 24 hours as of Wednesday afternoon.

Parts of Connecticut, the New York City metro area and New Jersey were under a winter weather advisory through 6 a.m. Thursday, the agency said.

Residents and snow plows clear snow off roads and sidewalks in Omaha, Neb., on Feb. 20, 2019, after an overnight winter storm.Nati Harnik / AP

Even before the storm arrived Wednesday, officials were calling for caution. In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency effective at 5 a.m. Wednesday. “We are urging residents of New Jersey to drive with caution and use their best judgment during this time,” he said in a statement.

New York City’s Emergency Management Department also issued an advisory. “We are expecting snow and sleet to develop in the afternoon, causing for a messy evening commute,” emergency management commissioner Joseph Esposito said in a statement. “We advise you to use mass transit, give yourself extra travel time and exercise caution.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf urged motorists to stay home. “This storm could bring with it a travel mess, and so I encourage everyone who can stay off the roads to do so tomorrow.” All Philadelphia public schools were closed Wednesday.

The state’s Department of Transportation issued a commercial vehicle ban for certain roads that was to last “through the storm,” according to a statement.

Winter weather forecast for Feb 20, 2019.NOAA

The sub-freezing temperatures also prompted preparations for the homeless.

In Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras J. Baraka announced the activation of a “Code Blue” alert that signals sub-freezing temperatures and the opening of emergency shelters. In Washington, city officials declared a “cold emergency” and asked residents to report homeless people in need of shelter.

In the snowy Midwest, the roads proved treacherous for drivers.

The Nebraska State Patrol said Wednesday afternoon that in the last 24 hours, troopers responded to 30 crashes, including the large one involving tractor-trailers near Aurora, and 166 calls to assist motorists, and other calls. The total number of weather-related events handled by the patrol was more than 200, the agency said.

The Minnesota State Patrol tweeted that it responded to 140 crashes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, 16 of which involved injuries but none of which were serious. It said 216 vehicles spun out or went off the road, and three semis jackknifed. It urged people to slow down and increase following distances.

Snow falls at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Feb. 20, 2019.Daniel Slim / AFP – Getty Images

Although hundreds of flights were canceled Wednesday, the travel headache caused by the storm had already affected air travelers Tuesday.

American Airlines issued a “travel alert” and canceled 280 flights, mostly involving smaller aircraft that use regional airports, scheduled for Wednesday.

Southwest Airlines warned in a statement of delayed, diverted or canceled flights in the Ohio Valley and in the Northeast on Wednesday. Travelers using airports in Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia and Washington could be affected, the airline said.

And in Washington, Ronald Reagan National Airport appeared to suggest that travelers think twice about flying at all. “Several airlines have waived change fees for customers wishing to proactively rebook their flight to avoid tomorrow’s winter storm,” the airport tweeted.

“Travel anymore is not easy, so you expect the unexpected,” Stacy Flye, who was trying to get home from Reagan airport to Florida, told the Associated Press. “And you know, we knew the weather was going to be bad, but sometimes you just have to take your chances.”

Dennis Romero writes for NBC News and is based in Los Angeles.

Kalhan Rosenblatt

Kalhan Rosenblatt is a reporter for NBC News, based in New York.

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

PwC Bermuda to offset air travel, energy use

Leave a reply

Jonathan Kent, Business Editor

  • Broad commitment: environmental organisations hope others follow PwC Bermuda’s example (Graphic by PwC Bermuda)

  • Arthur Wightman, PwC Bermuda leader

Related Stories

PwC Bermuda is to shrink its environmental impact through a combination of efficient practices and a commitment to offset 100 per cent of its air travel emissions and energy consumption.

A carbon offset is a way to compensate for emissions by funding an equivalent carbon dioxide saving elsewhere.

Environmental organisations and the Government voiced support for PwCs actions and expressed hopes that other companies would follow suit.

Arthur Wightman, PwC Bermuda leader, said: Climate change and resource scarcity are major forces shaping our future. Without real and lasting global action, average temperatures are predicted by scientists to increase by more than two degrees Celsius, a threshold at which they believe potentially irreversible environmental changes will occur.

Our people rightly demand that we take a leadership position in this area.

Avoiding or reducing emissions associated with our energy use is the starting point of our strategy. Over the course of the last few years we have taken many actions to reduce our absolute carbon impact.

In late 2017, PwC moved into new offices on the fourth floor of Washington House, on Church Street, an upgrade that helped the firm reduce its carbon footprint by half.

We continue to work hard to drive this down further through elimination of single-use plastic at our office and events, digitising our processes and recycling, Mr Wightman said.

While our priority is reducing our absolute carbon impact, offsetting is an important part of our strategy to mitigate the impact of our unavoidable emissions. The greatest impacts from operating our business come from the energy we use to power our offices and our air travel.

This is why we have decided to take the extra steps of offsetting air travel emissions and to sourcing renewables for our electricity consumption wherever possible and offsetting residual energy use.

We believe business has a key role to play in solving societal challenges alongside other stakeholders. These commitments are, for us, a recognition of the need to accelerate the pace of change. Individual business commitments, collectively, will make a critical difference to that.

Walter Roban, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Home Affairs, praised PwCs environmental efforts.

These initiatives are all very meaningful, tackling a broad range of environmental issues from the reduction in energy and paper usage to the elimination of single-use plastics in the workplace, Mr Roban said.

These business practices provide excellent examples of what can be done to reduce human impacts on the natural world, while at the same time improving the work environment for employees and business efficiencies.

The Government was committed to eliminating single-use plastics by 2022 and had also pledged to promote energy conservation and use more renewable energy, he added.

We hope more companies will implement an efficiency plan such as that of PwC Bermuda, Mr Roban said.

Eugene Dean, Greenrock chairman, said PwCs environmental commitments proved that the actions required to address climate change and reduce our impact on the environment were diverse, achievable and accessible to us all.

Changing mindsets requires leadership and PwCs willingness to act means that they now possess the potential to inspire countless others to do the same, Mr Dean said.

Some actions require us to change simple behaviours while others require sizeable investments that reap benefits over time. Some actions may seem far less convenient initially, however we ultimately derive satisfaction from the knowledge that we are doing something inherently good.

At Greenrock, we focus on education that encourages conscientiousness and inspires action that leads to positive change.

Kim Smith, BEST executive director, said her organisation aimed to promote the idea of human activities being designed and carried out in harmony with nature and not in competition with it.

I am absolutely convinced that a disregard for the impact of our activities on the environment will come back to haunt us, Ms Smith said.

She added: BEST applauds the good example of PwC as they work to make tangible changes to their processes and policies, in recognition of the impact on the environment of their business activities. Their willingness to take a lead role with this initiative is a reflection of their corporate values, and employees of PwC can be proud to work for such a socially conscious and committed organisation.

Anne Hyde, Keep Bermuda Beautiful executive director, said: We applaud PwC for taking the lead and setting the example to sustainably reduce solid waste and eliminate single-use plastics from their office and PwC events.

During the Americas Cup finals in Bermuda in 2017, PwC and KBB were represented on the Legacy and Sustainability Committee.

Ms Hyde said: We were shoved onto the worlds stage to produce Bermudas biggest event which was set to the highest standards for economic, social and environmental sustainability.

PwC picked up the ball and ran with it, and we are delighted to see, they are still running with it. PwC staff have educated themselves on concepts that might normally fall outside the realm of chartered accountants.

We hope that this will be a catalyst for more businesses to follow suit.

Any local businesses can contact KBB for assistance with matters including waste reduction, reuse and recycling, Ms Hyde added.

The PwC global network has joined the RE100 initiative of over 150 global businesses dedicated to growing the global demand for renewable energy, led by The Climate Group, an international non-profit, whose mission is accelerating climate action.

In selecting carbon-offsetting investments, PwC member firms will aim to reflect local priorities. Its offsets are verified by an independent third party to an established standard or protocol.

We may submit local projects to vet for future investment, PwC added.

Through these projects, PwC globally is projected to have collectively impacted nearly three million people worldwide, protected or restored 656,000 hectares of forest, generated 209,000 MWh of clean energy and created over 570 new full-time jobs.

Bob Moritz, global chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd, said: The worlds current economic model is pushing beyond the limits of the planets ability to cope. And healthy environmental ecosystems are critical to healthy economies. Its time to accelerate the pace of change.

PwC Bermudas environmentally friendly features and culture includes the following.

Energy-efficient features: central energy management system, energy recovery ventilators, groundwater cooling for 24-hour data rooms, central atrium for natural lighting in offices, rainwater collection for over half of potable water supply, low-e glazing coated with SolarBan 60 for low solar heat gain.

Plastics: No single-use plastic items in our office kitchens; no single-use plastic water bottles at PwC Bermuda corporate and social events; we build awareness of the plastics issue among our employees and encourage behaviours that help tackle plastic pollution, including recycling, reusing, and annual park and beach clean-ups.

Paper: shift towards using less paper and more information in digital format, energy-efficient printers set to default to double-sided printing, office paper, paper waste and printing cartridges all recycled, central recycling hubs for all office waste with all desk-side trash bins removed.

Electronics: laptops and mobile phones returned when employees leave the firm are reused, refurbish and donate disused laptops and equipment, we only hand out IT accessories (mice, laptop bags, etc) on request, encouraging our people to use those already issued.

Technology: our adoption of Google Gmail and the G Suite of tools in 2018 enables us to work in a more agile, efficient and innovative way. Teams can easily connect with one another online or on their mobile phones using Google Hangouts, allowing our people to take advantage of work-from-home and flex-time policies as well as reduce international business travel.

For more information on PwCs approach to corporate responsibility, visit https://tinyurl.com/y6adp5eo


Published Feb 22, 2019 at 8:00 am
(Updated Feb 22, 2019 at 3:14 pm)



Winter weather disrupts air travel in mid-Atlantic – WAVY

Leave a reply







WASHINGTON (AP) — A winter storm is disrupting air travel in the mid-Atlantic region.

FlightAware.com shows Reagan National Airport leading the country in cancellations Wednesday morning, with 37 percent of departures and 33 percent of arrivals canceled.

Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is seeing about 32 percent of departures and 31 percent of arrivals canceled. Dulles International Airport is seeing about 26 percent of departures and 23 percent of arrivals canceled.

Christina Saull, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates Reagan and Dulles, says many airlines canceled flights ahead of the storm. Still, Saull says the runways are open and flights are taking off.

BWI spokesman Jonathan Dean says the snow team has been treating and clearing the airfield and despite delays and cancellations, flights are continuing.

The winter storms effects caused several departing and arriving flights at Norfolk International Airport to be delayed or cancelled Wednesday morning.

Breaking Travel News interview: Bob Schumacher, managing director, UK & Ireland, United Airlines

Leave a reply

It took a while, but the recovery is taking shape at United Airlines.

After the deluge of negative publicity surrounding the forced removal of David Dao from a flight from Chicago to Louisville in 2017 and the unfortunate death of a passenger’s pet dog – Kokito – a year later, the US carrier has managed to stem the tide of negative headlines.

All staff have been undergoing what the company calls core4 training in order to better understand the needs of guests, while there has also been a sharp uptick in on-time performance.

Speaking to Breaking Travel News in London, Bob Schumacher, managing director for the UK Ireland at United Airlines, is keen to present 2019 as a fresh start.

“We have a message to share, in terms of a healthy airline, one that is making healthy profits and one that has a story to tell,” he explains.

The new Polaris business class offering has been well-received

With United reporting pre-tax earnings of $2.7 billion last year, the carrier does indeed seem to have turned the page.

A large part of this has been down to a renewed focus on premium passengers – those who make up a big percentage of revenue at any full-service airline.

Later this year United will roll-out its new Premium Plus product, premier economy seating for passengers with budgets just below business class.

This is in addition to the revamped top-end product, Polaris, that has been well received among passengers following its launch a couple of years ago.

As Schumacher continues: “United Airlines has a strong message in 2019, focusing on the increase in premium seats that we are bringing to market, including here in the UK and across Europe.

“The includes the Polaris business class, which has been out now for a while, but is rolling-out across the fleet at a pace of one aircraft every ten days, and, of course, the new Premium Plus, our premium economy seat.

“This is a new product for us in the UK, three rows of seats within the cabin that will have a differentiated service, and it is part of us responding to the marketplace.

“We have seen the premium market being very strong, and we have spilt a lot of passengers here and there, and we don’t like doing that, particularly if they are of the premium sort.

“People have been coming to us, choosing United, and we have not had enough seats in the premium cabin for that – this is our response.”

New Premium Plus seats are the latest addition to the United fleet

In total 21 Boeing 767s are being reconfigured to carry the new Polaris and Premium Plus offering, with these planes set to offer a total of 46 premium seats.

“This is an ideal time for us reconfigure this sub-fleet, those 21 aircraft, as they roll out by the end of September, headed to dedicated destinations, including here in London, as well as New York,” adds Schumacher.

In the tail of the plane, United has also been recalibrating its offering to cater to an emerging, price-savvy generation of travellers.

The new Basic Economy fare seeks to match the price offered by low-cost, long-haul carriers, but to include a superior service.

“This is something you are seeing across all walks of life – you have the young, new traveller, who is price sensitive and has been brought up on Southwest Airlines and Ryanair,” continues Schumacher.

“They have an expectation on a price point, and they are willing to travel without their kitchen sink.

“We have seen the low-cost carries evolve into medium- and long-haul and offer those price points.

“What we did initially, as an industry, was ignore it, but we have now realised it is a significant market in size.

“With Basic Economy we keep the quality of service, in terms of meals and drinks, seat assignment, but also to strip out everything else.

“There has been a real segmentation onboard that aeroplane – at some point we will end up with individual seats with your name embroidered on it,” he jokes.

United has renewed its focus on premium passengers

With a number of low-cost, long-haul carriers – including flag-bearer Norwegian – facing financial trouble, Schumacher is keen to point to the strengths of diversification.

“This unquestionably makes these routes sustainable for us,” he explains.

“Of course, there are many variables, but offering services to 160 million customers a year through several key hubs, which ebb and flow through like a beating heart, is a key to our success.

“Having the right sized fleet, not a uniformed fleet, for the right route and the differentiation of the number of business seats we offer in a market, are real strengths.

“Corporate customers will want their passengers turning up at the other end capable of doing their business – and that is never really going to be offered by a low-cost carrier.”

He adds: “Low-cost carriers, I am sure, had their business case built on metrics that they thought were sufficient to serve their purpose on long-haul routes, we would argue that the ingredients we have are what make us successful.

“Connectivity is key to that – point-to-point works in primary markets, but once you go into secondary, tertiary markets, you will find you need to go through hubs that feed frequency.”

United has recovered from a deluge of negative headlines

Of course, no conversation about aviation in the UK in 2019 would be complete without mention of Brexit and the potential for the UK’s departure from the EU to disrupt the sector.

But here Schumacher is sanguine.

“As a United States-based carrier, with Open Skies with the UK signed, there will be normal operations whatever happens at the end of March,” he explains.

“This is perhaps more of a leisure market issue for travellers in Europe, but we will continue to operate the following day, whichever day that might be.

“It is no different to an election cycle.

“If the pound were to rally, that would also be useful, as we would see more travellers looking to visit the United States.”

Looking ahead there are no new United routes set to debut in the UK in 2019, but several summer services will return.

“We are returning to Denver, with our summer only slot out of London Heathrow, while Manchester will go wide-body for the first time in many years, with a Boeing 767 flying to New York,” explains Schumacher.

“Edinburgh-Washington will also return this summer, after a successful launch last year, as well as Chicago and New York from Scotland.

“We are also celebrating 21-years out of Glasgow to New York.”

The image Schumacher is keen to present is of an airline comfortable with where it is and enthusiastic about where it is going, having put recent troubles behind it.

He concludes: “United tends to reflect what is happening in the wider economy, as we connect business, and the US economy, where we sell 70 per cent of our corporate tickets, is very strong at present.

“We are in a very strong revenue environment, with low unemployment and economic growth, while the strong relationship between the United Kingdom and United States endures – we are set fair.”

More Information

United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,700 flights a day to 356 airports across five continents.

The carrier claims the most comprehensive route network in the world, including US mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark/New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

Find out more on the official website.

United’s ultra-elite, secretive frequent flier status: Global Services

Leave a reply

TravelSkills on SFGate is brought to you by Visa

.

In this era of diminishing legroom, higher checked baggage fees and basic economy fares, an elite group of frequent fliers will never have to contend with any of that. They are members of United Airlines’ quasi-secretive Global Services program, a loyalty status chock full of enviable perks and benefits many fliers will never see.

The status ranks above the four published MileagePlus tiers (Premier Silver, Gold, Platinum and 1K). American Airlines’s ConciergeKey and Delta Air Lines’s Delta 360 are the comparable super-secret VIP programs for those carriers.

These prestigious statuses are a bit of a mystery, and airlines are reticent to talk about them.

“Our Global Services program is by invitation,” an United Airlines spokesperson said. “Since it’s not a published tier of our loyalty program, we don’t publicize this level or the qualification/benefits.”

There’s a general consensus that Global Services members are comprised of the airline’s highest spenders, and it’s also understood that some of United’s most lucrative corporate clients get the status.

The membership is good for one year, and there’s never a guarantee it will be renewed the following year. United needs to invite you back.

“To the best of my knowledge, it’s about how much you spend on first or full-fare international business,” said a Boston-based United Global Services flier who declined to be named for this story. “Most spend plus or minus $50,000 a year on tickets.”

The only published means of getting Global Services status is by flying 4 million miles — roughly 160 times around the earth — on United Airlines or United Express flights. That’ll get you the status for life.

Global Services Benefits

From the moment they arrive at the airport until they leave, Global Services fliers (or just “GS” as insiders say) are pampered with personal attention and preferential treatment. Only members know the full list of benefits that come with the status, but through interviews and our own TravelSkills sleuthing, we’ve been able to compile a few:

They visit special check-in areas at some of United’s hub airports (including at San Francisco International Airport- see the slideshow at the top for a look inside). After dropping off checked bags, they immediately exit these reception areas into the nearest TSA PreCheck lane where they’re first to clear security — jumping ahead of others in the queue.

Since Global Services members are frequently flying on international business class tickets, they get their pick of lounges to visit before flights —although they do not receive complimentary United Club memberships.

These fliers board planes first (meaning they’ll never need to fruitlessly search for overhead bin space), get their first choice of meals, and have an easier time clearing upgrades. (Read more about United’s new boarding process here.)

Special United Global Services airport agents (you can spot them easily because they wear gold ties or handkerchiefs) look after these VIP passengers. They track their flights, monitor connection times, and proactively tend to delays and cancellations before they become headaches for the flier.

These agents frequently meet Global Services passengers at the gate once their planes have landed to greet them, or to whisk them to another gate if they have a tight connection.

If time is of the utmost essence, United will oftentimes send a Mercedes S-class sedan or GL-class SUV for a chauffeured gate-to-gate transfer via the airfield at its hub airports. (See slideshow at the top for a look at one of these cars.)

The real benefits of the status come through when unforeseen things happen, members said. They get access to a special phone number to call when they need to rebook or re-route itineraries. Global Services members are seldom placed on hold.

“The number one most cherished benefit is when there are irregular operations,” said the Boston-based Global Services member. “United fixes it, and they fix it proactively. They do everything in their power to do something.”

Don’t miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our free bi-weekly TravelSkills email alerts!

The flier remembered one such instance when his flight out of Shanghai was delayed because of a mechanical problem onboard the plane.

“The Global Services employee boarded the plane, came up to me, and whispered in my ear: the crew doesn’t know this yet, but we are going to cancel the flight. But I’ve booked you on the last business class seat available on another flight home,” the flier remembers the agent saying.

“Everyone else is flying home in coach or staying overnight.”

Who are these people?

The Global Services membership roster — from what we’ve been able to glean — is comprised mostly of those who fly for work for multinational companies or organizations with generous travel budgets. Most travel for business on paid, full-fare, front-of-the-airplane international tickets. Some well-heeled loyal United fliers actually pay this airfare out-of-pocket.

For reference, a round-trip, full-fare, business class flight in mid-March between San Francisco and London on United runs about $19,712.

Many members look at Global Services as a personal achievement, but some don’t even know they have it.

“There’s a bunch of Global Services members that have very large contracts with United that are granted a number of Global Services slots as a thank you for doing business,” the Boston flier said. “Some of those executives fly United, and they don’t know what Global Services is.”

But, “they don’t dislike it.”

If you don’t have Global Services status and you think you deserve it, you’ll have a tough time getting it. United and other airlines employ a “don’t call us, we’ll call you” attitude when it comes to doling out the coveted secret statuses. One place to start, though, would be via your company’s corporate travel manager or travel agency, which have access to your spending and connections to airline sale representatives.

Do you have Global Services or another ultra-elite status or know someone who does? Tell us about it in the comments. 

Read all recent TravelSkills posts here

Get twice-per-week updates from TravelSkills via email! Sign up here

Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission.  You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.

United Airlines ‘deeply saddened’ at death of passenger on flight between Germany and US

Leave a reply

Video

United Airlines ‘deeply saddened’ at death of passenger on flight between Germany and US

United Airlines is extending its condolences to the family of a woman who passed away on a flight from Germany to New Jersey.

United Airlines is extending its condolences to the family of a woman who passed away on a flight from Germany to New Jersey on Wednesday, forcing the aircraft to divert to an airport in Ireland.

“United Flight 961 traveling from Frankfurt to Newark diverted to Shannon due to a medical emergency onboard. Medical personnel met the aircraft at the gate. We are deeply saddened to learn that our customer passed away and we are assisting the family,” the airline confirmed in a statement obtained by Fox News.

MAN SAYS GUN WAS STOLEN FROM AIRPORT BAGGAGE CAROUSEL: ‘THIS IS A NIGHTMARE’

The passenger, identified as a 71-year-old woman, is reported to have suffered a cardiac arrest, according to the Irish Sun. However, a “post-mortem examination” will be conducted at a hospital in Limerick.

Passengers aboard the plane say the cabin crew attempted to resuscitate the woman, administering oxygen and utilizing a defibrillator. Adam Lisberg, who spoke to the Sun, said “a number of people” attempted to perform CPR for between 30 and 40 minutes.

“It’s a sad story but everyone did what they could,” Lisberg told the Sun. “The pilots also did a great job with the landing under the circumstances.”

TAMPA AIRPORT INVESTIGATES THREATS MADE ON MAYOR’S HACKED TWITTER ACCOUNT

Emergency medical crews met the flight at the Shannon Airport upon landing. The woman was relocated to the University Hospital Limerick, the Limerick Leader confirmed.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Passengers continued on to Newark following the incident, arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport approximately three and a half hours past schedule, the Independent reported.

Government announces free air travel for paramilitary forces to Kashmir

Leave a reply

NEW DELHI: Personnel of the paramilitary forces deployed in the Kashmir Valley for counter-terror operations have been entitled by the government on Thursday to take commercial flights to either join duty or go on leave, in the wake of the killing of 40 jawans in a deadly attack on their convoy in Pulwama.

The Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order saying it “has approved the entitlement of air travel on Delhi-Srinagar, Srinagar-Delhi, Jammu-Srinagar and Srinagar-Jammu sectors to all the personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs)”.

This includes, the order said, their journey for joining duty, transfer, tour or going on leave.

Till now, officers in the rank of Inspectors and above were given this air travel facility.

As many as 65,000 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel are deployed in the state as part of 65 battalions apart from units of the Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Central Industrial Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal and the National Security Guard present in the Kashmir valley for rendering a variety of roles in the internal security grid.

The decision of the government comes in the wake of the February 14 Pulwama attack in which 40 personnel of the CRPF were killed when a explosives-laden vehicle was blown off by a JeM terrorist, near a force bus that was plying between Jammu-Srinagar as part of a convoy.

Questions were raised as to why these troops are not allowed to travel by air so that the risk and threat of travelling on road, in large convoys in the Kashmir Valley, is eliminated.

A senior official said jawans and sub-officers, the ranks who were killed in the suicide attack in Pulwama, will now be able to book tickets in regular commercial flights and claim reimbursement from their organisation or force for this travel to and from Kashmir.

The home ministry said the new facility is “in addition” to the existing air courier services for CAPFs where an entire aircraft is booked for the force personnel from either Delhi or Jammu to Srinagar and back.

A statement on Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s official Twitter handle said the decision will “immediately benefit approximately 7.8 lakh paramilitary personnel of the ranks of constable, head constable and assistant sub-inspector who were otherwise not eligible earlier”.

The ministry said that for the Jammu and Kashmir sector, an air courier service was already available for CAPFs jawans and this was extended in December, 2017 to cover more routes like: Delhi-Jammu, Jammu-Srinagar, Srinagar-Jammu and Jammu-Delhi.

“The number of flights were further extended in December, 2018. In addition, air support is provided from the Indian Air Force as and when required,” it said in a statement.

A senior official said the step will allow more and more personnel to undertake air travel to and from Kashmir but the requirement of running convoys of the security forces cannot be brought to zero.