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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.”
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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.
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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.