United Airlines is introducing a new feature that allows friends and family to combine their frequent flyer miles. This move is aimed at increasing brand preference and engagement among less-frequent to moderately frequent travelers and their families.
The new feature, which United Airlines launched on Thursday, allows members of its MileagePlus loyalty program to pool their frequent flyer miles and use them for trips on United. A “pool leader” can select up to four family members or friends to participate in the joint account. While the pool leader must be at least 18 years old, pool members can be any age, allowing families to utilize their children’s miles for tickets.
Customers will still have their own individual MileagePlus accounts and can choose how much they want to contribute to the pool. Once the miles are in the pool, they cannot be withdrawn, ensuring a commitment from participants. The pooled miles can be redeemed for flights and other products on United’s website or app.
United Airlines is not the first airline to offer loyalty points pooling. JetBlue Airways allows up to seven customers to pool frequent flyer miles, while Frontier Airlines permits up to eight people to do so. However, United’s move is significant as it aims to attract and engage families, increasing brand preference across multiple individuals.
Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst and founder of Atmosphere Research Group, explains that the strategy behind mileage pooling is to appeal to less-frequent to moderately frequent travelers and encourage them and their family members to actively participate in the loyalty program. By allowing family members to combine their award points, it creates a sense of shared benefit and increases engagement, similar to how a brand preference can be built within a family for a specific toothpaste.
It is worth noting that while airlines generally allow customers to transfer miles to others, this often comes with a fee. United’s decision to enable pooling without any additional charges may prove attractive to customers who wish to maximize their miles.
Overall, United Airlines’ introduction of the feature allowing friends and family to combine frequent flyer miles is a strategic move to enhance customer engagement and brand preference. By tapping into the shared benefits of pooling miles, United aims to attract and retain customers who may not fly frequently but have the potential to become loyal advocates for the airline.
