Why the United Airlines App Flies Circles Around Its Competitors

The snowstorm had led to the cancellation of my afternoon connection to Calgary, but the United app wasted no time in notifying me. As the plane taxied to the gate, I delved into the app's array of rebooking options— back to Miami, milk-runs through alternate airports, a complete refund, or a later flight to Calgary. It even suggested a detour to Edmonton that — combined with a rental car — might have got me to my destination faster.  

Without much hassle, I rebooked my journey (one that I chose, not one that I was assigned) and had complimentary food vouchers loaded onto my phone before stepping off the plane. Bummer that I’d be delayed, but that kind of comes with the territory connecting through Colorado in January. 

Seven hours of airport limbo later, I was ready to board the late-night flight to Calgary and was about to hear a story that took my already strong appreciation of United to a new level.  

Seated beside me on the plane was Dave, an older gentleman from Indianapolis with a dream trip decades in the making. He shared with me that skiing the Canadian Rockies had been his lifelong aspiration, and he was en route to Banff to make it a reality. However, he too was initially booked on the cancelled Calgary flight earlier that day.

Dave, travelling solo and without a cell phone, faced an overwhelming line at the United customer service desk after hundreds of other flights were also slashed from the board earlier that day.  Undeterred, he took a chance (a ‘Hail Mary’ as he called it), stopping a passing United employee in the concourse. 

In an unexpected twist, the employee pulled out their phone, launching the same United mobile app that had been my lifeline earlier. In a matter of minutes, they navigated the app, entered Dave's flight details, and successfully rebooked his journey. A serendipitous encounter that more than likely saved Dave's dream trip.

The day left me contemplating the synergistic potential of technology and human intervention, not just as a heartening story but as a real-world lesson. I can’t help but think that United has been intentional in both the development of its customer-facing technology as well as in its efforts to empower its worldwide staff to help customers benefit from these investments — even if they don’t have their own cell phone to use! 

And if you think that this is ‘soft stuff’ that doesn’t have a big impact on the bottom-line and long-term success, think again. United, boasting a stellar financial performance in 2023, proudly touted their ongoing efforts in customer experience and technology as key drivers of success. And in 2023, the United app was named the Best Airline App by Business Traveler USA and was the most downloaded airline app globally.

As I muse on the broader implications, I think about other industries undergoing transformative shifts — transportation, personal finance, retail, and even government services. The collaboration between people and technology, as showcased in Dave's story, holds the promise of revolutionizing experiences, increasing efficiency, and elevating customer satisfaction to new heights. The potential is not just exciting; it's a testament to the limitless possibilities that lie ahead. This is the type of stuff that keeps me up at night. 

Is your business using technology to its full potential? At Grassland Ventures, we work with leading organizations who believe that customer experience is a key driver to growth and long-term profitability.  Are you starting out on an exciting journey to create better experiences for your customers and staff? Let’s connect!