Skift Take
United's new vice president of loyalty wants to bring more value to MileagePlus customers across a wider spectrum of travelers. He's starting that process by spearheading an overhaul of the company's co-branded credit card.
It's been seven months since Luc Bondar, United's vice president of loyalty, joined the company, and since his start, the public hasn't heard much from him.
That's all about to change, though, as Bondar gets comfortable in his role at the fourth largest U.S, carrier, and starts spending more time in the field. On Thursday, the executive was shaking hands at the Polaris Lounge opening at Newark International Airport.
And Friday, he's leading the airline's relaunch of the United Explorer Card, the airline's co-branded Chase credit card.
But there's much more on the horizon for the executive at United Airlines. Bondar joined the airline at a sensitive time. On November 1, the same day he started, United increased the price of many award seats and shook up the pricing on a slate of other routes, agitating many of the airline's loyal customers. And in the last six months, a smattering of executives, from the CFO to the vice president of corporate communications, have left the airline (United's Chief Commercial Officer left in early 2017). As things settle down, this summer may be the perfect time for Bondar to start launching some of the initiatives he's quietly been working on.
The New United Explorer Credit Card
On Friday, Bondar is leading a joint effort by Chase and United to relaunch the airline's co-branded credit card.
Like many airline credit cards, the United Explorer Credit Card has traditionally offered a typical range of benefits, including free checked bags and frequent flyer miles earned on every purchase. As new credit cards have entered the market in the last few years, however, many of t
