United Begins New Secret Upgrade Program for Its Best Customers

Around the time Delta was in the process of swallowing Northwest Airlines in the mid-2000s, elite customers at the outgoing airline were getting anxious. Worried about passengers defecting to competing airlines before the Delta transition was complete, Northwest's management made a quiet decision to start upgrading top-tier elite frequent fliers through a secret, unpublished channel, increasing customer satisfaction and boosting loyalty in the process. Last week, Un