United Airlines Airbus A321neo in the hangar at Dulles International Airport (IAD). SEAN CUDAHY\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhat’s behind this change?<\/h2>\n
So, what exactly does this shakeup mean for frequent United flyers?<\/p>\n
That’s not entirely clear: The airline hasn’t yet laid out its grand vision for MileagePlus in the coming years.<\/p>\n
However, industry analysts whom I spoke with late last year said they expected United would look, in the coming years, to strike a more lucrative credit card deal with its own banking partner, Chase.<\/p>\n
“I think that part of the advantage that Delta has is that American Express is obviously very intertwined with them. And United has less of that with Chase right now,” Conor Cunningham, industry analyst at New York-based Melius Research, told me last fall.<\/p>\n
Now, the airline has hired Fisher, an executive with an Apple Card and Delta-Amex background to lead its loyalty program as it enters a phase that United says will be marked by major change and growth.<\/p>\n
“His career is defined by a ‘roll up your sleeves’ approach to innovation,” United Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella wrote in a letter to employees viewed by TPG Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Apple Card side note<\/h3>\n
Worth noting: this hiring comes just a week after JP Morgan Chase announced it would become the issuer of Apple Card, with an expected transition away from Goldman Sachs expected 24 months from now, the company said.<\/p>\n
We should also point out that while United touted the Apple Card rollout, the fanfare at the card’s launch didn’t necessarily translate to comparable success for Goldman Sachs.<\/p>\n
The company ultimately faced mounting losses in recent years tied to the card and its broader consumer lending business. And it, along with Apple, was ordered in 2024 to pay out tens of millions of dollars in penalties tied to card failures.<\/p>\n
Still, the card generated a major splash at launch and United clearly sees opportunity in hiring Fisher who, Nocella said, “will focus on maximizing customer loyalty and our credit card portfolio.”<\/p>\n
Vasu Raja joins United as a consultant<\/h2>\n
The new MileagePlus president news wasn’t the only head-turning announcement United made Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The carrier also revealed it’s bringing former American Airlines executive Vasu Raja on board as a consultant.<\/p>\n
Raja is often viewed as a forward-thinking industry leader. However, he departed American in 2024 after leading the charge on a corporate sales strategy that the airline (and Wall Street) have since generally viewed as a strategic failure.<\/p>\n
At United, Raja will temporarily lead the team behind the company’s Kinective Media platform that launched about 18 months ago.<\/p>\n
Raja is expected to be with the company as part of a short-term assignment, Nocella said.<\/p>\n
In a statement to TPG Wednesday, Raja said:<\/p>\n
“The team at United has already laid a solid foundation by building Kinective Media into a truly differentiated, first-of-its-kind airline media business. Over the next six months, I look forward to continuing the work to drive Kinective forward into its next phase of growth.”<\/p>\n
2 executives depart<\/h2>\n
As part of the leadership shakeup, United’s current MileagePlus CEO Richard Nunn and chief operating officer Luc Bondar will depart in the coming weeks, the airline said.<\/p>\n
Related reading:<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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