United Airlines is offering to match travellers’ elite airline status when they switch to United, pairing the offer with its free Starlink inflight Wi-Fi to give frequent flyers another reason to change carriers.
“Our fast, free inflight Wi-Fi from Starlink is game-changing. Now it’s time for you to make a change,” United said in its October 1 post. “We’ll match your hard-earned status when you switch to United now: united.com/switchtobetter.”
The announcement includes a 25-second video and directs travellers to united.com/switchtobetter for more information about switching to United and having their existing status matched.
United is using Starlink as part of the pitch, tying its inflight internet service to a status-match offer aimed at travellers who already have elite standing with another airline.
The message does not name a specific competitor, although replies to the post include discussion from Delta Air Lines status holders considering a switch to United.
For frequent flyers weighing whether to move their loyalty to another carrier, United is pitching two benefits together, keeping comparable status after switching and gaining access to its free Starlink-powered inflight Wi-Fi, which recently carried live NFL games on seatback screens.
It will be worth watching whether Delta responds with perks of its own. Full terms of United’s offer are available at united.com/switchtobetter, while Alaska Airlines is also unveiling premium cabins with free Starlink Wi-Fi.
Want to see more of our stories on Google?
P.S. — Buying a new Tesla? Click here to save $1,000 USD, while supporting independent news.
Help support us by shopping on Amazon here.
Links in this post are affiliate links, so we earn a tiny commission at no charge to you. Thanks for supporting independent media!
