United Airlines is rapidly reshaping its customer proposition around premium experiences, loyalty, co-branded cards and ancillary revenue, according to a new 18-page IdeaWorksCompany report, “United is Winning the Race for Brand-Loyal Consumers.” Written by airline revenue and loyalty expert Jay Sorensen, the report examines United’s expanding portfolio of products and strategies introduced during 2025 and 2026.
“The challenge for any airline leadership team is that innovation requires balance,” said Jay Sorensen, President of IdeaWorksCompany. “Playing it too safe gets you nowhere, but running with scissors is obviously unsafe. ‘Scissors’ is my analogy for complexity.”