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Home » Loyalty Programs » A Prime Example Of How Airline Loyalty Is Built
Loyalty Programs

A Prime Example Of How Airline Loyalty Is Built

Matthew Klint Posted onJuly 5, 2019November 14, 2023 9 Comments

a glass of liquid with a cherry and a bowl of nuts

It’s the little things that build airline loyalty. Sometimes, it’s just a kind gesture when a problem arises.

Despite my trip reports showcasing wine and champagne, I really don’t drink that much. In fact, even at business lunches I generally pass on alcohol since my business partner partner is a teetotaler.  But no trip to Hawaii on United is complete without a Mai Tai. Even though United uses a fairly calamitous pre-fab mix, it’s just part of the experience…it has been for years and years.

So you can imagine my disappointment…and coincidentally the disappointment of my seatmate…when we ordered Mai Tais but were later told that catering forgot to board them. The FA was apologetic, but what she could do? It wasn’t her fault. Looks like I was sticking to sparkling water, which wasn’t a bad thing at all…

But about 10 minutes later the FA appeared with something that looked like a Mai Tai.

I don’t know how these are going to taste, but the bartender tried her best to whip something up. See what you think and it’s totally fine if you don’t even want to give them a sample. At least it has rum in it!

a glass with a cherry on top

Both my seatmate and I were shocked. Who goes to that extra effort? Even if the cocktail turned out horrible, it was truly a kind gesture.

But you know something? I’m not even sure what that pink stuff in there was, but it tasted BETTER than United’s usual Mai Tais. We had lucked out thanks to the catering error!

An extra smile, an extra touch like Delta’s bellini’s in economy class, an extra gesture of kindness…it goes so far, at least for me. I may be loyal to United for irrational reasons (I don’t think so), but it has certainly been little acts of kindness like this over the years that make me very reluctant to even consider another U.S. carrier.

CONCLUSION

I write about this stuff as if it never happens. Yet I know FAs–from around the world–go the extra mile all the time and do not get recognized for it. Well, at least for me I can say that this sort of personal touch really means a lot in making me a loyal customer.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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9 Comments

  1. Kyle Reply
    July 5, 2019 at 2:31 pm

    United’s Mai Tai’s before the merger were amazing. Of course, they’ve since replaced them with pre-mixed.

  2. Howard Reply
    July 5, 2019 at 3:15 pm

    It’s like an abusive relationship. You think about leaving them, and when you are finally about to pull the plug, they do something nice and you have to process all over again.

  3. cargocult Reply
    July 5, 2019 at 3:18 pm

    You use “reticent” when you should use “reluctant.” Like, please don’t literally join the cause of eliminating the nuances of the English language.

    https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/reticent
    https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/reluctant

    • Matthew Reply
      July 6, 2019 at 12:35 am

      Thank you, fixed.

      • cargocult Reply
        July 7, 2019 at 4:32 pm

        It still says “reticent.” In any case, it’s better that you remember it for the future than that you fix this instance.

    • Shawn Reply
      July 8, 2019 at 9:04 am

      I don’t really care to quibble over language and word definitions, but my go-to source had this to say on the definition of the word “reticent’:
      https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reticent

      I draw people’s attention to definition #3 (while noting that it is the third definition).

    • Matthew Reply
      February 5, 2020 at 7:33 pm

      You are a little OCD, aren’t you?

  4. Cruzer Reply
    July 6, 2019 at 5:48 pm

    Best thing to do is remember the FA’s name and flight number and send a compliment through their website. I used to work in customer service and most of the feedback we got from customers (that managers paid attention to) was from receipt survey forms that customers almost never filled out.

    Make sure to pass on the positive feedback so the FA can get recognized for it!

  5. PVG Reply
    July 7, 2019 at 12:40 am

    “pass on alcohol since my business partner partner is a teetotaler.”
    “The FA was apologetic, but what she could do?”
    “An extra smile, an extra touch like Delta’s bellini’s in economy class”

    I am thinking the second one was not a typo since your article was about Hawaii and you decided to write in the local pidgin English….

    But do you read your posts before posting? Again, would like to offer proofreading help.

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