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United Airlines wins industry web award

Site acknowledged for functionality and resourceSingapore, 31 March 2000 - United Airlines' recently redesigned Web site was awarded best airline Internet site honors in U.S.
Written by Sq , Contributor
Site acknowledged for functionality and resource

Singapore, 31 March 2000 - United Airlines' recently redesigned Web site was awarded best airline Internet site honors in U.S.-based Gomez Advisors' recently released Spring Airline Scorecard.

In their report, Gomez Advisors reported that several factors led to United capturing the first place ranking including outperforming the competition in the categories of on-site resources, customer relationship, business flyer and leisure flyer. United's Internet site, is the only airline Web site to make Gomez Advisor's Top 15 Travel Sites list.

"This new site has numerous easy-to-use features that will appeal to hardened frequent flyers as well as occasional travellers that may be new to the Web,"

- the Gomez evaluation

The site was specifically credited for:

  • prominent placement of the phone number for customer support
  • the "best seat selector online today"
  • the site's booking calender
  • the running of frequent flyer balances
  • full-service booking capabilities with other airlines, car rental companies and hotels.
  • In addition, Peppers and Rogers Group, a leader in the one-to-one marketing field, has placed ual.com in the "top 25 Web sites" for its customer interaction and customised experience.

    Peppers and Rogers reviewed over 400 Web sites from a broad range of industries, measuring 30 different online capabilities. In their February report, Peppers and Rogers stated the site "is well-organized so that customers can easily find the information that is of interest to them."

    A new flight paging service that debuted on the site in the U.S. in December has also attracted heavy usage.

    Already, United has received more than 30,000 requests from U.S. customers who wish to be proactively informed of flight delays, cancellations and gate information on their personal computers, text-enabled cellular phones or alphanumeric pagers.

    A recent Chicago snowstorm prompted a high of 1,800 paging requests in just one day.

    Interesting figures:

  • Web sales reached an all-time high of US$2.7 million in one day, doubling the figure six months ago
  • More than a quarter of the online users are Premier level or higher (fly more than 25,000 miles a year)
  • There were more than 3.4 million visitors to the site in February
  • Site features:

  • Research fares and schedules
  • Up-to-the-minute flight information
  • Access Mileage Plus information
  • Purchase travel with over 500 airlines
  • Book reservations with 45 car rental companies and 30,000 hotels worldwide
  • Discount travel offers weekly, or seasonal
  • Flight paging notification service
  • Facilitate upgrades, redeem miles for frequent flyers
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