How the CEO of Star Alliance wants to make your travels easier in the future
Caroline Schagrin is the assistant producer for TPG's podcasts.
Oct. 23, 2019
•
3 min read
How the CEO of Star Alliance wants to make your travels easier in the future
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The CEO of the largest global airline alliance joins Talking Points this week. Jeffrey Goh has been at the helm of Star Alliance, which includes United Airlines, since 2017. He explains how one of his main goals is providing passengers with a more seamless end-to-end journey, through app advancements and offering additional benefits to its top-tier members.
On this episode, tune in to learn how the alliance of two dozen airlines operates. Goh details what it takes for an airline to become a member, the markets it's looking to enter and the strategy behind its lounges. He also explains how the alliance wants to sync every aspect of a traveler's trip, as well as providing a simpler way for users to search for partner availability all in one place.
"There is a raft of peripheral transactions that, typically, you would also enter into to kind of supplement your travel. Whether that is buying insurance, accommodation, an Airbnb experience, your last mile transportation, or the ticket to the Ryder Cup, or the baseball [game]. How can we bring that within an ecosystem where you don't have to get in and out of a system or a portal or a .com to complete that end to end customer journey that you were planning to have?"
When it comes to the Star Alliance lounges, Goh wants experiences to come with a "local wow factor," which is why an outdoor terrace has been designed at LAX. He tells Brian Kelly how the lounges operate and why Star Alliance is looking to expand into non-hub airports.
"So in Los Angeles, even though it's branded Star Alliance, it is in fact behind it Air New Zealand that is running the lounge...It simply takes away the burden of 14 other airlines that fly into Los Angeles building their own lounges and opening up only for three hours before that single flight takes off. It just doesn't make sense, so there is a lot of synergy in bringing the airlines into one lounge."
Star Alliance announced in June 2019 that it would not be adding new elite tiers despite previously claiming it would at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) summit. Goh says the alliance is looking for creative ways to give its elite members more recognition before adding additional tiers.
"And these benefits don't necessarily need to be about your immediate flight experience, lounge access, priority boarding, priority check in and all those sort of things. But if you're a Gold customer, could I give you an upgrade on the Heathrow Express from the airport to downtown? If you are a Gold member, could I give you a preferred rate for a Tumi bag and so on and so forth?"
More on Star Alliance:
Book this, not that: Star Alliance award tickets
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Best websites for searching Star Alliance award availability
7 great mileage programs for booking star alliance awards
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Featured image by Alejandra Parra/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Featured image by Bloomberg via Getty Images
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| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. |
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Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles50,000 Bonus MilesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees