United Airlines has been offering “really great ideas” for the future of its MileagePlus program for months.
The airline didn’t reveal anything about what’s coming, other than to say it expects to earn more revenue from the program in the coming years.
On Wednesday, the Chicago-based airline announced it was naming a new executive to lead its loyalty program, and his credentials may provide some insight into how the airline considers the future of MileagePlus.
What to do next? United Airlines has ‘really great ideas’ for future of MileagePlus program
United said it named Jarad Fisher, a veteran of Apple and Delta Air Lines, as president of MileagePlus.
Fisher’s career includes two stops that may catch the attention of points, miles and credit card enthusiasts.
He was a key figure on the team that launched Apple Card in 2019, the tech giant’s cash-back credit card, which United said was “widely regarded as the most successful credit card launch in history”.
Before that, Fisher helped lead the revamp of Delta’s partnership with American Express in the early 2010s, which was essentially the start of the partnership becoming the cash cow it is today – one that remains unrivaled in the industry. (This week, Delta revealed that it will generate $8 billion in revenue from the partnership by 2025.)
Read more: United Airlines won’t raise Premier status requirements in 2026, but announces major upgrades, changes to PlusPoints
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What’s the reason behind this change?
So what exactly does this shakeup mean for frequent United fliers?
It’s not entirely clear yet: The airline has yet to lay out a grand vision for MileagePlus in the coming years.
However, industry analysts I spoke to late last year said they expected United to strike more lucrative credit card deals with its own banking partner, Chase, in the coming years.
“I think part of the advantage Delta has is that American Express is obviously tied to them. United currently has less of an advantage with Chase,” Conor Cunningham, an industry analyst at Melius Research in New York, told me last fall.
Now that United has hired Fisher, an executive with a background in Apple Card and American Express, to lead its loyalty program, the airline says it is entering a phase marked by significant change and growth.
“His career has been defined by a ‘roll up his sleeves’ approach to innovation,” United Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella wrote in a letter to employees seen by TPG on Wednesday.
Apple Card Notes
Notable: The hiring comes just a week after JPMorgan Chase announced it would become the issuer of Apple Card and is expected to leave Goldman Sachs in 24 months, the company said.
We should also point out that while United heavily promoted the launch of the Apple Card, the fanfare surrounding the card’s launch didn’t necessarily translate into similar success for Goldman Sachs.
The company ultimately faced mounting losses in recent years related to the card and its broader consumer lending business. In 2024, it was ordered along with Apple to pay tens of millions of dollars in fines related to the credit card glitches.
Still, the card generated a lot of buzz when it launched, and United clearly saw an opportunity to hire Fisher, who Nocera said “will be focused on maximizing customer loyalty and our credit card portfolio.”
Vasu Raja joins Manchester United as consultant
News of a new MileagePlus president wasn’t the only high-profile announcement United made Wednesday.
The airline also revealed that it will hire former American Airlines executive Vasu Raja as a consultant.
Raja is often viewed as a forward-thinking industry leader. However, he left American in 2024 after leading an enterprise sales strategy that has since been widely viewed by the company (and Wall Street) as a strategic failure.
At United, Raja will temporarily lead the team behind the company’s Kinective Media platform, which it launched about 18 months ago.
Nocera said Raja is expected to serve as part of a short-term assignment with the company.
In a statement to TPG on Wednesday, Raja said:
“The United team has laid a strong foundation by building Kinective Media into a truly differentiated, best-in-class aviation media business. Over the next six months, I look forward to continuing our efforts to drive Kinective Media into its next phase of growth.”
2 senior executives resigned
United’s current MileagePlus CEO Richard Nunn and chief operating officer Luc Bondar will leave in the coming weeks as part of a leadership shake-up, the airline said.
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