CANNES — The days of loyalty programs being limited to airline miles or hotel points are over, says Khatidja Ajania, director of strategic partnerships at Kinective Media by United Airlines, the carrier’s advertising network.
Speaking with Beet.TV contributor David Kaplan at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Ajania said data collaboration and strategic partnerships are fundamentally reshaping how United approaches customer loyalty, and how brands can engage travelers beyond the airport.
“Data collaboration is reshaping loyalty for our customers in two ways,” Ajania said. “We’re able to, in a privacy-safe way, share data with our partners. And this allows us to really derive deeper insights into both our mutual customers and our new customers, for them and for us.”
Those insights go both ways, she said, with partners sharing data back to United to help measure campaign performance and shape commercial strategies.
Personalization and privacy
Ajania also pushed back on the notion that increasing personalization comes at the expense of consumer privacy, describing the two as essential partners in building trust.
“I actually see personalization and privacy not as opposing forces, but as actually partners in creating the trust,” she said. “We want to provide personalized experiences because our customers expect that of us. But we also want to be respectful of their data and make sure that we are only sharing data in a privacy-safe way, and providing the right consent, transparency and communication.”
By embedding these privacy principles into their approach, Ajania said United can deliver more relevant, personalized experiences while strengthening customer relationships.
Loyalty beyond the boarding gate
Ajania believes today’s travelers, especially younger ones, expect more than transactional loyalty perks.
“The loyalty program in the transactional way that it’s been has definitely… it needs to evolve,” she said. “Especially for the younger traveler, they expect flexibility, they expect instant gratification. So we really are trying to meet them where they are.”
That means transforming MileagePlus into a broader lifestyle program that extends beyond flights. Recent partnerships with brands like Vivid Seats allow members to earn miles for concert tickets, including blockbuster events like Taylor Swift or Beyoncé, while collaborations with Spotify integrate music streaming both in-flight and on the ground.
“We recently launched a partnership with Spotify where you can get all of their streaming content in flight, but also upgrade your membership to Spotify Premium and accrue miles as you do so,” Ajania said. “And then on the ground, how are we engaging? We have their music in our lounges.”
Retail, restaurants and relevant experiences
United’s Kinective Media is also tapping into non-travel verticals such as dining, retail and entertainment to maintain ongoing engagement.
Ajania cited a relatable example: “Every destination I land in, I purchase sunblock. So how can we actually engage retailers to address and target customers when they land with the right products and services they need in that destination?”
The initiative also connects with local businesses to enhance destination experiences, from tours to dining and shopping.
As United expands its routes, including a newly launched flight to Greenland, the airline is focused on inspiring travelers and enriching their journeys before, during and after their trip.
“How do we help you discover what’s in Greenland?” Ajania said. “That really comes through partnerships, whether it’s dining, shopping, [or] the actual experiences. We work with local tours and activities companies to really bring those much more relevant, local experiences to the customer when they land.”
For United, loyalty isn’t just about accruing points, it’s about building an ecosystem of experiences that make every part of the customer journey more rewarding.
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