![](https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=400&s=aef1b7635f0c3c6eb44789266987264b 400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=600&s=7a7a33578644e84e20e816723f19fd13 600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=800&s=f27146ac5b4623e90b5c5cf81564e117 800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1000&s=dd41ff094df19c03203aa87f6632d270 1000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1200&s=8dcd2f49988b5fe164dfe4ab405e0521 1200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1400&s=0131c2d1cac0c651d0bc77cb9cd67ac5 1400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1600&s=5070915c48676a4a8448ed85a6997ee0 1600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1800&s=9b680770841009991d5271f70e67747c 1800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2000&s=44f766b1c3a25eec195fcc314501ac8e 2000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2200&s=dd551f1d2a5b0af7c3830ea787743214 2200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2400&s=d1ad94077fd6cf47552eff7b904d5731 2400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2600&s=cd6ac8ab5b992b03b6eb663925803a7c 2600w)
United MileagePlus is one of the world’s largest loyalty programs, with 100 million+ members. Customer engagement was stagnating, and the marketing team approached us to reverse the trend.
![](https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-lportrait-3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=600&s=c8fe43dea3dbd86326cc0ff7504138b7 600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-lportrait-3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=800&s=90d2c14ee2f96572da49f9774a56cfdc 800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-lportrait-3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1000&s=1f7c30ac7ffcad24ad90b4a8fa423854 1000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-lportrait-3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1200&s=8f42fccf4e38e69a07655445b34e7ca1 1200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-lportrait-3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1400&s=1d1c853d84160cba21334688c3c0aa8e 1400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-lportrait-3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1600&s=c68cdb92d4860f9509950430964b0c4a 1600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-lportrait-3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1800&s=8b4599baa4f2ce25bd6c6cbe7572ae22 1800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-lportrait-3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2000&s=09dc33339490d33939b6475fa3001445 2000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-lportrait-3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2200&s=7ffe3d9d8c7669442cb09b15f8b44d74 2200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-lportrait-3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2400&s=3dbde136de10ad93af82adf774a8c56b 2400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-lportrait-3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2600&s=09ea19570e59d3a06b063ae4f91bd95d 2600w)
Our research with members across the US found new business opportunities for MileagePlus, centered around three key user goals: saving miles toward a dream vacation; premier status and travel perks; and playing (and winning) the loyalty 'game'. After developing and evaluating three new product concepts, complete with high-fidelity prototypes, United chose to focus on helping members feel like they’re winning the loyalty game, by giving members new and engaging ways to earn miles in physical retail stores.
![](https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=600&s=e983f7e87c4ad0dcb1b5b31c0f004d26 600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=800&s=6678ff0aebc1057a650a26e4c5251f69 800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1000&s=a4d80b100000b56a28cee0233610bf73 1000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1200&s=31bf2e5c467bef88328b668bb20dacb3 1200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1400&s=6ec06a3b27f8916d7a267e8723f799c5 1400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1600&s=884b301f14d0e5ad26a56494fea78e39 1600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1800&s=bf999eb811506911835f9539c69f773a 1800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2000&s=be378e34833980f28b7af936a3ec7ed7 2000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2200&s=a1e84ad8d498ba7f0658917a0bf962fe 2200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2400&s=f3211d2a5204206656d903a478b75112 2400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2600&s=a26b2a48b6edd84f0a37e5f949ff4e4c 2600w)
Pay at the store using your phone – at a time when this was unheard of – and so, MileagePlus X was born. Using the simple and user-friendly app, members can earn and spend miles on their everyday purchases in stores, restaurants, and online. Designit led United engineers through the implementation of a new mobile app, from writing front-end code to planning the beta release.
![](https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=600&s=3c2d962a8572e4086dce94cace0991ec 600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=800&s=6498d67270a6c3aff7ed64a073eb1a48 800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1000&s=d75aad93b54cf7a6bb79eea717170e3f 1000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1200&s=6cb0df52d66c65ae21fb52b32eb9e7e5 1200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1400&s=6414c86b8d630e9e8d6d85173a8d646e 1400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1600&s=c3279f4441fcfc7510ba7a8910f1bc79 1600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1800&s=d911ea5ee3a440122f8ca89167b5fc07 1800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2000&s=93f871c1329227baf3fb42119c4ed1ac 2000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2200&s=e55ebf25878f7120aae3aee9e08b1d2d 2200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2400&s=351b3df14c3647c311025c606b02f77a 2400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/United-Airlines/United-Airlines-Body-image-landscape-2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2600&s=1e4dea2f8b325a5dd5f6884e81648928 2600w)
Outcome
Since launch, MileagePlus X has experienced steady 20% month-over-month growth, reports over one-third of members are active daily users, and trailblazed the way for other mobile payment platforms.