United ‘committed’ to UK trade Andrew McQuarrie


United Airlines has reiterated its commitment to UK trade partners while celebrating a boost in the number of transatlantic seats on sale. The airline is operating 7%


more seats from the UK to the US this summer compared with 2019, according to UK and Ireland sales director Karolien De Hertogh. De Hertogh, who succeeded


Bob Schumacher at the start of last year, said United is “very committed” to the UK market and went on to underline the importance of travel agents in supporting the carrier’s growth. “Travel agencies bring customers


to us and have a value to us, and add value,” she said. “There are so many areas where


we can only reach the passenger when we work with the trade and we have the sales team in place to work with them.” United will operate up to 20


flights a day between Heathrow and the US this summer, with up to four a day from Edinburgh. “London really is the jewel


in the crown for United,” De Hertogh said. “We’re very invested in this marketplace.” United has a total of 800 aircraft


on order, with delivery scheduled between now and 2032. De Hertogh said the “largest order in the history of aviation” would


There are so


many areas where we can only reach the passenger when we work with the trade


increase capacity while improving the passenger experience. When UK travellers arrive in the


US for onward journeys, they will benefit from “new, larger aircraft with space for everyone’s suitcase in the overhead bins”. United’s seven US hubs are


New York (Newark), Chicago, Washington DC, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco.


The airline has been using


sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Los Angeles since 2016, said De Hertogh, with agreements also in place in Amsterdam and Heathrow. “We believe that in the short to


medium-term, SAF can be a major contributor to achieving net zero goals,” she said, adding: “We need more SAF production, which will lead to a reduction in price.” United wants to be net zero by 2050 “without relying on traditional carbon offsets”. Addressing a decision by the US


Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to increase oversight of the airline following recent incidents, De Hertogh said there is a “very strong safety culture at United”. “We welcome the collaboration with the FAA,” she added.


Celebrity ‘clarifies brand identity’ in global campaign


Josie Klein


Celebrity Cruises is aiming to “clarify” its brand identity with the launch of a global marketing campaign called Nothing Comes Close. Giles Hawke, managing director


and vice-president EMEA, said the line had previously been “unclear” about where it sits within the market, but the new proposition – which states a Celebrity Cruises holiday is of higher quality than any other


6 11 APRIL 2024


equivalent holiday type – “firmly secures it as a premium brand”. He said the Nothing Comes Close


slogan was developed in response to feedback from agents and guests who, he claimed, hailed Celebrity Cruises as “better [than other holidays] in every aspect”. New imagery, video content and


a TV advert have been created to support the campaign, along with training tools for agents. “Nothing Comes Close defines


our vision as being the best premium


Celebrity Apex Inset: Giles Hawke


holiday full stop, not just within the cruise sector,” said Hawke. “Previously, Celebrity Cruises did


not give enough clarity on both where the brand sat in the premium space and why customers should choose us as their holiday provider. Now we can say you should pick us because nothing else will come close to the experience we will give you and we must hold ourselves accountable to that promise every day. “As part of that, we need agents to give their customers the Celebrity


Cruises service from the moment they contact them to following up with the client after they come home. It’s important agents reflect the promise we’re going out with.” Hawke went on to say Celebrity


Apex is leading the way for Celebrity Cruises sales. The ship, which will homeport in Southampton for the first time this summer, is the best-selling ship in the fleet in terms of load factor, said Hawke, who added the majority of booked passengers were British.


travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURE: Michel Verdure


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