United Airlines has quietly made a strategic investment in Dfinitiv, the technology start-up behind the SmartCXP platform. SmartCXP uses deep-linking and artificial intelligence to map a traveller’s intent – whether they’re planning a trip, hailing a ride, dining out or booking a hotel -to a personalised offer in real time. With United’s backing, the platform will be rolled out across MileagePlus, enabling the airline to push targeted promotions across travel, financial services, dining and more. The aim is to make loyalty interactions seamless: instead of manually searching partner pages, members could see offers appear in-app or by email, tailored to what they’re currently doing.
Why this matters
At a time when airlines increasingly rely on non-ticket revenue, the ability to monetise a customer’s entire travel journey – not just the flight – is the next frontier. United’s investment signals a desire to capture more spend from its members by linking with rideshare companies, hotel chains, credit card issuers and even e-commerce retailers. If SmartCXP works as promised, MileagePlus members could earn miles when taking a taxi to the airport, buying duty-free goods or ordering takeaway at home. The platform is already used by other brands to push targeted discounts, and with United’s backing the possibilities widen. For travellers, this could mean fewer irrelevant ads and more meaningful opportunities to earn or use points.
