All About United for Business Blueprint

United for Business Blueprint is United Airlines’ corporate program for small, midsize and large corporate clients with flexibility and customization as its central focus.

Blueprint is for travel programs spending more than $50,000 annually on United, but United also offers PerksPlus and PassPlus for travel programs spending less than $50,000 annually on United.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• About United for Business Blueprint
• What benefits your business can get from Blueprint
• How Blueprint works for businesses
• How to sign your company up for Blueprint
• How your company can get the most from Blueprint

Understanding united for business blueprint and Your Business Travel Program

What is blueprint?

United for Business Blueprint is United Airlines' innovative, customizable travel program designed to meet the unique needs of businesses and their mid-large size travel programs.  Generally, qualifying companies have at least $50,000 in yearly United Airlines spend. When your company has north of $1 million yearly spend, it unlocks additional benefits including a Global Services nomination and double United amenity funds. Here's how the program breaks down:

Blueprint Discover: A program for customers who want an off-the-shelf solution. Benefits include discounted airfares, an annual United amenity funds deposit and access to the Break from Business program for discounted personal travel for your travelers. Discover is more of a self-service program, with limited management and support from United for Business representatives.

Blueprint Discover requires $50,000 spend, no other conditions attached. 

Blueprint Experience: A program for customers who prioritize the traveler experience. Benefits include a discounted airfares, a very generous annual allocation of United amenity funds (five times the amount in Discover and Savings, and doubled if you spend more than $1,000,000 annually on United), access to United Corporate Preferred priority program for your travelers and the Break from Business program for discounted personal travel for your travelers. 

Blueprint Experience requires customers to meet the following engagement targets along with $50,000 annual United spend:

• ARC data flow initiated at the time of contracting
• 90% of your traveler population MileagePlus users
• 90% of your traveler population United mobile app users
• Preferred carrier designation in your online booking tool (United Corporate Direct customers exempted)

You can also earn extra annual amenities funds (40% more than the standard Experience deposit) with an online booking tool banner promoting United as your preferred carrier.

Blueprint Savings: A program for customers who prioritize cost savings. Benefits include bigger discounts across more fare classes, an annual allocation of United amenity funds (same as in Discover, and doubled above $1,000,000 annual United spend), and access to the Break from Business program for discounted personal travel for your travelers. 

Blueprint Savings requires customers to meet the following engagement targets along with $50,000 annual United spend:

• ARC data flow initiated at the time of contracting
• 90% of your traveler population MileagePlus users
• 90% of your traveler population United mobile app users
• Preferred carrier designation in your online booking tool (United Corporate Direct customers exempted)
  

You can also earn extra annual amenities funds (double the standard Savings deposit) with an online booking tool banner promoting United as your preferred carrier.

As you can see, Blueprint more than just a SMB loyalty program – it’s a comprehensive corporate agreement that offers flexibility, rewards, and efficiency, allowing your company to streamline its travel operations while maximizing benefits.

What are some of the benefits of blueprint for my business?

• Flexibility and customization are at the core of Blueprint. Depending on your needs, you can pick or build a Blueprint to best serve your company
• Choose to save on United, including fare discounts on United and United joint venture partners, and discounts on United amenities like Economy Plus extra legroom seating and inflight wifi.
• Choose to enhance traveler rewards and travel experience with MileagePlus Premier status and United Club access for your travelers
• Get improved visibility and reporting with using United’s Jetstream corporate portal

How blueprint Works

When you sign up for United for Business Blueprint, a United Airlines United for Business Sales representative works with you to choose a program or build a customized corporate travel program with you. Whether you pick a program or customize, you’ll get a mix of:

1. Savings: negotiated fare discounts on United and United’s Joint Venture partners, these discounts start at 2% on the cheaper fares (though the cheapest fares may not qualify), then discounts increase as the fares get more expensive in Economy and premium cabins
2. Perks and discounted perks: get discounted or included checked bags, priority security access and board, Economy Plus extra legroom seating, inflight wifi and more 
3. Priority travel with Corporate Preferred for all your travelers: priority upgrades, standby, seats and re-accommodation (for Experience programs)
4. Extra special perks: pick certain travelers to give United MileagePlus Premier status, giving them an even better travel experience on every trip, including premium seat selection, early boarding and upgrade eligibility

Plus all Blueprint programs get data and insights in Jetstream, detailed reports and analytics on your company's travel patterns and expenditures on United to help you make informed decisions and optimize your travel strategy.

How can I sign up for blueprint?

Getting started with Blueprint is simple and straightforward. You or your corporate travel agency can visit the Blueprint portal and sign up for an account by completing the online application. A United for Business Sales representative will then reach out to discuss your needs and start building your customized program.

Does my company qualify for blueprint?

United will generally offer your company a Blueprint corporate agreement if your company spends at least $50,000 a year on United, although this is at United’s discretion (so maybe less, maybe more, or maybe no Blueprint at all). As mentioned, smaller programs can definitely sign up for United PerksPlus and PassPlus to save or earn credits on United. Additionally, if your travel management company offers assistance with suppliers the way AmTrav does, your travel management company can use their United connections to vouch for you in getting an agreement.

Is blueprint for business right for my company?

Maybe! United offers business clients a suite of programs to choose from depending on your spend and travel needs, and Blueprint may be a good fit for your business if you meet the United spend requirements. You can read more about United’s other programs:  PassPlus and PerksPlus. 

Blueprint offers customers booking United savings and perks, plus robust reporting tools in United Jetstream. 

One obvious catch: you need to mark United as a preferred carrier in your online booking tool to qualify for Experience and Savings (but not for Discover), this only works if United is a preferred carrier for your organization. 

If you’re looking for even more flight options, cost savings and benefits, you may want to consider a travel booking platform like AmTrav. AmTrav can help you administer your Blueprint program along with other airline programs and travel partners.

How do AmTrav’s services compare to blueprint?

AmTrav is a complete software and service solution for managing your travel, offering the robust online tools and expert human service you need to book, control, measure and change all your travel – in one, centralized location. AmTrav clients’ employees love to use our powerful booking platform to book their flights, accommodation and car rentals – all in one place. With AmTrav you will:

• Get all your perks and savings from your United Blueprint – nice! Plus, with AmTrav you get an expert, dedicated AmTrav Relationship Manager who helps you negotiate and get the most benefits from Blueprint along with all your other corporate programs.
• Book all your flights, hotels and car rentals in one place, with access to the lowest fares and one-click unused tickets to save an extra 7% on airfare. You can change your whole booking online at once, and of course travelers earn miles and loyalty points on every eligible booking with participating airlines.
• Set travel policies to guide bookers to find flights, hotels and car rentals that work for them and for the company, with optional pre-trip approvals. Also manage your user access and invite guests to book themselves.
• Track your spending, your travelers’ locations, your policy compliance, your CO2 emissions and more with AmTrav’s 25+ reports 
• Your travelers can count on expert assistance from AmTrav’s all-employee Travel Advisors who are ready to help 24x7.

Here’s the comparison in a chart:

Bottom line

If your company books a lot of travel on United Airlines, Blueprint offers a fully customizable or off-the-shelf solution for corporate travel programs, can help you better track and manage your flights, and earn exclusive deals. But if your company needs to book, control and see more than just United Airlines tickets, book a consultation to learn how AmTrav can make managing your whole travel program easier.

About AmTrav: Through one simple technology and services platform, AmTrav helps travelers be more productive and connected, empowering companies and their people to go places, meet people and grow further. AmTrav customers enjoy integrated travel booking, travel spend reporting, traveler tracking, and 24x7 expert human support, reducing obstacles, complexity and cost so they get the full value of their business travel. Learn more or reach out for a one-on-one consultation today.