United Airlines Wants to Help You Beat Jet Lag With Customized Sleep Plans for Every Passenger
United Airlines is helping travelers prevent that immediate urge to take a nap or a longtime travelers’ prolonged grogginess when stepping off the plane in a new time zone.
In their just-announced partnership with app Timeshifter, passengers will be able to monitor their sleeping habits based on where they’re traveling in order to prevent jet lag.
During United Airlines’ Media Day, entitled “Flight 2020,” Vice President of Loyalty and President of Mileage Luc Bondar said their partnership with the sleep-managing app will help passengers know when to sleep or be awake based on their travel schedule, as well as when to drink coffee or take melatonin. Sleep advice will be custom to each travelers’ itinerary.
In what he described as the airline “thinking about every aspect of your journey,” United will be offering a free trial to Timeshifter for all passengers and a free or discounted membership to their MileagePlus premier members — based on their status level —for all who want a proper night’s sleep regardless of where they’re headed. It also utilizes NASA backed science for sleep management.
Timeshifter launched in 2018 and was created in collaboration with an associate professor of medicine and an expert in circadian disorders at Harvard Medical School.
Bondar also announced a partnership with Marriott hotels where — in limited locations in its initial roll out — travelers in the airlines’ first class Polaris seating can have their luggage delivered straight to a participating Marriott property for free and can either head to a business meeting or out for sightseeing without having to lug a suitcase around.
United also highlighted their ConnectionSaver initiative where travelers rushing to make a connecting flight will not have to worry as the airline will hold the plane and keep passengers updated via their app. In the potential game changer for business travelers, the service — which will not delay the flight according to the airline — will eventually have a GPS app to help rushing travelers navigate the airport to find their gate.
