The United Airlines business model can be compared to the classic 80:20 rule in
Pareto's Analysis. Based on experience of the airline industry, the model assumes
that, for airlines offering a high level of service, 80of profit comes from 20of
customers. The profit-generating customers are the ones who are prepared to pay a
premium price for a premium service. They are the ones that the airline most needs
to attract.
There are clear differences between domestic segments and global segments.
For example, international segments might differ by hours rather than minutes in the
US, and the cost of domestic travel is also significantly lower. In global segments
United Airlines identified nine motivational segment profiles. These are: