For United Cargo, digitalization isn’t just a buzzword – it’s the backbone of their strategy to remaining the best belly carrier in the world.
Our latest interview with Peggy Guse, Vice President of United Cargo Marketing, Customer Service & Alliances, and Eric Weseman: Cargo Alliances Manager, reveals what this tech-driven approach looks like in practice, and how it positions United as the world’s leading belly carrier.
The Power of eBooking
The air cargo industry is notorious for its complexity, with 45% of BCOs saying that just booking a spot shipment can take up to 2+ days. According to Eric Weseman, though, that’s where the significance of digitization comes in, as it’s simplifying the landscape by integrating digital tools at every customer touchpoint to ensure that United Cargo is leading the way with unmatched booking services. Weseman puts it simply,
Customers have made it clear…they are seeking self-service capabilities, allowing them to book and track freight whenever and wherever. So, offering online capabilities becomes the norm.
It is no longer an optional capability, but rather, a requirement to stay relevant…And, eBookings are a big part of the change. It’s a win-win, adding convenience and improving efficiency for our customers and our company.
The move towards eBookings isn’t just about keeping up with trends; it’s about meeting customer expectations head-on. By making United Cargo’s capacity available for instant eBooking, they can keep their customers updated of changes in real time, enabling cargo to be booked even at the last minute on new or adjusted schedules, with the potential to improve utilization.
Customers increasingly expect the ease of the B2C experience in B2B settings, so the impact of digital air cargo on customer experience cannot be understated. By digitizing their capacity, United is offering the 24/7 (even mobile) convenience of fast, reliable, low touch eBooking, with real-time rates based on actual flight capacity, instant confirmation, and the flexibility to easily adjust bookings, providing the online experience that customers demand.
Defining Strategic Partnerships
Digitized capacity on third party platforms increased nearly 300% since 2020, but digitizing air cargo capacity isn’t nearly as important as digitizing capacity with the right platform. For United Cargo, the motivation behind choosing the right partner was clear: they needed a booking portal that not only met their operational needs but also significantly enhanced the customer experience. Peggy Guse explains:
Once we identified our need for a new booking portal, we looked for providers with proven expertise in that area. WebCargo quickly surfaced to the top of the list. We were drawn to the knowledgeable team who shared our vision…to exponentially enhance our customers’ experience by offering seamless booking and tracking functionality. With that, the United Cargo and WebCargo partnership was born!
Strategic partnerships with comprehensive solution providers like WebCargo are a real differentiator, given their breadth of offerings. Tapping over fifteen years of experience and over fifty airline integrations, WebCargo’s team provides technical support throughout the implementation, making revenue management system integrations easier and unlocking more advanced features like eAWB generation, track and trace integrations, and even integrations directly into forwarder TMS platforms.
From integrating online booking and tracking capabilities to seamless API connectivity and freight marketplace participation, United Cargo’s freight forwarding customers have eagerly been leveraging this increased visibility, speed and booking efficiency. Peggy Guse expands:
WebCargo has since developed our new online booking portal. And, United Cargo has become an active participant in the WebCargo marketplace. The enhanced website experience as well as the option of booking through a marketplace has really made a difference for our freight forwarder customers. They value having self-service booking options, but most of all, they value the expanded capabilities and streamlined interaction.
What’s Next for United Cargo’s Digital Roadmap?
United Cargo’s digital journey is far from over. In fact, it’s just getting started. The company has ambitious plans to introduce new website functionalities and expand its marketplace participation.
We’ve got a lot of activity underway in the digital space. Our goal is to offer our customers a choice of digital booking channels, each intended to enhance the overall customer experience,
notes Guse. Looking ahead, United Cargo aims to significantly broaden its digital presence, offering more services to more customers in more countries. But this ambitious vision isn’t just about expanding their reach – it’s about redefining the customer experience across the globe. Weseman captures this momentum perfectly,
You can expect to see an expanded digital presence from United Cargo which includes more offerings for more customers in more countries. Best of all, that means added convenience for our customers! Stay-tuned for updates. We’re just getting started!
In an era where digital transformation is no longer optional, providing expanded operational support for online bookings emerges as the next logical step in streamlining the air cargo booking process, paving the way for further air cargo efficiency gains and enhanced customer experiences.
