December 13
Last week, the PGA Tour signed a deal with United Continental Holdings making United its official carrier from 2011 through 2015. Delta previously had that honor for the past 25 years, and no reason was given for the change (not surprisingly).
Players and other members of the PGA, Nationwide and Champions Tours will be granted free access to United’s Red Carpet & Continental’s Presidents Clubs, and receive elite status in both Mileage Plus and OnePass, according to the PGA Tour press release. It doesn’t disclose which elite level (or levels) they’ll get, nor are the financial terms made public, but I would have to bet this is an incredibly lucrative contract. The release goes on to say members of Continental and United’s frequent flyer programs will have access to “unique PGA Tour player experiences” and “private and semi-private hospitality areas at select tournaments.” I watch my fair share of golf, especially the majors, so I’ll be interested to see what kind of offers come through.
