United and Marriott Want Brands to Target Travelers Mid-Journey

United Airlines and Marriott are telling advertisers to pay more attention to travelers during the trip, not just before it starts.

Both companies say people are often more open to discovering brands and spending money while they are flying, staying in hotels, or moving through their travel journey.

That idea sits behind United’s Kinective Media platform and Marriott Media. Both businesses are trying to turn their apps, screens, loyalty programs, and customer data into advertising products.

Travel companies think the trip itself matters more

United and Marriott say many advertisers still focus too heavily on the planning stage. But the companies argue the travel period itself may be more valuable because people are in a different mindset. They are away from routine, often more relaxed, and sometimes more willing to make unplanned purchases.

Research linked to their pitch supports that point. It found that most ad spending still goes to the pre-trip phase, while much smaller amounts target people in transit or at the destination.

United wants to turn flights into a stronger media channel

United reaches advertisers through its app, airport lounges, and in-flight entertainment screens. The airline says this gives brands access to a premium audience and a setting where travelers may spend several hours paying attention to airline-controlled content.

United also highlights the value of MileagePlus data, saying first-party information from known customers helps it target ads more accurately.

Marriott is turning hotel rooms into ad space

Marriott is making a similar case through its app, website, and digital placements, but in-room TV has drawn the most interest from advertisers. The company says hotel rooms offer a more relaxed and less distracted environment, which can make brand messages more effective.

Marriott has installed ad technology in about 500,000 rooms across the US and Canada and wants to expand that to 1 million rooms before growing internationally. Ads appear through its Bonvoy channel, which features travel-focused programming designed to feel relevant to the guest experience rather than overly disruptive.

This push by United and Marriott also fits a broader travel-industry trend, where companies are trying to monetize more parts of the traveler journey, not just the booking itself.  

For example, Lyft and United’s rewards partnership showed how travel brands are building deeper links across air travel and ground transport to keep travelers inside connected ecosystems for longer.

Photo by Mohamed Masaau on Unsplash