Who Is "ted"?

Twicebaked

Veteran
May 22, 2003
1,788
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Crystal City...WAKE THE UP AND SMELL THE OPPORTUNITY.....
You have an airline in the making and NOBODY even knows about it..
United has the right idea..take a few lessons



Reports: Mysterious 'Ted' is advertising campaign for United's new low-cost carrier
Associated Press

DENVER - A mystery man named "Ted," who buys lunch for strangers and sprinkles his name around on stickers, signboards and even a farmer's field, is reportedly the creation of United Airlines' new low-cost carrier.

United isn't talking about "Ted," the last three letters of United, and a spokesman won't even confirm the airline is behind the blitz, reported by the Chicago Tribune and newspapers in Denver this week.

"All I can tell you is that we'll announce details when the time is right, and in the meantime we're going to have fun with our launch," said spokesman Jeff Green.

But the airlines' fingerprints are clearly on the campaign - starting with the fact that one Web site used in the campaign called www.meetted.com and another called www.flyted.com that's not yet operational belong to United, according to the newspapers. The server is registered to United Loyalty Services, a division of UAL Corp., United's parent company.

The low-cost carrier, to be based at Denver International Airport, is part of Chicago-based United's effort to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

United is expected to announce the new carrier's launch in the next few weeks, the newspapers said.

The "Ted" campaign is designed to catch the attention of people in their teens and 20s, said Steve Whittier, creative director of Factory Design Labs in Denver.

Recently, "Ted" paid for everyone's lunch at a downtown restaurant and sprang for desert for everyone at another restaurant.

He spelled out his name in huge letters made with sod in one field about 50 miles north of Denver, The Greeley Tribune reported.

"Obviously it's for somebody who is into sort of a free, independent-skier sort of lifestyle," Whittier said. "They are playing to reality advertising. They are definitely trying to go low-cost. They are trying to create an Internet cult following."

The big question is if it will work. Michael Boyd, an airline consultant in Colorado doesn't think so. "They can call it Ted; they can call it Trans-Deficit Airlines. It doesn't make any difference. The concept doesn't work," he said.

Boyd and other experts say say low-fare airlines within mainline airlines have two major challenges: keep costs low and avoid confusion that different airline brand names can cause for customers.

Previous attempts have been met with mixed results. In 2001, United dropped its Shuttle after costs ran too high. US Airways closed it's MetroJet unit the same year.

In the 1990s, Delta launched its Express brand in the 1990s to compete with low-fare carriers. In April, Delta replaced that concept with Song, a new discount airline. So far, Song has done well.
 
Who is TED?

Ted is the guy who's showing that UAL isn't focused on being merged with USAir. It appears to this observer that United's plan doesn't include being acquired by USAir. I think this hype is by a few wishful thinkers who believe "if they wish loud enough, it will come."

I'm not here to say that United is out of the woods, in fact, I think they are far from it. The pensions alone could sink them unless a few unions are willing to watch them be dissolved (my opinion only). They still have other HUGE hurdles including IAD, exit financing, and outstanding bond payments. Although I believe they are still in DEEP trouble, I don't believe their focus is on USAir coming to the rescue (not to mention, USAir needs a bit of rescuing too-especially now that SWA is going to dissolve the lucrative O&D market out of Philly).

Hoping for the best for both airlines, just not expecting it.
 
Well the say TED comes from the last 3 letters of UNITED.... so add that with the last 3 letters of US AIR and you get

AIR TED instead of AIR BUD !!!!! :lol: :lol:
 
Twicebaked said:
United isn't talking about "Ted," the last three letters of United, and a spokesman won't even confirm the airline is behind the blitz, reported by the Chicago Tribune and newspapers in Denver this week.

"All I can tell you is that we'll announce details when the time is right, and in the meantime we're going to have fun with our launch," said spokesman Jeff Green.
:p Maybe it's just me, but I found that funny.

On a serious note I wish UA well on this. Delta seems to have set the tone on dealing with the LCC (s).

Will US Airways take note, I doubt it. US seem to be more interested in flying smaller aircraft at standard fare. One option might be to pump MAA full of EMB-170's and go head to head that way. They could get away with a lower cost structure with more frequency. Yeah, I know...not going to happen. Just a thought.