Way to go Jeff and team!!

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United Airlines Ad at Ground Zero Called Inappropriate Thursday, May 19, 2011 | Updated 6:28 PM

A United Airlines ad across the street from ground zero that reads "You're going to like where we land" has some New Yorkers saying the sign is insensitive because it is so close to where United Flight 175 struck the south tower on 9/11.

The MTA approved the ad and said it was a third-party vendor that put up the sign above ground at the Cortlandt Street R subway stop, directly across the street from the terror attack site.

The ad is part of a wider campaign for United, which apologized on Wednesday for another 9/11-related controversy -- putting back into circulation the flight numbers from the Sept. 11 planes.

Flight 175 took off from Logan Airport in Boston, carrying 51 passengers, nine crew members and five hijackers. It hit the south tower at 9:03 a.m.

The MTA told NBC New York on Thursday that it was contacting the vendor "to remove the ad from that location as soon as possible."

of the ad's placement, and said it is part of a campaign that was launched in March.

The airline lost 18 workers on 9/11.

Mike Burke, whose firefighter brother, William, died in the tragedy, said the ad was a poor choice.

"It's pretty tacky, pretty unfortunate," he said.

Pedestrians in the area said the ad's message didn't seem to be deliberately controversial, but could be seen as insensitive to victims and survivors of the 9/11 attack.

"It brings back very bad memories of 9/11 and I don't think this is an appropriate place for that kind of sign. I think they should be more considerate of the people who died here," said Annette Guadalupe of Ozone Park, Queens.

"I think it's just ignorance, it's not malicious, just ignorance," said Ross Ouellette, who lives in downtown Manhattan.

Some passersby said they hadn't noticed the ad -- or the potential controversy it could stir.

"I walk by here all the time and I've never noticed it," said Eric Poon.

The debate comes a day after United -- which is in the midst of a merger with Continental Airlines -- apologized for reusing the flight numbers of two hijacked planes used in the 9/11 attacks.

Flight numbers 93 and 175 were mistakenly assigned to two flights by Continental Airlines.

"We are taking immediate steps to remove them and apologize for the error," a United spokesman said.

 

This time it sounds like it was the third party vendor who should be accused of insensitivity.

USMCFLYR

 

First, the all time faux pas in using of the UAL/9-11 Flight Numbers in recent marketing, and now this tacky ad?? Wow.....If Mgt is honestly this 'outta touch' with reality, we are screwed.

 

This is getting old quickly. The offended are always rewarded. The uber sensitivity is overblown. We have advertising in NYC. Big freaking deal.

The UA pilots have become a large group of weirdos. Joe Patroni and Captain Vernon Demerest would be so disappointed in the whiny bunch of school girls we have flying airplanes.

L

 

Kind of spooky that "L" is fantasizing about his fellow pilots all dressed up as school girls. Talk about a weirdo..

Let me guess 1985 hire?

 

Hossman,

Not fantasizing about any UA pilots. Just a reality check. You can be angry and upset about many things, but this is just creating something to give you angst. We ALL want a contract but don't get give yourself undue stress in your life by creating things to be upset about.

Pilots have always been good at separating the distractions from the cockpit and most of the good pilots I have flown with could have their wife AND girlfriend in the back of the plane and still fly like a champ. Seems today's aviator is more prone to acting childish and like a cry baby.

We need to put our big boy britches on, be adults that don't wear our sensitivity on our sleeve and move on. The noise I heard in ops yesterday about the mailing address on the new ID's was absurd. It is a piece of plastic for crying out loud. Who cares if it is mailed to Houston or Chicago if it is lost? That is what people are going to spin themselves up over, a mailing address? We are doomed if that is the case.

L

 

L,

It's kind of funny to me that you think this has caused me any angst or worry. I think the whole thing between the flt numbers and putting a banner up at ground zero saying "You are going to like where we land" is a comedy of errors. These guys have their heads way up the their behinds and it's entertaining as all get out to watch.

Let me just say this, you don't know me and my background so don't make assumptions. I've done things for a living in airplanes that would make having my wife and my girlfriend in the back sitting next to each other drinking wine and gossiping pale in comparison. I do not come from the median background that you find most airline pilots have.

 

How could United be possibly be considered insensitive to 9/11. Thats absolutely rediculous. They have been through the most trying 10 years of there existance because of that day. It nearly bankrupted just about all of our legacy carriers. People need to realize that the airlines, if anyone, are keenly aware of how bad of a day that was.

United was a victim of 9/11 as much as New York, the US, ALPA, everyone.

This is not news...

 

L,

The Air Force has a new acronym.......SNAP's (sensitive new age pilots).

Getting worked up on the address is somewhat humorous. However, you gotta admit these last 2 incidents demonstrate the total lack of management by management.

Frats,
Lee

 

Take a look at the inflight magazine. The CEO Welcome page has a half-page headshot, his signature at the bottom, and the title under his smiling face is "Going Foward." Yes, "forward" is misspelled. Must have outsourced his magazine editor.

Management gurus say you can tell a lot about an organization's leadership effectiveness from the little things.

They just issued new IDs saying oops, it doesn't jive with international customs paperwork. Now what.