Just six months after joining
the battle of the low-fare air carriers, United’s own low-fare offering
Ted is making an impact with customers in the marketplace.
“By every measure we take, Ted has been successful in its first six
months,” said Sean Donohue, vice president of Ted. “Thanks to the hard
work and dedication of United employees, we’ve received strong
endorsements from customers, outpaced our goals for on-time departures and
arrivals, had positive financial performance and made significant
competitive inroads in the markets we serve. From our Mileage Plus
customers to flyers brand-new to the airline, travelers are pleased with
our Ted service. In addition, no other low-fare carrier provides
connections to the number and range of destinations United serves
worldwide.”

Of more than 3,000 Ted customers who were polled recently, 82 percent said
employees were accommodating and thoughtful, 76 percent said they’d
recommend Ted to a friend, two-thirds said they were satisfied with the
value they got for their money and 82 percent said they would choose Ted
for a future trip.

Ted’s on-time performance to date has been above goal, contributing to
United’s overall first-place finish for on-time arrivals among the major
carriers ranked by the U.S. Department of Transportation in its June Air
Travel Consumer Report. With a load factor in the upper 80s for its first
six months of operation, Ted’s effect on the competition has been
significant.

Ted now operates 196 flights per day, carrying more than 25,000 customers
traveling between its hubs in Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco,
Washington and Chicago to a wide variety of primarily leisure
destinations. Currently operating with 45 Airbus 320s configured with 156
seats, Ted will add an additional reconfigured A320 aircraft to serve the
Mexican beach destinations of San Jose del Cabo and Puerto Vallarta from
San Francisco beginning December 16, 2004. Ted aircraft feature a large
Economy Plus section of 66 seats, which provide more legroom than any
other low-fare carrier’s economy-class seating.
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