At Ground Zero, United Airlines Ad Promised, "You're Going To Like Where We Land"

NBC New York

The MTA has removed a United Airlines ad seen on a subway entrance across the street from the World Trade Center site, after some passersby said it was inappropriate. The ad copy, which is part of a national campaign, reads, "You're Going To Like Where We Land," which, considering where United Flight 175 landed on 9/11, seems a tad tone deaf. But it also seems to be an honest mistake; United's contract with the MTA and its third-party vendor doesn't specify the geographical location of each ad, and the MTA moved swiftly to take it down yesterday.

But not before NBC New York could get some good reactions from passersby like Mike Burke, whose firefighter brother, William, died on 9/11. "It's pretty tacky, pretty unfortunate," Burke said after seeing the ad. The awkward placement is the second 9/11-related snafu for the airline in a week; earlier United apologized for reusing the flight numbers of two hijacked planes used in the 9/11 attacks. The airline, which is merging with Continental, assigned two Continental Flights the numbers 93 and 175. On 9/11, Flight 93 crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pa., while Flight 175 struck the south tower at the World Trade Center.

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By John Del Signore in News on May 21, 2011 4:45 PM

Comments [rss]

Robert Ballard

Can the news ever cover the real insensitive thing that goes on at Ground Zero which is people happily profiitng off of it. All these people go around and show you photos of the attack and try to get you to pay money for it. Why doesn't the news ever cover that if it wants a Ground Zero story?

Colonel_Ingus

I say we round up the lot of you! If somebody's got to start Armeggedon it might as well be me!

nicemarmot

But that flight didn't actually LAND anywhere. It crashed. The only flight that's landed in Manhattan recently was Captain Sully's. I find it odder that they're still advertising United when it's not going to exist much longer.

Brian

captain 'sully' did not land. he crashed. the word 'landing' has, as its root, LAND. he did an amazing job, but lets call it what is was. plane in water, if not a seaplane, is a crash. not a water landing. and, planes crashing into buildings after being taken over by savage muslim terrorists are not man made disasters. they are acts of terrorism, barbaric and criminal.

Vinny

Psst... You have that backwards.

The Continental name goes, but United will be adopting a hybrid logo of the two companies.

nicemarmot

Yes, I found that out shortly after I posted. And am still totally flabbergasted.

xsquatchx

incorrect. united will continue, continental disappears.

colonelcasey

Would this receive the same publicity had the former Continental Airlines put this ad up? Or what if it was some other random airline like Delta or Virgin?