United Airlines: free flight flexibility for football fans

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Since becoming the pioneer among legacy airlines to permanently abolish change fees over three years ago, United Airlines has made substantial savings for its customers, exceeding $2 billion. Today, the airline is unveiling a set of brand-new commercials featuring the Emmy-award winning actor, Kyle Chandler. These commercials are scheduled to air this Sunday and are aimed at highlighting the advantages of this policy change. In these advertisements, Kyle Chandler directly addresses football enthusiasts in five different regions, urging them to have faith in their favorite teams and confidently book United flights for next year’s game in New Orleans, free from the burden of change fees.

This advertising campaign, titled “Believing Changes Everything,” marks a remarkable milestone as it is the first instance where a major advertiser for a big game has crafted multiple commercials tailor-made for local markets. These location-specific ads will specifically target Kansas City Chiefs’ fans, Cleveland Browns’ fans, and Houston Texans’ fans through broadcast television, while reaching out to Chicago Bears’ and Denver Broncos’ fans through social media channels. Additionally, a general market film will also be broadcast on television in Chicago, Denver, Baltimore, Orlando, Colorado Springs, and Cincinnati. Each of these localized commercials speaks directly to the emotional connection that fans in these cities share and culminates with an inspirational message, encouraging them to envision a triumphant future for their beloved teams in the upcoming season.

“This is about believing. Believing so hard that you book your flight to next year’s big game before the season even starts,” says Chandler. “Because believing that hard can change everything.”

Since United Airlines implemented its policy in 2020, over 10 million customers have taken advantage of the flexibility to modify their flights without incurring change fees. During this period:

• 3.6 million individuals adjusted the departure or arrival times of their flights.
• 1.8 million travelers opted to extend the duration of their trips.
• 1.5 million passengers selected alternate departure or arrival airports.
• 300,000 people transitioned from domestic to international flights, or vice versa.
• Additionally, the number of passengers utilizing United’s cutting-edge app to make their own flight changes has doubled.

“This simple policy change has had a dramatic impact on our customers and the overall experience of flying United,” said Linda Jojo, United’s Chief Customer Officer. “You can book with confidence knowing that even if your – or your teams’ – plans change, United has your back.”

United Airlines boasts a rich and extensive history of collaborations with professional football teams, some spanning over half a century. Currently, the airline maintains partnerships with eight teams, cementing its enduring commitment to the sport. Notably, United proudly holds the official airline status for the San Francisco 49ers and serves as the official commercial airline for the Kansas City Chiefs. For the upcoming weekend’s game in Las Vegas, United will be responsible for flying both of these prominent teams to and from the event.

Furthermore, United Airlines consistently goes the extra mile to facilitate fan attendance at away games. This year, they are stepping up their game, offering their most extensive big game schedule to date. This includes the introduction of 43 new direct flights, featuring special flight numbers like UA 1989 and UA 1587 originating from Kansas City, as well as UA 1995 and UA 1845 departing from San Francisco. These efforts underscore United’s commitment to enhancing the fan experience and supporting their favorite teams on the road.

”Everyone tuning into the game isn’t feeling the same way, in fact, the majority of fans are watching someone else’s team play. This presented a unique creative opportunity to make an ad that speaks directly to the cities and fanbases who are already looking ahead to next season. By producing market-specific commercials, we can avoid the sport cliches that are all-too-common this time of year and demonstrate that United is standing with fans of the local team who are already excited about next season,” said Maggie Schmerin, United’s Chief Advertising Officer.

The “Believing Changes Everything” films were directed by two-time Oscar winner Chloé Zhao and produced in partnership with United’s creative agency of record, 72andSunny.

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