United Airlines is considering selling a new type of “bare fare” ticket that would include the flight but would charge extra for checking bags, getting an assigned seat or earning frequent-flier miles. Air Canada already offers similar low-level fares with fees for extra features.
Other ideas announced last week include selling passengers one-day premier frequent-flier status and offering one-day passes to the airline’s Red Carpet Club.
Additional business news briefs:
Ritter’s musical turn of the page
Gov.-elect Bill Ritter has received dozens of introductions while campaigning across the state for office. But he never had one quite like what the South Metro Chamber of Commerce gave him Tuesday morning at its annual economic forecast breakfast.
The chamber has its own singing group, and they introduced Ritter with a rendition of Bob Seger’s classic “Turn the Page,” lyrics modified by Brian Vogt, the state’s top economic development official.
“Later in the evening as the votes were piled high.
“With thoughts of a majority beginnin’ now to rise.
“He’ll wake up in the morning, and be holdin’ the big prize.”
(Duet with back-up oohs)
“Ah, here he comes, our new governor, Here he comes, up on the stage. There he goes, being the star again, There he goes, turn the page.”
Ritter, off the road since winning the election, called the introduction the most creative and fun he had received.
EW makes up for TDA ad freezeout
TDA Advertising & Design wanted to make a splash with two new ads it designed for Entertainment Weekly for client Cloudveil Mountain Works.
The purpose was to introduce the Jackson, Wyo., mountain gear company, which is doing the official outwear at next month’s Sundance Film Festival, to the Hollywood crowd.
Imagine their surprise when the magazine declined to run their ads. One ad pictured a mock Aspen street sign stating, “Silicone implants begin to freeze at -10 degrees Fahrenheit.”
The other read: “We wanted celebrities visiting ski towns to know about us. It was either run an ad in this magazine, or become Scientologists.”
“It’s kind of an out-of-place piece of media for Cloudveil, so we wanted to recognize that it in a way,” said Jonathan Schoenberg, creative director and partner at the Boulder- based agency. “It was like, ‘Let’s admit we don’t fit in and embrace it.”‘
The magazine did feel bad about turning down the spots, said Schoenberg, and gave Cloudveil a free national ad.
“They’ve been pretty cool about it,” he said. “They didn’t have a sense of the humor about the ads, but I couldn’t be happier about getting that space.”
FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
