United Airlines passengers were greeted with a stark message on their seat back entertainment screens when they boarded a recent flight to Chicago O’Hare. The airline’s message to its customers: BITE ME, or rather every seat back screen showed the greeting: “Welcome aboard flight BITEME1 to Chicago.”
Several commenters thought this was appropriate for the state of United today, “Finally, an honest frequent‑flyer program name” and “United’s new Saver award code: BITEME1.” Perhaps the best overall line,
On behalf of the flight crew, I’d like to welcome you aboard BITEME One. I’m your captain LEEERROYYY JENKINNNNS – enjoy the flight, we’ll just wing it like my raid group.
Roughly half of internet commentators laugh it off (“If this genuinely makes you mad, you need to take it easy. Life isn’t that serious.”) while the other half call it “unprofessional.”
- This wasn’t the pilots, who don’t have an interface to that field. They do not interact with the inflight entertainment system.
- Most likely this was accidentally left by maintenance. Techs frequently type nonsense placeholders while working on the inflight entertainment – and it got left there without the field being reset. They’re currently rolling out new software.
Back in the fall, United Airlines passengers were targeted for a phone sex ad on the backs of their screens. United, of course, has a plan to monetize the eyeballs of customers sitting on their planes. And they do have tremendous troves of data and know a lot about their customers…
(HT: Paddle Your Own Kanoo)
The future United Airlines in-flight entertainment software update will include sufficient space to display the full passenger welcome greeting message, “BITE ME United CEO Scott Kirby.”
Why not have a little fun. Gentle ribbing. Reminds me of quasi-regular on here, @Mike Hunt, if that really is your ‘real’ name and not just a ‘bit,’ because phonetically, if you say it quick… my c…
@ 1990. When a computer system on an aircraft is compromised that’s not a good thing. No telling what other systems have been hacked.
a shot across the bow from United’s mechanics’ union that wants a new contract – and far better than what the FAs are having foisted on them.
I don’t care who you are, that’s funny.
Mike Hunt?
Mike Hunt?
Has anybody seen Mike Hunt?
From the movie, Porkys
I think most of the country has been wanting to tell Chicago that for a few years now…
I think most of the country has been wanting to tell Chicago that for a few years now…
Funny as shi*t. People need to lighten up.
@ 1990 — “Cute”… the double entendre, that is !
@ Jerome WILLINGham – Sorry I haven’t seen ‘him’ but hope you locate ‘him’ shortly !!!
(and thanks for the citation- I should check out that flick ! )
LOL …
My apologies… I know it’s juvenile, but I still couldn’t resist ….
Based on that sense of humor, UA just might be my new preferred ‘perverted’ carrier of choice !
It certainly beats the usual inflight ‘entertainment’ of the nude, drunken, drugged assaultive pax !
Enquiring minds need to know if it was a consequence of poor mechanic contractual morale or actual negligence !!
To me, Leroy Jenkins will always reference the 70s televangelist from Ohio. Who sold “miracle water” from the well on his property.
To anyone who cried over this, please feel free to pick up a Butthurt Form on the way out to leave further feedback.
THAT is hysterical. Maybe UAL (hey AA, this might apply to you, too!) will get the hint to take better care of their staff. “Squeezing a buffalo nickel until the buffalo craps” is NOT the way to treat the employees because that mentality IMMEDIATELY affects the customer. The customer is the one that pays your salary!
At a hospital where I worked someone programmed the pneumatic tube system screens to say ” Epstein did not kill himself”
Funny as he’ll but they lost their job.