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