Billboard boasts fly over routes to Shanghai: United, American duke it out near O'Hare

It seems United Airlines, newly emerged from bankruptcy, justcan't resist yanking the chains of its longtime archrival AmericanAirlines, the world's largest carrier.

First, there was the unusually pointed campaign United waged inprint and on television last year to remind travelers of its roomyEconomy Plus section in the carrier's coach cabins. Hardlycoincidentally, that ad campaign was launched just as Americandecided to do away with its competitive "More Room Throughout Coach"seating arrangement in economy that offered all passengers seatedthere more leg space.

Now United is engaged in a dueling billboards battle at O'HareAirport suggesting its archrival is just a johnny-come-lately to thehuge and potentially hugely lucrative Asian market.

As is well known by now, American Airlines, a carrier already well-entrenched in Europe and South America, on April 2 launched its firstservice to mainland China, a daily nonstop flight on a Boeing 777from O'Hare Airport to the sleekly modern Pudong InternationalAirport in Shanghai. The rapidly evolving Chinese metropolis ofnearly 20 million people now has nearly double the number ofskyscrapers found in New York City, along with hugely sophisticatedhotel, dining and shopping options.

As American Airlines executives made clear during elaboratelychoreographed launch ceremonies on April 2 for its new Shanghairoute, the battle to get permission to fly to China was a hard-fought, 14-year ordeal that these same execs hope won't have to berepeated before American is granted additional routes.

To tout the inauguration of service to Shanghai, a giant billboardoverhanging the entrance road to O'Hare that has been used toadvertise AA's services for many years now presents a boldannouncement of the new service in both Chinese script and plainEnglish.

But United, which became a far more aggressive marketer inbankruptcy than before, apparently decided it wasn't about to letAmerican bask in the glory of its first-ever Chinese route withoutsome response.

So, at a location quite near to the American billboard, driversexiting O'Hare will find another equally giant outdoor sign, done upwith a drawing of the Great Wall of China and the bold reminder thatUnited can lay claim to being the veteran provider of service tomainland China.

The dueling billboards are providing the info and a bit of fun.Now it will be up to travelers to decide whether to go with theveteran or a newcomer eager to make a good first impression.

e-mail: llazare@suntimes.com