United Tries To Spoil Debut Of Ex-Partner

Dulles-based Independence Air's first flight isn't scheduled for another two weeks, but that's not stopping United Airlines from trying to make the launch as difficult as possible.

Last week, United e-mailed thousands of its Washington area frequent fliers to tout the difference between its award program and the one offered by Independence. The new low-cost, low-fare carrier is being formed by Atlantic Coast Airlines, United's former marketing partner at Dulles before their relationship soured in a financial dispute.

Independence immediately fought back with a complaint to the U.S. Department of Transportation, claiming the campaign contained distorted and inaccurate information about its program.

If an administrative judge finds United guilty, the airline could be fined $25,000, DOT spokesman Bill Mosley said.

Kerry Skeen, Independence Air's chairman and chief executive, said he expected competition from United, but nothing like this.

"I don't know if there's hard feelings on their part and they're upset that we left the program, but this is a pretty irrational approach," he said.

In the e-mail, United said an Independence customer "would have to fly this route 17 times" between Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and Dulles to qualify for a free ticket. But a United customer, the message said, would have to fly the route only six times. The e-mail said the calculation was based on the lowest round-trip fare between the two airports -- $178.20.

As a further jab, United reminded its frequent fliers that it has more locations than Independence Air, whose destinations it said are currently are "all east of the Mississippi."

United's example, however, was a little creative. Although it cited a round-trip fare in its example, the 17 flights are one-way, not round-trip. So, as Independence spokesman Rick DeLisi correctly pointed out, the traveler would need 8 1/2 round trips with this example, not 17.

Also, DeLisi said, United's example assumes the traveler purchases the cheapest ticket each time. If the traveler purchases a more expensive ticket, it would take even fewer trips to earn the free ticket.