United Airlines in rethink on £60m Zenith account

United Airlines is reviewing its &£60m global media planning and buying account held by Zenith Media.

A spokesman for the struggling airline confirms it is “examining the media options for 2003” but says it will be working with Zenith for the rest of the year. The review will be overseen by the airline’s Chicago-based director of marketing, Jerry Dow. Zenith was appointed to the account in January 2001.

The spokesman adds there are no plans to review the company’s advertising account, held by Fallon Worldwide. The company spent &£3.5m on UK advertising in the year to June (AC Nielsen/MMS).

Like other US airlines, United Airlines has been struggling with over-capacity and an economic slump, exacerbated by the effects of the September 11 terrorist attacks last year. Two out of the four planes that were hijacked in the attacks were United Airlines flights.

In August the airline warned it was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and had negotiated labour cost-savings worth $5bn (&£3.2bn) over the next five years with unions. Rival carrier US Airways has already filed for Chapter 11 protection.

United Airlines launched its first European television advertising campaign since September 11 in May this year. The ads, which run until the end of the year, adopt a humorous approach to the rigours of business travel.