United Airlines’ clever taxi-top marketing gambit last year in New York City was not only timely and eye-catching. It also turned out to be an award-winning entry in the prestigious annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity late last month in Cannes, France. United’s ad agency of record McGarryBowen New York City outfitted 125 New York City taxis with GPS software to show a real-time comparison of travel times between Manhattan and both JFK, where United arch-rivals Delta Air Lines and American Airlines have major operations, and Newark Liberty International, United’s principal hub for the New York City region. Beyond the awards, the United advertising scheme helped to subvert the notion in many travellers’ minds that JFK is a shorter travel time from Manhattan than is Newark Liberty. <br/>
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The flaws in New Delhi’s ambitious plans to privatise major parts of Indian industry have been exposed by the botched attempt to sell Air India, experts have warned, as ministers admit it will be years before the airline is sold. Ministers and officials have said there were no immediate plans to offload the highly-indebted carrier, following the govt’s failure to attract a single potential bidder for the company. And experts warn the problems that derailed that process were likely to hinder other attempts to sell high-profile companies, whether in the oil, military or banking sectors. Ministers have blamed “market conditions” for the failure, referring largely to rising oil prices, which have knocked the finances of India’s private airlines and made them wary of such a major investment. <br/>
Air NZ has teamed up with Silicon Valley start-up Impossible Foods to serve a burger without meat to premium customers. The plant-based Impossible Burger will be available as part of its Business Premier menu on flights NZ1 and NZ5 from Los Angeles to Auckland until late October. The burger's key ingredient is an iron-containing molecule called heme, which comes from the roots of soy plants and is the same as the heme found in animal meat. The result is a plant-based burger patty that cooks, smells and tastes like beef but contains no animal products. Air NZ's in-flight customer experience manager Niki Chave said the plant-based option tasted just like the real deal. "We're confident vegetarians, flexitarians and dedicated meat lovers alike will enjoy the delicious taste.'' <br/>