UNITED AIRLINES ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIP OF FIFAWORLDCUP.COM
Bangkok--May 29--124 Communications UNITED AIRLINES ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIP OF FIFAWORLDCUP.COM THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE 2002 FIFA WORLD CUP KOREA/JAPAN Marketing Program Introduces 'United Time Converter' on FIFAworldcup.com, Leverages United's Worldwide Web Sites and Booking Engine, and Offers Visibility on Yahoo! Network United Airlines announced today, the carrier is sponsoring FIFAworldcup.com (http://www.FIFAworldcup.com), the Official Website of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan. The program brings together several consumer offerings across FIFAworldcup.com, United's worldwide Web sites and booking engine, as well as promotional opportunities for United Mileage Plus members in conjunction with FIFAworldcup.com. Through the agreement, United is sponsoring several aspects of FIFAworldcup.com, which is expected to draw record traffic during the 2002 FIFA World Cup this summer, including: - "United Time Converter" - an online tool that enables football fans globally to instantly convert FIFA World Cup match start times (occurring in Japan and Korea) into their own local time; - FIFAworldcup.com promotions and sweepstakes, including the opportunity to enter for a chance to win trips to the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals; VIP premium package includes semi-final and final games for two people, 6 nights hotel accommodations and airfare for two to Tokyo; - FIFAworldcup.com Mileage Plus Auction: beginning in mid-April, United's Mileage Plus members can bid on united.com/auctions using their personal Mileage Plus miles for tickets (offered by FIFAworldcup.com) and trips to the FIFA World Cup; - Links to United's global booking engines - a service on the Destination Asia section of FIFAworldcup.com that provides the ability to book trips to the FIFA World Cup; - Additional visibility on Yahoo!'s global network, reaching 219 million monthly unique visitors worldwide; - Branding visibility through various multi-media advertising units across the official site. "As a global airline serving five continents, the worldwide appeal of football makes sponsorship of FIFAworldcup.com a natural fit for United," said Herman Tiemens, United's marketing manager for Asia and the South Pacific. "This sponsorship is a logical extension of our strategy to align with elite sporting events of interest to our global customer base. And our extensive network to Asia allows us to offer football fans an excellent option for their travel plans to the games." FIFA is the Federation Internationale de Football Association, the world governing body of football -- or soccer, as many know it. The 64-match World Cup soccer tournament will be held May 31 - June 30, in both Korea and Japan. United Airlines offers more than 1,800 flights a day on a route network that spans the globe. United is a major airline in the Pacific region, serving 12 destinations and is a founding member of the Star Alliance. In Thailand, United operates daily flights to Tokyo and connect to 5 major destinations in the US. For more information, please contact: Uracha Jaktaranon Chaiwat Simawatana 124 Communications Co.,Ltd. Tel 0-2662-2266 End. -AN-
