History
Ted Airlines was meant to be United Airline's low-cost carrier. On February 12 of 2004, it began service to the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico, with the Denver International Airport as its hub. However, Ted couldn't compete with other budget airlines, and folded back into the main United Airlines brand in January 2009.
Namesake
"Ted" is simply the last three letters of "United"--the friendly name was supposed to make the low-cost brand more personable. It's still not clear if fliers were confused or amused by the name.
Features
Although Ted Airlines flew passengers to about 23 destinations, the Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, San Francisco International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport were its focus. The airline's fleet had a total of 57 planes.
Fun Fact
Ted Airlines planes offered unique amenities, like "TedTunes," a radio with 12 music stations and a channel for air traffic control, and "Tedevision," videos that could be watched throughout the flight with a personal LCD screen. However, there was no first-class seating, as the airline targeted travelers on a budget. The only options for passengers were "economy" and "economy plus."
Warning
Ted Airlines is no longer in operation. Anyone seeking airfare through the carrier is unfortunately on a wild goose chase. However, as of 2009 United Airlines is still very much around. Other popular budget airlines in the United States include Frontier, JetBlue and Spirit.
