Onboard Review: United's New Low-Cost Line

United launched its discount Ted carrier last week, which replaced some regular United service to such cities as Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Francisco, New Orleans and Los Angeles. The airline promised that no one-way Ted fare would ever go above $299. Taking Ted from San Francisco to Las Vegas costs $219, far cheaper than a regular United flight on the same route ($710) or than an America West flight ($347). But like the new paint job, most of Ted's other changes seem superficial. The staff were United attendants wearing orange baseball caps and TED'S FRIEND buttons. Passengers on flights of more than 2 1/2 hours were offered a menu of low-carb meals. The promised Tedvision, however, turned out to be a single channel of recycled cable programming. More entertaining was the rap performed by at least one attendant: "Ted, Ted, that's the name/You're going to find out it's not the same."