Let's cut through all the marketing and name hype about United's new Low Cost Carrier.  Here are the important items to know:

Excerpts from Reuters and United's Intranet:

• United Airlines, the world's second-largest airline, on Wednesday said it has named its fledgling low-cost carrier venture 'Ted'.

• Tickets for Ted will go on sale Nov. 18.

• Ted represents the last three letters in the United brand name. The bankrupt parent company, UAL Corp., is attempting through the new venture to recapture market share lost to low-cost competitors.

• Ted will operate A320 aircraft currently in United's fleet with United employees to United markets.

• Ted will begin flights in February, starting with four planes with 156 seats each, 18 more than United's other mainline A320s.

• By early April 2004, there will be 106 daily Ted flights in the following markets:

  • Denver-Ft. Lauderdale, one round-trip;

  • Denver-Las Vegas, nine round-trips;

  • Denver-Orlando, four round-trips;

  • Denver-New Orleans, three round-trips; 

  • Denver-Ontario, Calif., four round-trips;

  • Denver-Phoenix, eight round-trips;

  • Denver-Reno, three round-trips;

  • Denver-Tampa, three round-trips;

  • Las Vegas-Los Angeles, seven round-trips;

  • Las Vegas-San Francisco, seven round-trips; and

  • Phoenix-San Francisco, four round-trips.
     

• Ted will not overlap mainline or United Express routes. However, extra weekend flights may be scheduled with mainline aircraft due to increases in seasonal travel demand.

• Ted will provide service from Denver to:

  • Las Vegas and Reno;

  • Ontario, Calif.;

  • Phoenix, Ariz.;

  • New Orleans, La.;

  • Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Fla

• Ted will also fly between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, between Las Vegas and San Francisco and between San Francisco and Phoenix.

Here's what the Ted aircraft will look like: