UAL Corp., Just Freedom

Like its "Rising" ad campaign made to appeal to disgruntled travelers, United Airlines is working on rising in the gay community, too.

The nation's largest carrier debuted its first gay-specific print ads in national gay magazines and newspapers in the top seven markets. United has run its mainstream "Rising" campaign since early 1997 in national gay magazines and gay newspapers in the top seven markets.

Shortly thereafter, though, the airline became embroiled in a dispute with the city of San Francisco over domestic partnership benefit issues. It was a suddenly tenuous position for the airline -- freshly pursuing the market while defending a lack of gay employee benefits.

In late July 1999, United announced plans to extend domestic partnership benefits to its gay employees, though its dispute of San Francisco's Equal Benefits Ordinance continues along with the rest of the airline industry. The airlines maintained in their suit that the city had no right to issue rules affecting a federally-regulated industry.

"As we have said from the very outset, this case has never been about gay and lesbian rights," said United Chief Executive Officer James Goodwin in a press release announcing the benefits extension. "What we oppose -- and we will continue to oppose -- are local municipalities intruding upon the federal domain by attempting to legislate the employee benefits packages of companies like airlines doing business nationwide. We value diversity at United, both among our employees and among our customers. We are not merely complying with the San Francisco ordinance as the court has ruled, but are offering a broader package of domestic partner benefits to our employees and retirees."

A spokesman noted that United was a sponsor of 60 gay organizations nationwide, with another 30 groups locally in the airline's hometown of Chicago.

While United was the first major U.S. airline to target the gay community with advertising in June 1997, smaller carriers beat United to the market years earlier, including London-based Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1994 and tiny Kiwi International Airlines (now defunct) in 1995.