• by Fern Siegel , Yesterday

United Airlines is eager to push Newark (EWR) as the better airport hub for New Yorkers over JFK. To promote its message, yellow cab taxi-top ads show drive-time savings.

The OOH creative is by 72andSunny and sports catchy phrases such as: "Ready When EWR."

The digital work is carried on nearly 800 taxis in New York to highlight Newark as the faster option. The advertising carries the cab’s exact location and ETA to the two airports.

“We loved the idea of giving New Yorkers information that’s genuinely useful as they go about their days and plan travel,” Maggie Schmerin, Chief Advertising Officer at United Airlines, told Agency Daily. “By using real-time data right on top of taxis, we can remind people that choosing Newark can save them time, in addition to connecting them to our leading global network. It’s a powerful, effective message — and we’re excited to see it moving through Manhattan.” 

Important to note: United does not serve JFK. It pulled out of the JFK routes in 2015, facing stiff competition from Delta and American.

United at Newark reports it had its best operational summer ever and Newark emerged as themost on-time airport in the New York City area over the recent Thanksgiving travel rush. 

United operates more than 350 daily flights to over 160 destinations worldwide from EWR. From Dec. 18 through Jan. 6, United says it will carry more than 1 million passengers through the Newark airport. The airline plans to hire more than 2,500 Newark employees between 2025-2026 and says it will be the first airline to purchase sustainable aviation fuel for use there.

However, in future, JetBlue will provide United access to slots at JFK for up to seven daily round-trip flights out of Terminal 6, expected to begin as early as 2027, according to Live And Let's Fly.