This Was United's Theme

The United Airlines is fundamentally intertwined with George Gershwin’s 1924 Rhapsody in Blue. It’s hard to imagine that when Continental Airlines management took over they considered dropping the song which the airline has used since the 1980s. United was the first commercial brand ever to license it, for an annual fee of $300,000 at the time.

The Gershwin piece was used on board and in commercials, but also in a version that was recorded for the "trippy tunnel" connecting United concourses at O'Hare.

This song wasn't used often by United. The environmental sound of muzak was the subject of Brian Eno's music for airports. That is the sound United used to make.

Friendly Skies and Flight of the Phoenix to Halfway to Paradise were background music for United in the 1960s.

Paul H. is the author.

I wanted to come up with the very best songs about travel after watching 13 best movies about travel. It's not a play list for the road, it's about borrowing someone else's music.

In general.

There are things that evoke travel. It wasn't supposed to be like this, but George Gershwin's song means United Airlines. I suppose Westin's 'white tea' smell is more well known than Portico's 'white ginger' smell. The flavors of sandwiches...

In airports.

The New York Times piece about United's new advertising campaign that was supposed to evoke the classic slogan "fly the friendly skies" was flagged by United's account. The campaign doesn't actually use the phrase, but it does use words on screen.

In general.