United Airlines will have one of those always-exciting Hollywood moments this summer when the new “Spider-Man: Far From Home” film debuts in North American theaters on July 5.
United has a featured role in the newest of the popular Spider-Man series of movies. The story this time centers on Spider-Man’s (nee Peter Parker) plan to vacation in Europe with pals.
Parker and pals fly over to London, England on United since Spider-Man (amazingly) does not possess the power to fly.
United’s presence in the movie gives the Chicago-based carrier an opportunity to show off its new Polaris international business class product to millions of fans of the Marvel Comics character all over the world.
A number of United employees also had fun appearing in the film and working behind the scenes on the shoot, which included location work at United’s hub Newark Liberty International Airport and Stanstead Airport in London, a secondary airport serving the London region.
Members of United’s tech ops, inflight, flight operations and airport operations teams all had a hand in the movie-making.
Los Angeles-based United mechanic Fernando Melendez, a veteran of several Hollywood film shoots, said this was his favorite.
When production on the film shifted to Stanstead Airport, he and four other LAX-based tech ops employees went over to look after the United widebody Boeing (NYSE: BA) 777 that appears in the Spider-Man movie.
Noted Melendez: “When we parked the plane at Stanstead, there were lights and cameras surrounding us. It was like the plane was the star of the movie. Pretty much the airplane was our responsibility; we opened it in the morning and closed it at night. We were the first ones there and the last ones to leave every day."
”San Francisco-based United flight attendant Tammy Harris also had a bit part in a scene shot on board the United plane. Noted Harris: “It was extremely surreal. I was in my element because I was on the plane in uniform, but not really because I’m not an actor.”
Now Harris is eager to see if she made the final cut. “Hopefully I’ll have my two seconds of fame and all will be well,” said Harris.
A United spokeswoman today declined to say if United paid for the high-profile product placement, though that is often the case in such arrangements. Rather the United spokesman talked of the deal as a "partnership" with Columbia Pictures, which is releasing the film in conjunction with Marvel Studios.
United Airlines is a unit of United Continental Holdings (NASDAQ: UAL)
