Airline Under Fire for Risqué Ads Balks at Wholesome Ad Featuring Fluffy Baby Chickens

For Immediate Release:
February 2, 2009

Contact:
Lindsay Rajt 757-622-7382

Miramar, Fla. -- After learning that the Association of Flight Attendants–Communications Workers of America (AFA-CWA) is battling Spirit Airlines over a series of controversial ads, PETA is asking the union to back its effort to place a wholesome ad on the tray tables in Spirit’s planes. So far, Spirit has rebuffed PETA's attempts to place the ad, which features fluffy yellow chicks and urges passengers to "let birds keep their wings" by adopting a vegetarian diet.  

"Spirit's rejection of our G-rated ad just doesn't fly," says PETA Vice President Tracy Reiman. "Not only would our ad help make the friendly skies friendlier for animals, it will help passengers adopt a heart-friendlier diet." 

PETA's letter to AFA-CWA president Patricia A. Friend follows and can be found on PETA's blog.

February 2, 2009 

Patricia A. Friend, International President
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA 

Dear Ms. Friend,

I am writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our more than 2 million members and supporters worldwide with a suggestion that may help in your dispute with Spirit Airlines over the company's ads. 

Recently, PETA contacted Spirit in an attempt to purchase ad space for our "Let Birds Keep Their Wings" advertisement (attached), which promotes a vegetarian diet, but Spirit refused. It seems that Spirit is willing to accept ads with explicit sexual content but not ads that simply advocate compassion for animals. Will the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA support our efforts to run our family-friendly, nonsexual ad on Spirit Airlines flights? By doing so, the union would also draw attention to the fact that Spirit does have other advertising options if it were to listen to you and abandon the ads that you object to. 

I'm sure that you have many vegetarians in your membership, but almost everyone is upset by the idea that chickens often have their throats cut while they are still conscious and that many are scalded to death in defeathering tanks, which is what goes on in the chicken business today. Most people are also interested in the fact that vegetarians tend to be healthier, with lower rates of cancer and heart disease, and significantly lighter than meat-eaters are. We joke that promoting meat-free diets to Spirit customers may help ensure that passengers won't be carrying "extra baggage" on their next flight. And no flight attendant wants to give mouth-to-mouth to a potbellied businessman after he suffers a heart attack that may have been linked to his meat-heavy diet! 

May we count on your support to run our ad on Spirit airlines? The company's rejection of our nonsexual pro-vegetarian ad simply doesn't fly. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Sincerely,
Jenny Lou Browning
Special Projects Coordinator