I'm sorry, this is a silly defence of an obvious gaff on the part of someone paid to promote a product. No one would have consciously put that tag-line there.
Anyone who can really intimate that, of all the tag-lines available, that one was the appropriate one for anything south of 25th was just playing devil's advocate.
Put up a United Ad. Make sure it doesn't have any possible double-entendre relation to the most consistently difficult event the last two generations of 90% of your client-base has ever witnessed. this isn't rocket-science.
This wasn't intentional, that was clear via its removal. But the idea that the add itslef was a "good" idea is silly. Whether it was dramatically offensive? That depends on perspective. Whether it was the most effective use of the space paid for: I look forward to someone explaining how that is true? Don't give me the "buzz" explanation either. No company wants to be on Drudge. Fact.
Cheers,
ORD-LIH