United Airlines chose Edelman as the company’s first PR agency of record, finalizing a process that began in October 2009. PRNewser first reported on the company’s agency search.

Robin Urbanski, Media Relations Manager at United Airlines told PRNewser in late January, “We are in the last stages of review with some finalists.” The process took the airliner longer than expected.

One of the reasons for that could be because the company cast “an amazingly wide net,” as Ketchum CEO Ray Kotcher told PRNewser. We had heard more than 20 agencies were invited to pitch.

Edelman won a three year contract. Budget was not disclosed. United also did not disclose other agencies involved in the pitch, according to PRWeek.