In the summer of 2011 a friend, and fellow airlineguy, and I took a train excursion on Amtrak from Chicago to Seattle on the California Zephyr and Coast Starlight (read about that here). However, it was on the flight from Atlanta to Chicago that we met a flight attendant named Debbie. She was no ordinary Debbie. She was Debbie Delta!
“Debbie Delta” is a nickname given to a FA who is Delta through and through. She’s Southern. Gracious. Loves her job. And loves Delta! We’ve met a couple of Debbie Delta’s that are guys, but that’s another story we can share later.
This Debbie was all of the aforementioned. She was kind. Talkative Thoughtful. Funny; a real spitfire. As we got to know her on the flight she let us know that she was from Monroe, Louisiana – The Home of Delta Air Lines. How cool is that! Think about it. What are the chances that Debbie from Monroe, Louisana; would one day go to work for Delta as a FA, and become a real Debbie Delta? Will the real Debbie Delta please stand up!
The other day while at Crew Outfitters Debbie stopped by. We immediately recognized each other. It was so nice to see her. Having not seen each other since that flight from Atlanta to Chicago back in 2011, we had lots of catching up to do. One of the things we shared was that she had just celebrated her 38th year of flying! After 38 years, she stills enjoys her job. Loves the customer interactions. Loves Delta. You’d think with this kind of seniority she’d be flying international. But no, she’s done her share of international flying and chooses now to fly domestic trips (“nothing over two and a half hours”). That’s the beauty of this job – there’s a little bit for everyone.
We also shared some pics from back in the day when she began her flying career. From what we hear there were some crazy, fun times in the lower galley of the L1011! To have been a flight attendant during the 70s would have been the best – the colorful interiors, the funky uniforms, the numerous domestic widebody flights, the well-behaved passengers. Ahhh…
Lower galley L1011 – early 1970s. Look at those regulation shoes! 🙂
Seeing Debbie was special. It got us to thinking though. Okay, we know the nickname for Delta FAs who are engaged, love their jobs, love their airline – Debbie Delta’s.
airlineguys and Debbie Delta
Help us out fellow avgeeks, What names are giving to FAs at other airlines who embody that particular airlines’ culture?
You may wonder why we occasionally post and comment about music, music videos, and the latest musical acts. No Doubt and Lana del Rey have been two musical acts on our radar lately.
No Doubt
Lana del Rey
Little do most people know, we used to program boarding music for our former airline. What? That’s right, program boarding music. You may think, oh there’s nothing to that. Well, let us tell you, there was plenty of thought and consideration that went in to it.
Einstein used a formula E = mc2. So did we! We used the bell-shaped curve to guide us in our musical selection (more on this later). And we also had the good fortune of collaborating with a lovely woman named Danette Christine who is founder and president of SoundTrack Marketing. As a musician and singer, she has a way with music. As a entrepreneur, she understands the ins and outs of the music business. We connected on so many levels.
You can’t deny the transformative nature of music. Music has a way of influencing people, places, and situations. Think about the last time you were at a bar, restaurant, club, or store. Did you take the time to listen to the music in the background/foreground? Chances are it wasn’t haphazardly put together. Lots of consideration is given to creating the “right” atmosphere. The right ambiance.
When programming music for boarding we were considerate of the atmosphere we were creating. In years past many airlines had no boarding music at all or used classical music. The thought behind using classical music was that it had a calming effect. Where this may be true, it’s not very contemporary in today’s environment to play classical boarding music. Our assignment was to make a difference in the boarding experience. We were given creative license to create the best boarding experience for the customer through music. So, we chose contemporary tunes (Gwen Stefani, Luther Vandross, Beyonce, Celine, Jason Mraz, etc), oldies-but-goodies (Spinners, Jackson 5, etc), as well as an “ambient mix” of groovy sounds.
During our assignment we constantly, and still do, listen for new music. The app Shazam has become our friend. Each month we would add songs to our list for possible boarding music choices. On our monthly conference calls with Danette we would discuss the selections for a possible playlist. We would present our list and suggestions and Danette would present hers. Each song would then be reviewed for sound, lyrics, and placement in the lineup. Each playlist lasted between 30 and 45 minutes. Here’s where the bell-shaped curve came in. The “science” was to begin the boarding music with a mid-tempo. The mid-tempo would welcome on the first class and elite customers. Once general boarding began the tempo would increase a bit. The rationale was that as the majority of customers boarded the boarding the music would get them moving expeditiously to their seats. As boarding came to an end the songs in the boarding playlist would return to a mid-tempo.
Bell-shaped curve used for boarding music
Besides creating an experience for the customer, we also had to be cognizant of the cabin crew; they would be listening to the music playlist for a complete month. So, we made sure to choose tunes that didn’t grate or irritate them. The term that we used to describe this condition was “music fatigue”; hearing the same tune over and over again to the point of exhaustion. Definitely not the experience we wanted to create for our fellow cabin crew.
Our collaboration with SoundTrack Marketing proved very popular and lasted for 1 and 1/2 years. We received (and still do receive) positive comments from flight crews and from customers on a consistent basis. They really enjoyed the “freshness” of the music, the selections we chose, and the diversity of those selections. On occasion we’re asked by cabin crew to come back and program the music again. We’d gladly do it all over again!
Yesterday we were speaking with a flight attendant, when Darin asked her how long she’d been flying. At 39 years we were impressed. She let us know that she began her flying career 39 years ago at Hughes Airwest. Having grown up in the West (Phoenix and Vegas), Darin was very familiar with the airline that was “Top Banana”. As conversation continued she let us in on a little known secret; she had a small part in a Hughes Airwest commercial. We were like, “Which one?” She said are you familiar with the “Yes” commercial? And we were like YES! So, we immediately went to YouTube and there she was!
Ulda says “Yes!”
We love old airline commercials. The dancing. The singing. The jingles. Everyone, the crew, the passengers; seemed like they were having the best time. Maybe that’s why we like these commercials so much. Today’s airline commercials pale in comparison to the airline commercials of yesteryear.
As it turns out Ulda was very fascinating. In 39 years she’s flown all over the world. Nowadays she flies mostly South American routes. From our conversation it’s obvious she still enjoys her job. When we asked her what has kept her in the business for 39 years her response was, “”Places to go. People to meet.” She mentioned how everyday is an adventure and that she’s a gypsy at heart; always on the go, always looking for a new experience. When asked what the biggest challenge was with flying, she said that the traveling public doesn’t quite understand the role of the flight attendant anymore.
It’s pretty amazing the things you can learn about people when you take the time to listen and share. Thanks Ulda!
About 3 weeks ago we read an article about a little known company named Air Hollywood. The article was about their “K-9 Flight School” whereby they train dogs to be comfortable in and around airports and airplanes. As lovers of dogs we were very intrigued. As lovers of all things aviation (some would say we’re geeks), we were enthralled by Air Hollywood. We promptly connected with Air Hollywood to inquire about taking a tour of this very unique studio. To our surprise, and delight, they answered our inquiry with enthusiasm. We quickly set up a visit.
Nestled in an industrial park near Northridge CA, a suburb of Los Angeles, is an unassuming studio. There are no ornate gates to welcome you, no electric golf carts whizzing executives from set to set, no reserved parking spaces with famous movie stars names emblazoned on them. What we found was a small team of enthusiastic, funny, accommodating folks charting a path as a niche studio.
Air Hollywood, which opened in 2001, is the world’s largest aviation-themed studio. Their client list includes major motion picture studios, television networks, and film schools from around the globe. Films and commercials utilizing Air Hollywood’s sets and props include: “Elizabethtown” starring Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom; critically acclaimed TV series “Lost”; comedy film “Bridesmaids” starring Kristen Wiig; and the Ameriquest commercial, “Don’t Judge Too Quickly”, to name a few. In addition to airplane mock-ups, Air Hollywood provides airport terminal sets, prop rentals, set design, a fear of flying program, and they license stock footage. Very ambitious to say the least.
Leading the team is founder and CEO Talaat Captan; a movie producer who experienced the challenges first-hand of filming in and around airports. And these challenges became more evident after the events of September 11th. It was through these challenging experiences that Talaat set out to create an aviation world that would be very realistic and one that would be much easier to work within. And hence, Air Hollywood took off.
The rest of the team included Rachel, Morgan, Matt, and Toshi. All affable and accommodating. And let’s not forget Lucky, Talaat’s adorable little dog that was visiting the office for the day.
It was Rachel, the set booking agent who’s responsible for PR and marketing at Air Hollywood, who gave us the behind-the-scenes tour. She was knowledgeable and excited about leading us on the tour.
The tour began with a visit to a narrowbody (single aisle) mock-up. Once inside we were told that the interior of each of the mock-ups could be custom designed for the needs of the client or specifically configured for a specific airline. We also learned that the ceiling could be removed and the aisle widened, if needed, to accommodate lighting and cameras when filming. The mock-up included galleys, lavatories, and a cockpit. The cockpit was “open” such that filming could take place from all angles. This gave new meaning to the term “glass cockpit”. A unique feature of this mock-up was the ability to create “turbulence”. Huh? Through airbags housed underneath the mock-up platform, compressed gas could be sent to the airbags allowing for the entire mock-up to shake, rattle, and roll. While we didn’t get the opportunity to see it firsthand, we were informed that turbulence could be set on a scale of 1 to 10. And Rachel said 3 was pretty intense.
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We then moved on to the “terminal”. Inside the terminal we found a check-in counter, waiting area with seats, and a security check point complete with magnetometers. Rachel explained that through strategic positioning of seats, signage, and flooring, many different looks and effects can be achieved.
The next mock-up we visited was also a narrowbody, however, it included a first class section. This mock-up, like the previous one, had moveable ceiling panels, real overhead bins, and a cockpit. And what a cockpit it was! This particular cockpit was THE cockpit used for the filming of the movie Airplane! Talk about excited! Surely we had to take a picture in this piece of aviation and film history. And don’t call me Shirley. Roger that. Roger Roger.
THE airlineguys inside THE Airplane! cockpit
Moving on from the narrowbody mock-up, we now visited a widebody (dual aisle) mock-up. The layout was that of a Boeing 767. The cabin was…spacious. If only…but we digress. On this set, the crash scene from the critically acclaimed TV series “Lost” was filmed; an intense scene made all the more real because of the details of the set provided by Air Hollywood. The widebody mock-up also includes a jetway. A few scenes of the comedy “Bridesmaids” was filmed on this jetway and inside this widebody mock-up.
Next came the props department. This was an immense area that housed a Lear jet mock-up and items needed to dress the set. There were various luggage styles categorized by period. So, if a scene called for luggage from the 70s, they have it. There was signage from various airlines. Signage also came in different colors and languages. There were telephones and telephone booths. Beverage and food carts of varying sizes included glassware and snacks that would never go stale (they were plastic). There were newspaper stands with newspapers. Need a smartcarte to haul your luggage? They had those too! Looking for a place to check in for your flight? Kiosks and ticket/gate counters were numerous. It was almost too much, yet we didn’t want to leave!
On the tour we also saw a room for hair and makeup for the actors, and a holding room for the extras who serve as passengers.
After our whirlwind tour of the facilities we had the opportunity to sit with Talaat, the CEO and founder of Air Hollywood. This man is passionate about aviation! As he spoke it was like listening to ourselves speak. He told of us of his love of all things aviation. He shared his experiences in the film industry. His love of dogs and how important the “K-9 Flight School” is to him really struck a chord in us…what a great service! Talaat also shared his desire to grow Air Hollywood’s list of services including the “Fear Of Flying Program”.
He then asked about us. We told him about our experiences in aviation (as former cabin crew, facilitators, PR ambassadors, and our penchant for discerning excellent customer service). We also shared our goal of the airlineguys: To create a community of like-minded people who love aviation; who love what air travel means (experiences that can broaden the mind and change you in a positive way); a community that chooses to focus on the positive aspects of air travel instead of the negative. And through our experiences and connections with other like-minded people, we can bring light to this often maligned marvel of physics and power.
We’ve seen her over 2.6M times. Sassy. Confident. She grabs your attention. Once you start watching it’s difficult to look away. The voice. Clear. Each word, articulated well. Was that an accent of some sort? Not sure. The eyes. A cool blue. Piercing. The skin. Fair. Smooth. Then it comes. The moment you’ve been waiting for. Even if you haven’t been paying attention up to now, you stop what you’re doing and you look directly into her eyes and she says it. “Smoking is not allowed.” All the while she’s giving you the finger. The infamous finger wag.
We’ve just described a moment that has taken place over 2.6M times on YouTube and countless times on Delta aircraft all around the world. What could be considered the most watched, most discussed, most debated safety video of all time features Katherine Lee as the lead flight attendant (FA). While there are many interesting and creative safety videos that have come and gone, none have captured our hearts like this one.
We recently tracked down Katherine at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Trust us, she’s a busy woman, who happens to fly out of the world’s busiest airport. We had requested an interview some time ago and we were finally able to arrange a sit down chat.
When we met her on the busy E Concourse, gone was the blue dress. She was casually dressed in dark-colored khakis, a white shirt, and blue zip up fleece vest. Gone was the swept-back “up-do”. Her hair was down and voluminous. Still present was her warm genuine smile, friendly blue eyes, the fair skin. Even when not dressed as the part of a FA, people recognized her. There were stares and nods of recognition as we made our way to a quieter area on E Concourse.
(A bit of background: We’ve known Katherine since 2003, the year Song Airlines, Delta’s low-fare service was launched. Since that time we’ve gotten to know her and consider her a good friend. While at Song we served as Peer Coaches together, represented Song at numerous marketing and PR events, and even flew our very last Song flight together (along with our other good friend Jo). Once we returned to Delta we again worked closely together, including facilitating customer service classes and representing the brand of Delta at various social, civil, and marketing functions. We were even in a Delta commercial together. Good times. Good times indeed!)
Jo, Darin, Sylvester, Kat – Our last Song flight together
Representing at the Today Show
After exchanging hellos and hugs we grabbed a quick bite to eat and got right into it.
AG: We’re here today speaking with Katherine Lee.
KL: Hello!
AG: Thanks for joining us. What have you been up to today?
KL: I’ve been helping FAs with their continuing training; helping them maintain their qualifications, and with safety related issues on the aircraft. Safety always comes first. And we want to make sure everybody is up to par, up to speed with what needs to be done if there were any type of emergency.
AG: So, we understand safety is the number one priority of being a FA. In addition, service is also a major part of being a FA. How important is providing service to your customers?
KL: Well, I think it’s very important. I think that’s the difference. It’s what sets us apart from other airlines. Airlines strive to be safe, and that’s the number one priority. But when it comes to customer service, that’s where you have the customers come back. That “legendary service” I like to say.
AG: How would you define customer service from your point of view? In other words, What is good customer service in your opinion?
KL: Well, I want to leave my mark on everybody. So, when they get off the plane they think “gosh, that was good flight!” and it was really, really fun because I got to fly with that crazy redhead that was in the video and she was a bundle of fun!
AG: So, it’s not like you want to leave a mark from a Sharpie, right?
KL: No, sometimes they ask for that, but I’m trying to get away from that because that can be a little bit odd. Bizarre when I have to sign in certain places. (laughter) We have an opportunity when each passenger comes on board to really make a difference and bring them back. And I know we need to work on that. And that’s what I try to do. It’s like, How do you want to be remembered when they get off the plane? It could be that they’re flying once a year and I want them to be left with a memorable experience with Delta. And remember me giving great service!
AG: So, who is Katherine Lee?
KL: I’m just a down-to-earth girl who loves my job as a FA; who loves working with people. Yeah, that’s it. That’s a harder question than I thought! Nobody ever asks me about me! (laughs)
AG: And that’s why we’re doing this interview! So, you say you’re a down-to-earth kinda girl and that you enjoy your job. You love your job as a FA. Was being a FA a life-long dream for you?
KL: You know what’s funny? My father was in the military, so growing up my first flight was when I was 11 months old my mom says. So, I’ve always been flying. I remember as a kid on the MAC (Military Airlift Command) flights, I would pick trash up and help out. My mom would ask, ‘what are you doing?’ I would say I’m just helping. I’ve always been a helper. I’m a typical Cancer, I like to take care of others. I’m just a giver. So, I think I started doing that as a child. I didn’t initially set out to be a FA. I wanted to be a vet, then a nurse, and a journalist. I thought, let me try this for a year and see what happens. And that was 15, almost 16 years ago.
AG: Wow! That’s pretty amazing. So, time is flying! Literally!
KL: Literally! (laughs) It feels like I started yesterday. It’s so crazy! This job is so amazing. It’s always a good time.
AG: What is it about being a FA that you like the most?
KL: Gosh! That’s so hard because there are so many great things! Obviously the traveling. All kinds of crazy places. I just recently did Tulsa and I had never laid over in Tulsa in all my years of flying.
AG: What?!
KL: I know! Isn’t that crazy? 31 hours! It was fun!
AG: I was in Tulsa all the time when I was flying!
KL: Really?
AG: You didn’t because you’re a speaker.
KL: I was usually flying International…Latin America. It was such a great time in the little town of Tulsa. We found some great places to eat and hang out. I think exploring new places is always at the top of the list. And meeting extraordinary people, I think, rounds out the top 2. Both of those are great.
AG: What would you say to be the most challenging part of being a FA?
KL: Dealing with carry-on baggage.
AG: Carry-on baggage?! (laughs)
KL: I’d rather eat a bug than have to deal with that baggage. (laughter) I will say this, Delta has been very proactive with checking bags at the gate. They’re being proactive to help us (the FAs) out. But it is amazing to me that people will still come on and travel with their bricks and then expect me to lift the whole thing by myself. I’m all about helping, but it’s sometimes the passengers that are the most frail who come on with the heaviest bags. And that’s just unsafe. And number 2, the passengers who don’t want to turn off their portable electronic devices. I have an iPhone and it’s amazing how they think they turn those things off. I’m like, ‘I don’t know if you have the iPhone 10, but I turn my off where you have to swipe (gestures swiping motion), not the click.’ It’s pretty funny (laughs). Then they turn them off. So that’s #1 and #2: bags and electronic devices.
AG: So, you said you’d rather eat a bug. Is that a chocolate covered bug?
KL: Absolutely! Dark chocolate! Because it has antioxidants. Remember this, not milk or white chocolate, only dark. (laughter)
AG: That’s crazy talk! We can see that you look very healthy. Is health important to you?
KL: Absolutely! That’s why I eat a lot of Pei Wei (Asian Diner). (laughter). Brown rice. Lots of roasted veggies. Located on F Concourse. Pei Wei if you’d like for me to represent you or mention you in a tweet…(laughs)
AG: All this time we thought it was pronounced “Pee Wee”! (laughter)
KL: And his little circus, located on F Concourse! (laughter)
AG: You mentioned your father was in the military. Would you consider yourself a military brat?
KL: I am. I’m an Army brat. For sure!
AG: So, you lived in many different places?
KL: I did. All over the world. The traveling is in my blood from when I was a child. So, I adapt well to that.
AG: The airlineguys know you speak Spanish. For those who don’t know, how did a fair-skinned, light-color eyed, redhead woman come to speak Spanish so fluently?
KL: Well, my father is wondering the same thing! (laughter) And my dad thinks it was the milkman. My mother says no. You know, it’s funny. My father is from Puerto Rico. My mother is German, she still has a very thick accent. Some people thinks she’s actually speaking German when indeed she’s speaking English because her accent is so thick (laughter). But of course I don’t hear it. A lot of people say my dad sounds like Benicio del Toro. It’s odd because you don’t hear it in your own parents. But anyway, so yeah he’s from Puerto Rico so he spoke Spanish to me as a child. We also lived in Panama and Mexico growing up so I speak with more of a Mexican accent. But I haven’t been using it lately so I’m a little rusty.
AG: Well, I’m taking Rosetta Stone so we should start speaking in Spanish.
KL: Well, fantastic! Then we can watch a tele-novella together. It’s the best way to learn. (laughter)
AG: Can you say a little something in Spanish the way they would on a tele-novella?
KL: (In heavy Latin accent) Oh Sylvester! Por favor! Besame mucho! …. (tons of laughter) Click here to hear Kat speaking Spanish.
We hope you have enjoyed Part 1 of our interview with Katherine Lee. In Part 2 of our interview she discusses superstardom. We’ll post shortly. Stay tuned…
airlineguys™ are Sylvester Pittman and Darin Topham. Aviation enthusiasts. 30+ (and counting) combined years of airline operation/leadership/PR experience. Former cabin crew. Discerners of great customer service.
Last week Swiss International Air Lines announced they’re rebranding. The current brand, visually, includes a red cube shape with the Swiss flag in the bottom corner. Simple. Clean. Unencumbered. Proud. Precise. Very Swiss.
When you hear rebranding you may think, ‘now what?’ The current branding works, right? Well according to Holger Hätty, Chief Commercial Officer of Swiss International Air Lines, companies can’t afford to be complacent; they must lay the foundations of today for tomorrow’s successes.
Swiss International definitely has a strong and viable foundation. It was Swissair (predecessor to Swiss International) that created a foundation of exceptional customer service and operational efficiency (Duh! They are Swiss after all). Had Swissair not built such a strong foundation, they would not have weathered 9/11 or bankruptcy to become SWISS.
Over a 2.5 year period, I had the opportunity to experience the Swiss spirit firsthand as a FA in the crew exchange between my airline and Swissair (mid-1990’s). What a wonderful experience. Water skiing on Lake Geneva. Day trips by train into the Swiss countryside. Spectacular views of the Swiss Alps (Matterhorn). Fondue. Endless fields of sunflowers. Wonderful friends. After quite a long absence, I recently visited Switzerland where I met up with an old Swissair friend. Ah, the memories. Many things had changed, especially at Flughafen Zurich. The whole experience was distinctly Swiss. Loved the airport train ride between terminals! Click to experience.
On the tarmac - ZRH
The spirit of Switzerland is still alive, so it’s really not rebranding but repositioning. The key elements of the repositioning (elements experienced at the old Swissair):
• We are genuine
• We are close to our customers
• We are totally devoted to delivering optimum product and service quality
Seems like some things old are new again. Out with the red cube. Welcome back tailfin with the Swiss cross! SWISS believes this better represent the move to be the “Airline of Switzerland”. I agree.
Their new branding is a promise of a new beginning. For complete details click here
Atlanta artist and Delta employee Adam Pinsley has always had a passion for painting. We met Adam a few years ago around the time he had created original, popular artwork for Song Airlines, Delta Air Lines’ low-fare subsidiary. This artwork adorned the walls of Song’s corporate offices located within the Delta world headquarters in Atlanta. The artwork was colorful, bright, and extolled the cultural virtues of this fledgling airline. And just so you know, we both have original pieces of this aviation history artwork in our homes.
Over the years we’ve seen Adam create vibrant, popular, one-of-a-kind paintings. His artwork is collected not only by the airlineguys, but Delta, The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Fergie, Britney Spears, and fashion designer Richard Tyler.
Some of the artists that have influenced him over the years include Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. Jackson Pollock, meet Adam Pinsley! Recently inspired by Pollock and the abstract expressionist movement of the 40’s and 50’s, Adam has been busy creating a series of original, dramatic, oversized, unique, and colorful pieces of artwork.
Introducing: “Aircraft Drip Art”
Using commercial grade aircraft aluminum sheets as a canvas (the exact material used on commercial airline fuselages) and PPG Aerospace Desothane Paint (Delta’s aircraft paint supplier), Pinsley creates dramatic oversized paintings by using aircraft metal instead of brushes to strategically drip bold colors across the aluminum sheets. These paintings can take up to a week to create in Adam’s makeshift studio (meeting all environmental safety guidelines) on the Delta campus in Atlanta. Pieces of his new style adorn the hallways of Delta Air Lines and DKC (Dan Klores), the public relations & marketing firm in NYC. To date, Pinsley has created over 10 of these pieces.
Anyone who can combine unique elements of aviation with their love of art is a winner in our book. So, please check out his website; share your thoughts. We know he’d love to hear from you. And if you’d like to be introduced we’d love to do that for you. Just let us know!
A couple of thoughts came to mind the other day because of a situation that occurred. The situation centered around computer outages at USAirways and United and how these outages affected the vast majority of their customers. Luckily, those issues were resolved fairly quickly and life in aviation returned to normal after a day or two. So, that was the situation. The thoughts were, due to the limited number of airlines that exist today, the possibility and impact for something major to affect so many is heightened even when it happens to a single carrier, let alone two. The other thought was how few airlines exist today. In essence, we have limited choices in the airline industry. And for us avgeeks (aviation geeks), limited material to blog and talk about.
Imagine for a moment, the delight of aviation bloggers, and avgeeks around the world if the Internet had been possible before 1978 (we’re sure Al Gore was working on it though). Airlines and choices were plentiful. There would have been so much to write about. Can you imagine? Compared to the years right after 1978 there are only a handful of carriers today.
On October 24, 1978 the Airline Deregulation Act was signed into law. It really was about increasing competition and removing the barriers to entry into the airline business. According to AlterNet, an online news magazine and community, “In the 27 years before airline deregulation, no airline went bankrupt. Since 1978, 160 airlines have come and gone. In the last quarter-century, the rate of bankruptcy among air carriers has been as much as 10 times higher than that of the general business community.” In essence, limited choices. We would be remiss not to mention the toll this has had on many individuals, families, and communities; a topic we’ll cover at a later date.
Some of the airlines that no longer exist included: PSA, Western, AirCal, Braniff, Eastern, TWA, Pan Am, Air Florida, Texas International, Northwest Orient, Southern Airways, PeoplExpress, Piedmont, New York Air, National, Hughes Airwest.
Air Florida 737
PeoplExpress 747
Braniff 727
National DC10
New York Air DC9
Northwest Orient 757
Pan Am 747
PSA 727
TWA 767
Western 720
Hughes AirWest DC9
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have all these, and today’s, airlines to blog and talk about? Imagine the volume of material. Imagine the stories. Imagine the possibilities.
However, we’ve come to some realizations. Not only in aviation, but in life. When it comes to limited choices we have to make due with the choices we have available. Having limited choices requires us to search harder, be more aware, become more at peace with what is; not with how we want things to be. As for the limited airline choices for blogging and discussing, we’ll make due and and continue to feel strongly and passionately about a topic that is dear to our hearts. Are you doing the same about that which brings you joy?
A friend recently responded to a Facebook post asking, “Are you diversifying? @trainguys coming soon??” I chuckled and then gave it some serious thought. First, let me say my love of aviation has not diminished. Like any good first romance, I can’t let it go. However, my love of trains is close second. This hidden love is becoming so evident that a friend described me, in great detail, as a hobo. Hey! I resemble that remark!
I recently returned from another journey “on the rails”; my second one this year. (See our blog “No plain (plane) experience for me”). In an effort to compare experiences between VIA Rail Canada and the US passenger rail system, the same friend and I set out on Amtrak this time.
When I was younger I remember seeing the Amtrak commercial “California Zephyr”. I was intrigued and beguiled. The woman announcer’s voice beckoned to me. Thank goodness for YouTube because I was able to find that commercial and was once again lured to the rails (click to watch). The naming of trains by Amtrak evokes a sense of adventure and harkens back to the days of old when “riding the rails” was an experience. It was, and still is, about the experience for me.
The experience aboard the California Zephyr from Chicago to Sacramento was just OK. The crew were pleasant, food was tasty, and we departed and arrived on time. However, a few things were amiss. It was in the details. Even though the crew were pleasant, they didn’t carry themselves with pride. Average age appeared to be in the mid 50s. Most appeared not be be quite together in their style and how they wore their uniforms (stains, wrinkles, too big or too small uniform pieces). Hairstyles weren’t current or maintained. Underneath the pleasantness was a definite tone. And the coaches themselves were in need of a deep cleaning with emphasis placed on details (rips, tears, stains, repainting, lighting, etc.).
In Sacramento a connection was made to Amtrak’s Coast Starlight. And in an instant it all changed…for the better. As we learned, the Coast Starlight is Amtrak’s premier train. And most expensive. Why? More than likely it has to do with experiencing some of the most beautiful vistas. Amazing outcroppings of rocks. Raging river rapids. Full moons (yes, we were mooned a few times). Soaring forests. And snow-capped mountains. The service provided by the crew was exceptional. They all worked well together to provide an extraordinary experience. They were considerate, funny, thoughtful, and resourceful. They were willing to share personal tidbits and stories which made them even more enjoyable. Our cabin attendant and the Pacific Parlour car attendant were the standouts of this wonderful crew. Letters of commendation to Amtrak about these two is definitely in order.
Because the Coast Starlight is considered Amtrak’s premier train, the train was in better condition. The lighting, restrooms and shower facilities, and common areas were well-kept and the majority of the coaches had been renovated. The highlight of this train was the Pacific Parlour car. Built in 1956 for the Santa Fe El Capitan, this coach offered swiveling lounge chairs, private dining, wine tasting, a stand-up bar, and a movie theater. That’s right, a movie theater! There are only five of these special coaches left in existence and you can only find them on the Coast Starlight.
The experience on the Coast Starlight more than made up for any shortcomings of the California Zephyr.
So, back to the question first asked: will we diversify? I’ll never say never. I remind myself and you to remember: life is about the journey; it’s a quest for different experiences. Shake it up. Diversify when you can. By air or by train, we like a good adventure.
At the close of last year Darin (the other airlineguy) blogged an entry detailing his early childhood memories of aviation. He was fortunate to have grown up in an airline family. As for me, I didn’t. However, I think we both had a fascination with flight that started early.
As a kid growing up in rural Jupiter, Florida I would daydream about leaving on a jet plane. Not that Jupiter was a bad place to grow up. However, I knew there was a big world out there that I wanted to see. I found myself looking up a lot as a kid. Whenever I’d see a plane flying overhead I would first identify the aircraft type and then the airline. After determining this very important information, I would make up a story about where the plane was going to or coming from. Back in those days the aircraft were mostly 727s and L-1011s. The airlines I saw most: Delta and Eastern. For us Florida folk did any other airlines exist?
I was a late bloomer. My first airplane ride was at 16 years old. I had spent the summer in Atlanta attending the Resource Center for Science and Engineering at Atlanta University and my parents had driven me up from Jupiter. At the end of the summer program I called my folks and told them that I didn’t want them to come and get me. Once the shock wore off I asked them if I could fly home instead. They agreed and purchased for me a one-way ticket on Delta from Atlanta to Palm Beach International. The ‘new’ Atlanta airport had just opened. At the time it seemed so futuristic. I was beyond excited. Ecstatic would be more like it. Once again I found myself looking up.
At my age memories do come and go on occasion, but not about this. It was a Saturday morning. My friend and his family, whom I had just met that summer, drove me to the airport. In fact, they all came to the gate with me. It was 1981 so you could do this. The interior of that Delta 727 was psychedelic; complete with faux wood paneling in first class. The flight wasn’t very full. I had a window seat in coach. The sun was shining. The flight attendants were friendly. Even though the flight was about an hour and a half, it seemed longer. I’m sure that had to do with savoring every minute of the experience. Things were really looking up.
We landed safely and on-time in West Palm Beach. It was great reuniting with my family after being away for almost 3 months.
That plane ride was a defining moment in my life. And I’ve been looking up every since.
In our busy lives we sometimes forget to look up. I encourage you to do so everyday.
airlineguys 