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“I inherited the love of planes from my dad” – AirlineGuys chats with Akhil Anumolu

Posted on January 10, 2018 | Leave a comment

One of the many highlights in 2017 for AirlineGuys was attending the wedding reception of Akhil and Shivani Anumolu. The reception was held at the Delta Flight Museum. It was an amazing, colorful, and festive evening filled with scrumptious food, dancing, and story sharing. I met Akhil, like many have, through his presence on social media (39K followers). It has been great getting to know Akhil and learn more about what makes him the person he is. Oh, and he loves aviation so we have lots to talk about!

We hope you enjoy getting to know Akhil.

AG: Your close friends know you work for a major airline based in the southeast, what exactly do you do for said airline, and how long have you worked there?

AA: I have the honor of working in our Digital Marketing department, specifically focused on our Optimization & Marketing Technology component for the past 2 years.

AG: Wow! Your current job sounds like you have to be really smart. Where’d you go to school? And what’d you study?

AA: Stayed local in Georgia and went to the University of Georgia where I did my undergraduate degree in business, specifically Management Information Systems.

AG: Before you entered the world of aviation, what type of work did you do?

AA: I have always worked in digital eCommerce, with previous stints at Symantec and a start-up, Wonder Workshop.

AG: It’s hard to place your accent? Where’d you grow up?

AA: I grew up in Savannah. I lost my southern twang when I moved to San Francisco after college but I am a Georgia boy through-and-through.

AG: What did you like most about Savannah? What did you like least?

AA: I enjoyed the slower pace and having a major aviation company like Gulfstream flying all their amazing jets over the city. In terms of least liked attribute, it would be the ridiculous summer heat.

AG: Well Savannah isn’t far from Atlanta. How long have you lived here? And what do you like most about living in Atlanta?

AA: Been here almost 3 years now and loving every moment! This city is growing and seeing the enthusiasm about the direction Atlanta is headed is amazing; also helps that we have a new and talented MLS team bringing the city together too.

AG: Congrats on your wedding! We have several friends of Indian descent but have never been to a traditional Indian wedding. Tell us about that.

AA: Well, Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world and involves a very long multi-day wedding traditionally. We cut ours down to just a few hours which involved giving prayers and asking for blessing for our newly formed family. A lot of what is done in a traditional Hindu wedding is similar to what you find in a traditional western wedding, including giving vows and sanctifying your marriage before God; Hindu weddings just do that for a bit longer.

Shivani & Akhil Anumolu

AG: Who travel furthest for your wedding and reception?

AA: We had family from Malaysia fly in just for the weekend.

AG: Oh wow!

AG: And speaking of wow, your wife is quite beautiful! Beauty & The Beast? We kid, we kid! How’d you meet Shivani? We understand there’s an airline angle?

AA: We met in college while studying for post-graduate exams. We began dating soon after but then I took a job in San Francisco and she went to medical school in Kansas City. Because my job required a lot of travel, I decided to become a Delta SkyMiles member and soon earned their top status, Diamond Medallion. With all the travel came a lot of SkyMiles that we would use to see each other. We have been long distance for 7 years and Delta’s route structure was the reason we were able to see each other and now why we are happily married.

AG: Did Shivani know you were an avgeek when you met?

AA: She knew I was a geek… maybe not so much an avgeek. “, especially the engineering side of aviation.

AG: Who’s idea was it to have your wedding reception in the Delta Flight Museum? And what were Shivani’s thoughts about this?

AA: It was really a joint decision by Shivani and I to have the reception at the DFM; we really couldn’t think of a better venue that reflected our relationship. Plus, it was much more unique than other venues we saw.

The ultimate avgeek wedding reception – Delta Flight Museum

AG: This question is for Shivani – When you met Akhil, did you know he was the ONE?

SA: Not at all; he was not what I considered my type when we first met. What won me over was his caring attitude (he literally tries to help anyone he can) and that he makes me laugh all the time. He is also my opposite in a lot of ways so we complement each other very well.

AG: Akhil, now that you fly for free, how do you feel about not getting miles for all your travel?

AA: In a previous life, I was and enjoyed the perks of elite status. I would note that I do not fly for free, I fly if a seat is available that no passenger will use. Took me a little while to get used to not earning miles, as I loved tracking my travel amount with it, but I am happy not to live on the road as much as I used to so not a problem not earning.

AG: What’s your favourite destination outside the US? And your favourite destination in the US?

AG: Dublin Ireland: great people and growing tech scene/culture. In the US: Kansas City for its amazing BBQ!

AG: When you’re not traveling or working, what do you do for fun?

AA: Video games and spending time with friends. Lot of my friends have busy professions so we like to get together and watch ball games when we can; helps that the wife loves the same teams as well.

AG: Honeymoon plans?

AA: Maldives, so we can completely disconnect and relax.

AG: Do you plan to make Atlanta your home? And are there any plans for a Little Akhil or Little Shivani?

AA: Would love to make Atlanta my home but we never know where the future will take us as we both would love to live abroad for a bit. As for kids, in due time, we just got married!

AG: You have almost 40K followers on twitter. So, it’s obvious that you know many people and many people know you. What’s the one thing about you that MOST people don’t know?

AA: I would say most are surprised to find that I am pretty quiet normally. They see the social media accounts and think I am always out and about meeting with folks and doing things, but really, I like to just observe or listen, and at times can be a home body. I also read a lot about a variety of items; the world is fascinating and there is a lot going on.

AG: Akhil and Shivani thanks for taking the time to share details about your life with the AirlineGuys community. As usual, we’ll be following your adventures on twitter (@Akhil_Anumolu). Congratulations and all the best in your marriage!

SLy & Akhil hanging at company function.

Sylvester “SLy” Pittman

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She’s #1: Meet Mary Ann

Posted on April 23, 2017 | Leave a comment

I recently met the #1 Flight Attendant at Delta Air Lines. In the recesses of every flight attendants mind I’m sure they think, “what would it be like to be Number One?” Think about it. Seniority means everything in the airline business. It determines what you fly, days off, vacation time you get, and how much you get paid. To say I was in awe of meeting Mary Ann would be an understatement.

Me and Mary Ann – #1 Delta FA

It happened like this: The facilitator was asking the group about seniority. As they continued to ask “who has more than 20 years raise your hand…who has more than 30 years?”, slowly the hands raised started to lower. Well, at 50 years someone’s hand was still raised. Turns out Mary Ann had been flying for 59 years! Thunderous applause erupted and she got a standing ovation. At that moment someone leaned over and said “She’s #1”.  I knew I had to chat with her.

The next morning I had a chance to sit and chat with Mary Ann for a few minutes. She has a presence that is calming and reassuring. Definitely traits needed to be a flight attendant. She is a stewardess. When I mentioned the term stewardess and asked if she minded that I refer to her as a stewardess, she didn’t object at all. To me a stewardess is a flight attendant who is regal, self-assured, gracious, kind. well-put together. And Mary Ann exhibited all of these qualities.

Mary Ann was hired as a stewardess with Pan American World Airways in 1957. She told me how she loved it. She also spoke of how local station managers of other airlines would speak to the young ladies in an attempt to get them to come be a stewardess at their airline. It seems as though she was wooed by someone at Northwest Orient Airlines and began flying with them in 1959.

Surprisingly, when I asked her where she grew up she said “Atlanta.” I almost fell off my chair. Not that there’s anything wrong with Atlanta. I live in Atlanta and it is a nice standard of living. I almost fell off my chair because I saw nothing “southern” about her. One of the other flight attendants at the table said, “You don’t have an accent.” She then said she grew up in what would become known as Midtown, near Ponce de Leon Avenue. Then she went in to her Southern accent and demeanor and wowed us all. Scarlett O’hara has nothing on Mary Ann! After graduating from high school she left Atlanta for New York to attend college. She says her Southern accent reappears around family.

We spoke about world travel of course and life lessons you learn when being out in the world. What we shared in common was the notion that through travel you not only learn about other cultures, people, food, living conditions, etc. You also learn a lot about yourself. And in order to learn you must take the time to stop, listen, and be in the moment. She agreed that everyone has a story to tell and that in order to hear it you must truly listen.

Throughout the day many approached Mary Ann to say congratulations and to be in her presence. Kind, gentle, authentic, real.

Mary Ann is Seattle-based and flies Shanghai route.

Sylvester

 

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Can “different” really work? Alaska Airlines + Virgin America

Posted on March 23, 2017 | Leave a comment

Artwork credit: Alaska Airlines

It was recently announced that Alaska Airlines was scheduled to “kill” the Virgin America brand effective 2019. There has been much speculation about this since the merger of the two companies was announced. Use of the term “kill” in the headline really got me to thinking. If the brand of a company are its people, what message does using the term “kill” send to the employees of Virgin America?

So many times in airline mergers the focus is on the operation. How will the schedules be meshed? How will the frequent flyer programs and loyalty levels be integrated? What type of aircraft will be utilized? What hub cities will remain, be expanded or downsized? And somewhere in all of this, employees are often stranded at the gate as the plane backs away for departure.

Sir Richard Branson penned an eloquently stated post about this very thing. He touched on the Virgin America brand and how its people make the difference.

Cultural integration can be a tricky thing wrought with challenges. It takes commitment from senior leadership to embrace and communicate the belief: we’re all in this together, and because of this we will be better. Without this commitment, and actions to back it up, the merger is destined to be less than ideal. The employees lose, the customers lose, the airline loses. There are plenty of examples of this playing out in the airline industry.

The integration of Song Airlines into Delta Air Lines will parallel the aforementioned merger in many ways, I believe. Song was a scrappy start up (subsidiary) that made a name for itself in a short period of time. In 3 years many processes, marketing initiatives and concepts were tried and tested. Some worked. Some didn’t. When the integration of Song into Delta occurred there was lots of resistance amongst employees. There were those who, after experiencing Song, decided not to return to Delta. They could not return to the way things were. There were those who had remained at Delta that considered Song a four-letter word and made it difficult for those returning. And then there were those Delta employees who welcomed the Song Stars back with open arms and a “you guys were a part of a cool thing”-attitude. No matter which “side” you were on, change came at lightning speed. Those who embraced the changes went on to help others embrace the changes and take the “new” Delta in different direction. And the outcome has been good.

Words of advice to Virgin America employees: don’t be discouraged, “your airline” will still be visible, keep eyes open and you will see.

Words of advice to Alaska Airlines employees: be empathetic, what if it were “your airline” brand that went away, embrace the changes coming.

Alaska Airlines and Virgin America, good luck and all the best with the merger.

In this photo released by Alaska Airlines, A specially painted, co-branded Alaska Airlines and Virgin America 737-900ER aircraft, painted in shimmering red, purple and blue and featuring the slogan “More to love,” lands at San Francisco International Airport on December 14, 2016 in San Francisco, CA. The newly painted aircraft is part of the merger celebration of Alaska Airlines and Virgin America. (Photo by Alaska Airlines, Bob Riha, Jr.)

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Once a Virgin always a Virgin

Posted on October 24, 2014 | Leave a comment

While standing out on the south parking decks at ATL yesterday, I realized it was one of “those” moments. We were awaiting the arrival of the first Virgin Atlantic Airways jet to arrive at ATL. Not only was this the first Virgin aircraft to arrive at ATL, it was a Boeing 787-9! As reported from the official site for this special flight this will be the “first ever gig streamed mid-air from Virgin Atlantic’s new connected 787.” The flight featured performances by 2 of the UK’s hottest acts: Gorgon City and Rudimental. We have to say the SoundCloud performances (the London Mix was phenomenal) had us dancing, albeit from home. We weren’t lucky enough to be one of the lucky passengers on board. From the sound of things fun was had during the excursion from London to Atlanta!

The Virgin brand has always been about what’s “in”, fun, hip, cool, chic, even edgy. Whether it’s marketing, advertisements, activations, the on board experience, or uniforms, they pay attention to every detail. Throughout the travel ribbon you know you’re traveling on Virgin. There’s a sense of excitement, journey, and adventure. Sir Richard Branson is the brand. He is all of the above and has done a bang up job making sure the brand remains intact. As Delta now owns 49% of Virgin Atlantic, it is our hope that the little airline that has stood up to the likes of British Airways and has carved out a niche, is able to retain its brand and not succumb to any pressures to be more mainstream.

Pic courtesy of Virgin Atlantic

Pic courtesy of Virgin Atlantic

This is not the first time Delta has canoodled with a Virgin. Back in the mid-90s Delta and Virgin Atlantic placed their airline codes on certain flights between London (both LGW and LHR) and several US cities (LAX, SFO, JFK, EWR, BOS, MCO). Back then Delta took the code-share arrangement one step further than placing their code on Virgin Atlantic flights: Delta actually had its flight attendants on board these code-share flights. I was lucky enough to have this experience and spent 2 weeks in Crawley, just outside of London, at the Virgin training facility. We spent a good bit of the time learning the emergency procedures required as a Virgin flight attendant. I even learned what a “torch” and a “loud hailer” were. Training was intense. We had to learn all about the different types of 747s. The 747-400’s were easier as they were standard. The “Classics”, the 747-200’s complete with spiral staircases, were all slightly different. One, G-VMIA (India Alpha), had 2 lower galleys. Highlights of the training included learning how to deliver Virgin-style service on board. They were meticulous in how to serve Virgin customers. I can clearly remember the instructor saying: “When delivering a beverage to a customer, place the drip mat (napkin) down logo facing up, facing the customer. Richard (Branson) doesn’t print these for the customer not to see the Virgin logo.” Wow! Simple concept. It’s all about the details.

My friend CLiff and me at the Virgin training facility in Crawley.

My friend CLiff and me at the Virgin training facility in Crawley.

I even had the opportunity to meet Richard at his home in Oxford during one of the summer parties given for employees of the Virgin brand empire. We were standing near the front door of his home when he just popped out! I was taken with his unassuming and down-to-earth nature. We spoke with him for a few minutes letting him know we were Delta FAs flying the code-share flights. He thanked us for our work and then went into the crowd of hundreds who were in attendance. It was very surreal. It was one of “those” moments.

Seeing the Virgin 787 land at ATL brought back many memories of my Virgin experiences. Many companies could learn a lot from Virgin on how to deliver a better experience for its customers. Looking forward to seeing their aircraft regularly grace the skies of Atlanta soon. Thanks for the memories Virgin!

#flightdecks pic courtesy of Virgin Atlantic

#flightdecks pic courtesy of Virgin Atlantic

Sylvester

 

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6 Reasons Why United Should Re-introduce The “Tulip”

Posted on August 3, 2014 | 74 comments
United Airlines B747-400, pic courtesy Aero Icarus via wikimedia commons

United Airlines B747-400, pic courtesy Aero Icarus via wikimedia commons

For the past few weeks I’ve had United Airlines on my mind. I’ve actually had United on my mind for quite some time now. I’ve worked for different airlines, airline brands, and codeshare partners over a 25 year (and counting) period. To say that I have a passion for aviation would be an understatement. My aviation career crossed paths with United back in the mid ‘80s when I worked as a part-time customer service representative at PBI. These were the heydays of United – the purchase of Pan Am’s Pacific Division, the only airline flying to all 50 US States, and in the late 80s a stock price valued at over $250. This was also a time of great turmoil at United which included a 29-day pilot strike. Overall, United was on cloud nine, and still flying the friendly skies. So, you can see why I’ve had United on my mind and why I have a soft place in my heart for the “tulip”. Recently I visited Chicago, and while at ORD, I couldn’t help but wax poetic as I walked around. While there I only saw 2 “tulips”, both on regional jets.

With the merger of United and Continental (a “merger of equals”) in 2010, the “tulip” began to disappear and was replaced by the Continental “globe”, albeit the name UNITED was chosen to adorn the aircraft. This “Frankenstein” branding was met with swift disapproval from many in the world of branding/marketing and vehemently discussed by many in the avgeek world.

Some would argue that the name United was mud in the aviation industry and that Continental was the “better” of the two airlines, so the newly merged company should have been named Continental. In the end, United understood that their name still held clout in the world and decided to keep the name.

So, here are 6 Reasons Why The “Tulip” should make a triumphant return:

1. Heritage – The “tulip” was introduced in the early 70s by graphic designer and Academy Awarding winning filmmaker Saul Bass. The “tulip” is a combination of the “U” in United and the shield logo which United had used since the 1930s. For many the “tulip” IS United.

The "tulip"

The “tulip”

If shown the “U” I do believe most people (avgeeks for sure) would be able to identify it as United. If shown the globe I believe a greater number of people would say “Continental” than would say “United”. In addition, United has done a not-so-complete, or quick, job of replacing the “tulip” with the globe. You can still catch glimpses on regional aircraft and some marketing materials. In contrast, when Delta merged with Northwest in 2008, the goal was “out with the old, in with the new”. Delta sent out teams of people to identify, remove, and standardize all elements of the brand. As a result Delta’s brand image quickly became consistent across their route system including marketing and promotional items.

2. Something for employees to connect with – If I were to show you this image what would be your initial thoughts?

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Image by “Almaden” at aviation-designs.net

If the slogan for this company were “We Love To Fly And It Shows” would you find it confusing? Not quite hitting the mark? Mismatched? More importantly, if you were an employee of said company, how would you feel? Would you be able to connect?

As a former employee of an airline that saw a few mergers, and a facilitator of customer service, I truly believe if employees do not believe in the message of the company, it is difficult to delivery any promise of great customer service. For any company to deliver consistent, thoughtful, and extraordinary customer service, the people delivering the service must believe the message. If the message is disjointed, confusing, doesn’t add up, this is exactly what will be delivered to the customer. United’s employee need something to rally behind. A message of “merger of equals” and “Frankenstein branding” keeps employees in their “silos”. sUA (subsidiary United) and sCO (subsidiary Continental) employees still have “their airline”. It’s something for them to hold on to. Some may hold on so long that they never move towards working together. This in turn will play out in the customer service that is delivered day in and day out. Contrast this with American Airlines. Approximately 1 month prior to the merger with USAirways in 2013, American decided to change its livery and chose a new look, feel, and livery. Part of me thinks this was by design – new livery, new leadership, new direction, and the upcoming merger with USAirways. Doug Parker (the incoming leader of the merged companies) said of the new livery “maybe we need to do something slightly different than that …The only reason this is an issue now is because they just did it right in the middle, which kind of makes it confusing, so that gives us an opportunity, actually, to decide if we are going to do something different because we have so many airplanes to paint”. Ultimately the employees decided on what the tail of the aircraft would look like (classic AA or “party tail”). By choosing a new livery for the combined company, silos are in effect removed and as a group EVERYONE can move forward in a new direction. It can be difficult letting go of the past. Time will tell how this course of action will play out.

It is my opinion, that having one unified brand will go a long way in helping United employees reconnect with their company.

3. Retro is in – If you haven’t noticed, what’s old is new again. The popularity of retro liveries is a great way of embracing the past. USAirways has done the best job in the industry embracing the family of airlines that are its heritage. And Doug Parker of American has publicly stated that the retro jets will remain in the new American fleet; even introducing a TWA livery in the future. Tapping into nostalgia has a way of unifying groups of people who have a common goal. Seeing the “tulip” evokes in me a time when United was on top of the world. For some, the “tulip” evokes the opposite feeling. As mentioned in the opening, the name United was decided upon as the name of the combined company. If the name United was indeed so bad/so toxic/detrimental, the powers that be would not have moved to keep the name in place. So, to keep the name and not the element associated with the name is confusing from a branding perspective. If seeing the “tulip” evokes such a negative feeling amongst some people, updating or stylizing the “tulip” to be more modern would have been a viable option. If you keep the name, keep the visuals as well.

I recently read that United with keep the retro Continental livery on their B737-900. This is awesome and a step in the right direction.

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4. Mismatched branding doesn’t work – After the merger between United and Continental was announced there were plenty of articles written and many discussions on social media on how ineffective this type of branding can be. I can honestly say that whenever I see a United aircraft now, I don’t think United, I think Continental. I know I’m not the only one with this sentiment. When seeing the current United aircraft there’s a sense that something is “just not right” about it. It misses the mark. United article #1, United article #2, United article #3.

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Now many of you may think “the traveling public really doesn’t care what’s on the outside of the aircraft” and with that I would agree. Again, it goes back to the people, the employees who deliver the customer service around the message of the company. If there’s a disconnect with how employees feel, there will be a disconnect with how they deliver the service. CE Woolman, the founder of Delta Air Lines is quoted as saying “An employee’s devotion to his or her company, dedication to the job and consideration for the customer determine a company’s reputation.” So, if the employees don’t feel quite right about the message, how can they deliver the customer service needed to take the company to the next level?

For employees, losing “your” airline brand or identity is a tough thing. As a former airline person with over 25 years in the industry, I know this feeling all too well. Back in 2006 when Song Airlines was folded back into Delta, it was extremely difficult. Especially difficult because we had proven that the little airline with 48 Boeing 757s could make a huge difference in the passenger experience. Many lessons were learned and carried back to Delta. Many of the lessons, work rules, on-board amenities, and service delivery procedures make up the new Delta. With this I’ve learned that things change (especially in aviation), that lessons are learned, that if you open your eyes wide enough you will see the fruits of your labor. This holds true for any of the mergers that have taken place. There’s always something that’s brought into the new company. If you slow down for a moment, take a good look, you’ll see elements of “your” airline even it it doesn’t physically exist anymore.

5. Rhapsody in Blue – Ahhh, that iconic 1924 musical masterpiece from George Gershwin. United first used this music in its advertising in the mid 80s. The following commercial is believed to be the first incorporating this music (click here). And then there are all of the whimsical artsy commercials which utilized the music as well. I’m sure you’d agree, each time you hear this piece you immediately think of United. Imagine my delight when in 2013 United reintroduced this timeless classic to its commercials. The piece is galvanizing, soaring, aspirational in its tone. As I mentioned I was in Chicago recently and went through the Tunnel connecting terminals at ORD. There is something magical about the all that neon, the colors, the moving sidewalk, and Rhapsody in Blue playing in the background. Rhapsody in Blue IS United.

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Tunnel at ORD

6. Fly the Friendly skies – United resurrected “Fly the Friendly Skies” campaign in September of 2013. Long a favourite of employees and the traveling public, the return of this slogan came about as United begin to focus more on the passenger experience in its advertising and marketing. “‘Flyer-friendly’ resonated in feedback from our customers and co-workers,” Tom O’Toole, United’s senior vice president of marketing and loyalty and president of MileagePlus is quoted as saying. Most of United’s current marketing, including TV commercials, now uses the “flyer friendly” tagline.

On twitter and Facebook you will see the AirlineGuys using the hashtag #longlivethetulip.  We use it to remind United and our followers of the legacy that is UNITED; not to forget or to bury those elements which brought you to this place and time.

Let’s think about this for a moment. Currently at United we have the UNITED name, Rhapsody in Blue, and Fly the Friendly Skies tagline. It seems as though all the elements are falling into place for a triumphant return of the “tulip”.

#longlivethetulip

Sylvester

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Delta Sky Deck – an observation

Posted on September 23, 2013 | 2 comments

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Observation decks are reminiscent of the glory days of flying. There was a time when people would go out to airports for the sake of watching planes from these excellent vantage points. A few airports in the world still have them. They’re definitely a thing of a bygone era.  When we heard Delta was opening “observation decks” at two locations (JFK and ATL) we were over-the-moon with excitement.

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Dramatic red tarpaulins dissecting the blue skies

On June 10, 2013 Delta opened an all-new 1,710 sq ft Sky Deck at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. The Sky Deck is an extension of the Sky Club, Delta’s lounge for frequent fliers and is located on F Concourse at the Maynard JacksonTerminal.
We were given the opportunity to visit the Delta Sky Deck and here is our account.
When entering the Delta Sky Club on F Concourse our first impression was modern and clean. Once inside the Club we were greeted by an immense, 2-story glass wall which gave us a bird’s eye view of the taxiways, runways, and the airport control tower. Talk about avgeek heaven! The Club is standard in its look and feel across the Delta domestic system. There is ample seating arranged individually and group seating configurations, business center, work stations, quiet area, high top tables, bar area, espresso/coffee machine, and a variety of snacks (from sweet to savory, from healthy to indulgent). Other amenities included power ports to charge your electronic devices and free wifi. We did notice that the wifi was very slow. We surmised it may have been slow due to the number of passengers in the lounge at this time.
What makes this Sky Club unique, like its counterpart at JFK, is the Sky Deck; a partially enclosed outside seating and gathering place for Sky Club members. Cozy sofas, chairs, ornamental shrubs, and high top tables adorn this oasis. The blue sky was dissected by large red decorative tarpaulins. Members have an unfettered view of all the airport activity going on below. During our visit there was a Delta 747 destined for Tokyo, a 737 parked just below, and we even saw the Delta 767-400 BCRF plane (pink plane) taxiing by. Being on the Sky Deck harkened back to an era that no longer exists at many of the world’s airports. We both agreed that more Delta Sky Clubs should have Sky Decks.

At both ATL and JFK, Delta collaborated and partnered with Architectural Digest and designer Thom Filicia to develop the Sky Deck terraces. Many may remember Thom Filicia as the interior design expert in the highly enjoyable, amazingly energetic, Emmy-Award winning hit show “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.”

For those who are not a member of the Sky Club, and want to have this unique experience, there are various ways to gain access. These include, but aren’t limited to: paid membership, using miles for membership, purchasing a 30-day or 1-day pass, and various options through the SkyMiles American Express Card. Please click to see what options are best for you, locations, and amenities offered at Delta Sky Clubs.
We enjoyed our time at the Sky Deck at the Sky Club on F Concourse at ATL. When your future plans take you via Atlanta and you have time, you should definitely check it out.
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Sylvester & Darin

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Korean Air inaugurates A380 service to Atlanta

Posted on September 2, 2013 | 1 comment

It had been a long time coming. The arrival of the Airbus A380 to ATL, that is. While other airports welcomed the A380 with opened runways and taxiways, ATL wasn’t ready or prepared for the arrival of the world’s largest passenger airplane.

The title of a 2005 article in AccessNorthGa summed it up: “Airbus A380 won’t be landing in Atlanta anytime soon”. During this time airport general manager, Ben DeCosta stated ATL is not approved to land the A380 and didn’t think the market could support the double-decker superjumbo. Furthermore, it would also cost millions of dollars to widen taxiways and install additional jetways to help offload passengers on this plane which can accommodate between 500-800. Back then airport spokeswoman Felicia Browder said, “It’s just not the time or place. That’s just the mind of the (airport’s) leadership right now.”

Fast forward to September 1, 2013. After a few cancelled announcements of the commencement of A380 service to Atlanta, Korean Air finally touched down at Atlanta to much fanfare.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So, here are a few pictures celebrating the arrival of KE 35 to Atlanta.

To see the FULL celebration visit our Flickr page by clicking here. Enjoy!

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That’s a Purdy Neat story!

Posted on July 23, 2013 | 6 comments
Where, on a regular basis, can you meet a movie star, movie producer, actress, father, mother, triathlete, veteran, lawyer, doctor, author, ballet dancer, therapist, or accomplished opera singer? If you’re thinking LA or New York City, you’d be wrong! The hotspot we’re referring to is Crew Outfitters. And it’s not a single location but multiple locations around the US. The well-travelled, successful, very connected clientele who frequently shop at its locations are mostly crew members from many of the world’s airlines. And you never who you’ll bump into. And speaking of movie stars, Denzel Washington and the production crew from the Oscar-nominated film “Flight”, shopped at the main Atlanta location for accessories and props for the filming of this intense aviation film.
Main store location - Atlanta, GA

Main Store location – Atlanta, GA

Started in 1991 as the “Flight Station”, Crew Outfitters (renamed in 2003) is a growing collection of retail establishments dedicated to crew members. Crew Outfitters sells travel accessories, luggage, uniforms, and many other travel-related items.

Crew Outfitters Main Store - Atlanta, GA

Crew Outfitters Main Store – Atlanta, GA

It all began in the garage of Rick Latshaw. Rick was a TWA flight who was determined to build a piece of rolling luggage for flight crews that would be durable, functional, and useful. So, in his garage in Purdy, Missouri, he designed and invented the first “Purdy Neat Things” bag (PNT). It was after the design phase that Rick met Jerry Baker (current CFO LuggageWorks). Jerry was instrumental in assisting Latshaw in setting up what would become the world famous Purdy Neat Things bag.

Enter Steve Merritt, Delta flight attendant. Steve was the catalyst who assisted Latshaw in establishing and solidifying the connection with Delta and its crew members. Through their dedication, Delta became the first major airline to offer, the popular and now discontinued, payroll deduct (think shop now, pay later) for PNT rolling luggage.

During the initial rollout phase of the luggage, Delta pilots began purchasing, and traveling with, Purdy Neat Things bags. It was through word-of-mouth and a great piece of rolling luggage that word began to spread about how useful, durable and amazing these bags were. One of the instrumental Delta pilots to buy and use the bag early on was Tal Fogg. The rest as they say is history. (Remember the name Tal Fogg, you’ll hear it again when we conduct an interview with the current President of Crew Outfitters, April Krantz).

As is the story of aviation, there have been many changes since Rick Latshaw designed the first PNT bag.

Many may not be familiar with LuggageWorks. LuggageWorks was founded in 1989 under the name of Purdy Neat Things. LuggageWorks opened Flight Station as a way to sell the PNT bags. Its mission was to manufacture superior rolling bags that would be preferred by airline crew members. They did this by providing the highest quality rolling bags and accessories. In fact, the “Stealth” Pilot Bag is the only metal frame rolling bag in the industry and is preferred by tens of thousands of airline pilots. Denzel Washington’s character, Whip Whitaker, can be seen sporting a Stealth bag in the film “Flight.” The Stealth Pilot Bag is one of the top-selling items carried by Crew Outfitters.

Captain Whip Whitaker sporting PNT "Stealth" bag

Captain Whip Whitaker sporting PNT “Stealth” bag

Crew Outfitters locations include:
• Atlanta (3 locations)
• Cincinnati
• Dallas (2 locations)
• Detroit
• Houston
• Miami
• Minneapolis

Many crew members have expressed a desire for Crew Outfitters to open locations on the West coast as well as the NYC area. Please know that Crew Outfitters is listening and is continually looking for growth opportunities. Crew Outfitters is dedicated to offering quality products and outstanding customer service to meet the needs of flight crew members, airline personnel, and enthusiasts all over the world.

We invite you to visit their website for luggage, accessories, and some really cool aviation-themed gifts: www.crewoutfitters.com

The airlineguys partnership with Crew Outfitters began in 2006 when airlineguy Darin worked directly with April Krantz and Crew Outfitters providing swag/accessories for a flight attendant tradeshow. The relation has blossomed into a close working relationship including designing and implementing team building activities, product research/development, instructional videos, and friendship. You can even catch us at the airport location on A Concourse in Atlanta. Like all of our partners, we do our best to provide the best in customer service in a fun, engaging way.
 
Now, that’s a Purdy Neat story!
 
Sylvester & Darin
The airlineguys

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Will the real Debbie Delta please stand up!

Posted on November 4, 2012 | 1 comment

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?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

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