TWA's Caribbean Flights Caribbean Cure for The
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VOLUME 48 NUMBER 9 MAY 6, 1985 Caribbean . TWA's Caribbean Flights Cure for The Doldrums TWA will fly to the Caribbean this fall, President Ed Meyer announced. The air line willserve nine Caribbean destinations from New York starting November 15; at the same time, it will inaugurate non-stop service between St. Louis and SanJuan. Islands to be served are St. Thomas, the Bahamas, St. Maarten, St. Croix, Antigua, Martinique, Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico. For more than a decade TWA has con sistently been the leading airline across . the North Atlantic in terms of passengers carried. With the addition of the Caribbean routes, TWA willadd an important North South dimension to its internationalserv ices, Mr. Meyer said. "We expect that strong winter loads to Caribbean vacation destinations will help TWA counterbalance relatively light transatlantic traffic at that time of year, . and vice versa," he explained. "Travelers willbenefit from TWA's premiere experi ence in international operations and its reputation for excellent service," he added. Mr. Meyer emphasized TWA's leader ship as the largest tour operator across the Atlantic, and pointed to the airline's feeder network at both Kennedy and St. Louis: "Passengers from the west and midwest caneasily connect into these ma- (topage4) Freeport � 1st Quarter: Nassau SAN JUAN A Bit Better St. Thomas With the publication of TWA's first-quar St. Croix ter financial results,· the perennial ques tion recurs: "With load factors like that, how could we lose so much money?" Martinique As always, the answer isn't simple. First the numbers, then the words. TWA'snet loss for the period was $74. 3 Effective November 15, 1985 million, or $13. 0 million better than the 1984 first-quarter loss of $87.3 million. But $11.7 million of that improvement came from a financial action in which the ResortAir to Provide Commuter Link at St. Louis company exchanged some of its common stock, or equity in the business, for out TWA and ResortAir, a St. Louis-based and Carbondale/Murphysboro in lliinois. course at Lambert International Airport standing bonds, representing. indebted commuter airline, willteam up to provide AllTrans World Express flights willarrive for connections with the 63 U.S. and 19 ness, constituting a one-time or "extra- Trans World Express service at St. Louis, and depart at gate 18 on TWA's B con- (top ageS) (topage3) according to Richard D. Pearson,. chief operating officer of TWA, and Robert F. West, president of ResortAir. Startup of service is scheduled for August 5. "Trans World Express will offer effi cient connecting services to TWA at our St. Louis hub for passengers fromsmaller communities in lliinois and Missouri that cannot be served economically by TWA's larger jet aircraft," said Pearson. Trans World Express willoperate over ResortAir's existing route system with 19-passenger twin-engined Beechcraft 1900 turbo-prop aircr�. The service willget underway with five daily round-trip flights between St. Louis and joplin, Springfield, Lakeof the Ozarks and Jefferson City/Columbia in Missouri, ResortAir's 19-passenger Beechcraft 1900 as it will appear in Trans World Express colors. .Golden Wedding Day for Bob and Helen McCormick Editor's Notes The April 22 issue carried a feature story about Los Angeles maintenance in spector Humberto Dominguez and his prize winning whiskers. "It's been a good year for [him]," we said. There is a postscript. Ordina_rily, Hum berto and his wife would have been along ·for the employee club weekend in Las Vegas on March 29. As luck would have it, this year they couldn't make it. That was the trip in which two fellow Los Angeles TWAers were killed and more than a score injured when theii bus was struck by a truck. Unaware the article about himwould be in the April 22 issue, Humberto wrote to the Skyliner to express the personal loss he felt at the deaths of Frank and Pedro Benitez. "I knew Frank 22 years," said Hum berto. "As a painter, he was number one . I met himplaying softball for the TWA employees team. He was a catcher, but many times, if we needed a pitcher he pitched; ifwe needed a second baseman, he played second. "As president of the employees club, Bob and Helen McCormick were married on March 30, 1935. This past March 30 they were guests of honor at a gold�n wedding whatever was needed, there was luncheon hosted by their children, Ed and Barbara. Among the 95 people who came were the minister who married Bob and Helen 50 Frank ... years ago, their four grandchildren, and 34 TWA retirees or spouses of retirees. "Whenhe died, apart ofTWA died. But When they were married, Bob was working for TWA in the Los Angeles reservations office. Before that he had been the only TWA he willalways live in my mind." employee in Fresno, California,where he met Helen. He later served in Kansas City, for a total of 20 years; San Francisco, Los Angeles and.New York. Bob retired in October 1972 and they moved to Ojai, California. He has since been very active in the TWA Seniors, We liked flight service man.ager Ed Al including a term as president of the organization. va's thoughts on winning the Award of Pictured are (fromleft) front row: Nadine Sawyer, son Ed McCormick, Bette Edwards,' Matt Messina, Don Heep, George Friedrich, Excellence, as expressed in On the Line. C. D. "Bart" Bartholomew. Middle ro�: Ralph McClenahan, Frances Judd, To m Sawyer, Bob Green, daughter Barbara Lake, Helen "I feel a little mystified at being singled out McCormick. Back row: George Judd, Helen McClenahan, Wayne Hersh, Betty Hersh, Marian Kurtz, Hal Kurtz, Ruth Green, Elsie . for doing no more than a good day's job for Phillips, Bob McCormick, Rita Condon, Bill Phillips, Jerry Condon, Annabelle Hesselgesser, Les Hesselgesser, Betty Messina, Betty a good day's wage." He did add one bit of Heep, E. C. "Lum" Edwards, Gerry Friedrich, Eleanor Bartholomew, Percilee Price. Allare connected to TWA. Ruth Malone attended insight: ". A continuing process of avid the luncheon but missed the photo session. reading and an interested observation of the human parade have furnished me one today is a $5 billion industry in Missouri, bit" of information which has saved me Response Line employing 140,000 people. That's 5% of untold grief and provided much satisfac Questions: Call toll-free 800-221- the entire payroll in the state, and up 26% tion in performing my job- put yourself in In Memoriam from 1980. Th� prediction is that if that 2842; in New York, 370-1714. the other guy's shoes. I hav.e found they growth continues at its present pace, Answers: Call toll-free 800-221- usually pinch." · John B. Sloan, 75, retired janitor, MCI, died on tourism willbring 21,000 more jobs before 2840; in New York, 370-1713. '· April15. Mr. Sloan was with TWA 13 years, retiring TWAers visiting Missouri from out of the decade is out. in 1975. state the week of May 19-25 can have a · testimony to the classic lines and profes Arlene E. Crockett, retired reservations sales free car-wash at any of six visitor informa For the second consecutive year, sional image the uniforms designed by agent, New York, died on April 12. She was 65. Ms. Crockett retired in 1983 after 15 years with TWA. tion centers in the state. It's one way TWPis inflight and ground services uni Ralph Lauren represent. MissoWi is celebrating National To�sm forms have won an award from the Na Ernest W. Vick, retired lead inspector, MCI, died Retired TWAers are the most on-the-go Week.l GovernorJohn Ashcroft has pro tional Association of Uniform Manu on April 12 at age 69. Mr. Vick was a 36-year TWA bunch of people we've ever known. Last veteran. He joined the airline in 1940 and retired in claimed Ma)) 25 as Tourism Day. facturers and Distributors. The award is 1976. He is survived by his wife, Pauline. month one group toured behind the Iron Why the�ttention? Because tourism is "in recognition of a distinctive career ap Curtain to Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary Lester DeVoe, retired inspector, JFK, died on the fastest growing industry in Missouri, parel program and the positive image it AprilS. He was 77. Mr. DeVoe retired in 1971 after and Yugosla\iia, while another went to and growth means jobs. In fact, . tourism projects." The consecutive honors are 31 years with TWA. He is survived by his wife, Anna, Portugal's Algarve region. This past week of New Port Richey, Florida. Fund-Raising Helps Cancer Victims saw another Seniors group in southern John McCallion, 61, retired Los Angeles-based France, and next week still another is captain, died on March 28. Captain McCallion retired in 1983 after32 years of flying. He is survived by his l)eaded for Greece. wife, Gloria, of Los Altos, California. lnJWie all roads lead to St. Louis for the William C. Shupp, retired production estimator, Seniors annual meeting. MCI, died on April 7. He was 76. Mr. Shupp was a Come July, they're planning a cruise to veteran of 34 years with TWA. He joined the airline in Mexico. 1940 and retired on New Year's Day, 197 4. His wife, Ruth, survives. For September, there's a choice of ei M. Louella Sweeney, 75, retired accountant, ther the annual National Parks tour or the KCAC, died on March 22. Ms. Sweeney was with Philippines and Hong Kong. TWA 18 years, from 1955 unti11973. In October, there will be an excursion James C.