Up at the High End ·January in June

VOLUME 47 NUMBER 15 JULY 16, 1984 Up at the ·January in June High End by W. S. Brown In the airline industry that has evolved since deregulation - a snarling competi tive jungle with a growing number of hard sell cheapo flights that aro/eallylittle more than sky going bus rides- TWA decided a few years back that its smartest marketing position would be to offer not just the usual range of popular-priced fare bargains but a superior service product for the more de manding traveler as 'well. By carefully nurturing its high-end im age, up beyond reach of the perspiring hustlers, TWA reasoned it could attract, in addition to bargain-shopping leisure trav elers enticed by TWA'sreputation for qual ity, more than its fair share o( the more lucrative business-travel segment. Implementing such a strategy with lim ited resources, though, would require a series of carefully planned, affordable steps rather than an immediate and costly giant leap forward. Step One, then, was the announcement of a special widebody business section Wall-to-wall people crowded the service counter at JFK; some employees worked up to 18 hours straight trying to help known as Ambassador Class, featuring an passengers. - New York Times photos by Chester Higgins, Jr. innovative, generous six-abreast seating arrangement and a number of service ex by Anne Saunders plained, TWA could operate only three Cancellation of the regular schedule also tras, for a reasonable premium above coach For the first and only time anyone could eastbound (to Europe) flights. The only caused countless downline equipment and fare. - recall, Kennedy Airport was closed on ac aircraft available were two international crew scheduling problems. People were (Apart from Pan Am, a relative new count of rain Saturday, June 30. Mother lOl ls, which had landed before the sh.ut -stranded in Europe on Sunday because comer to the comfort game, TWA still has Nature dumped seven inche& on the airport down, and one 747, brought over from the there were no aircraft available overseas to the only authentic six-seat rows in the in that day, flooding access roads with up to hangar. operate those flights. Aircraft departing dustry for business fliers. What British 15 feet of wa,ter and backing traffic up to "Airport front -line people worked 12 to JFK on Surrd(!y suffered ATC gate-hold Airways currently offers, for example, is LaGuardia Airport. Because emergency 18 hours straight trying to help passen delays of up to two hours when everybody actually just a kind of adjustable bench with medical or firefighting equipment could gers," says Ray Reuter, manager-on-duty, wanted to leave at the same time. movable arms that can be spaced close not have gotten through if needed, the Port airport services, who was himself.on the. Ten TWA flights,- carrying 2,146 pas together in coach or spread wider apart in Authority, which operates JFK, shut down job until 4 a.m. Sunday. "Those people sengers, were diverted to Newark on Satur business class.) the entire facility from 1 p.m. until 9:30 who were involved in the operation did one day. Three of those aircraft, two 747s and TWA's Ambassador Class began as an that night. heck of a job," he says. "Saturday was a one 1011, were arriving from overseas. internationalproduct, but because many of For those eight -and a half hours no air peak day and we didn't move anybody out "Because of all the inbound international the widebodies so configured also serve craft arrived or departed JFK. TWA alone to speak of. There were about 5, 000 people .flightsdiverted to Newark, both TWA and domestic markets the. service was soon ' cancelled 85 flights- 66 domestic and 19 in our terminals overnight. Sunday was OAL, there were three to six-hour waits to extended to all widebodies in the fleet, international. Inbound flights, already en another peak day and those already holding clear customs," said Larry Costley, man domestic as well as international�in other route, were diverted to cities along the reservations for that day had priority. Re ager-airport services. Passengers on words, to about 70% of TWA's total fleet eastern seaboard from Bangor, Maine to booking passengers from cancelled flights TWA's last international flight got to cus capacity. Washington, D.C. Peak-period traffic, was difficult because space was already toms at midnight, after sitting on the with load factors averaging 90% on inter tight," Ray explains. ground, unable to leave the aircraft,for six By Far the Best national and 80% on domestic flights, hours. "We had agents who worked 30 hours straight dealing with passengers," But TWA's quality appeai was projected meant that the maximum number of TWA Larry added. "Many passengers stayed along a broader front than just outstanding passengers- estimated at 58,000 for the overnight at the airport." service in business class. Step Two was the three days through July 2 - would be affected. development of a truly superior first class Giant Parking Lot service product, Royal Ambassador, con CSA Bob Gordon said "I've been work tributing furtherto an overall prestige im ing here for 20 years and I have never seen it Some 900 inbound internationalpassen age. Part of the package: sleeper seats in all like this. It's going to take two days to gers were aboard three widebodies di wide body first class sections. With a whole straighten things out," he predicted, opti verted t9 Hartford's Bradley Field·. battery of consumer-research studies in_ mistically as it turned out. "We weren't able to get cu,stomsto clear hand, TWA can now proudly report the "It was wall-to-wall people on Saturday any of the aircraft," says Bob Phillips of verdict of experts on its first dass meal night," commented Bill Elsner, general airport services. "The t�o customs inspec service: far and away the best in the air. manager-operations control. Even when tors on duty couldn't handle all of the JFK finally reopened that night, he ex- Step Three was to include TWA's coach _ aircraft, from many carriers, which were customers in the party, with the installation parked in a remote ramp area for four to six ·of outsize overhead storage bins through Privilege Card promotion. hours. We refueled the aircraft, dumped the out TWA's 747 fleet. No longer did a home Step Four was completion of the project lavs, served sandwiches and tried to make bound traveler have 'to share limited seat to link all of TWA's overseas stations into the passengers as comfortable as possible, space with a pile of treasure amassed on the the airline's automated reservations net but they weren't allowed to get off the trip; now, there was ample storage space work •. extending the benefits of Airport aircraft," he explains. for all those goodies in a roomy convenient Express systemwide. Airport Express, Eight flights were diverted to Philadel ' ' catch-all overhead. ever since TWA pioneered it in the late phia. The 1,200 TWA passengers on in Coach passengers who were loyal par '70s, has proved itself a potent lure for bound transatlantic flights were able to go ticipants in TWA's Frequent Flight Bonus business travelers and others eager to avoid through customs there. A short runway was program were given a complimentary in long waits in line for seat assignments. converted into a giant parking lot for all troduction to·the delights of first and Am Advance seat selection is even more of a Jennifer Morgan, bound for· Greece, kinds of aircraft of many airlines. bassador Class service through special boon to internationaltravelers, though: the spent night at JFK along with 5,000 Other TWA aircraftwere sent to Bangor, upgrades and other extras as part of the FFB (to page B) others. (to page 3) North Africa, Sicily and Italy and was awarded the Air Medal and French Colo Bob Peak Designs Olympic Stamps nial Medal. Editor's Notes He received his discharge on August 9, 1945 and four days later - just a week �A.c'N1s behind Ed Betts - he was among the new Ray Dunn ·. .. didn't plan on falling and break TWA co-pilot group attending ground �.Vio�--l. � ing a hip on Sunday, June 17. But what he school at Kansas City. did plan was having St. Luke's Hospital ool-D�_,· .., ..· · · "In a number of ways our TWA careers :. \ .... \\ � .\;�,.. t��·11· just a few doors away from home just in had a parallel," says Ed. "We both spent a case. Which is probably how he became_ lot more time in the right seat than TWA senior v. p. ancl'system general manager of had promi;ed; we both hated neckties; we TWA before taking himself out to pasture. both married flight attendants (Grenny Anyway, we're glad to feam he's "doing married Mary Billingsley in 1950) and we fine." While he's wiling away the time, no both eventually wound up in Los Angeles. doubt he would enjoy hearing from TWA "As I recall, Grenny was probably the friends. His phone number at St. Luke's is last to drop the DC-3 qualification and was (816) 932-2664, room 4408. In event he's assigl)ed to fly company personnel to the home by the time this issue hits the street, scene of the TWA-United collision over the his address is 4545 Wornall; Kansas City, Grand Canyon. Missouri 64111. "Grenny's career was otherwise rou tine, which was what he wanted.

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