American Airlines in Summer 2010 is increasing capacity to Spain, as per 28NOV09 GDS timetable display.

Dallas – Madrid 777 replace 767 from 06APR10 to 23AUG10
New York JFK – Barcelona 767 replace 757 eff 11FEB10

As previously announced, it’ll operate Daily 757 service on the New York JFK – Madrid service from 01MAY10

I read a Facebook post today from my friend Jamey Ice, a member of the band Green River Ordinance (and if you haven’t heard of them… you need to get to iTunes and pick up their new ablum Out of My Hands).  Anyway… he was headed on an American Airlines flight to FL and was lamenting that it wasn’t Southwest Airlines.  So… what does Southwest do that others don’t?

I was fortunate enough to attend the Center for Services Leadership’s annual Compete through Service Symposium a few weeks ago and Dave Ridley, the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Revenue Management, at Southwest Airlines, was a featured speaker.

Dave summed up the motto of Southwest Airlines in three words… “cheap and cheerful”.  It’s really all you need to know… (well, assuming safety is a given!).  But in my vast experience traveling on Southwest, their motto is consistent with their actions (they walk the talk).  Have you ever encountered a Southwest team member who was rude or grumpy?  I haven’t.

Dave also talked about the company culture… all employees have a sphere of influence. They are all empowered to deliver superior service.   But Dave…” how do you get employees who do this? “

Three ways… Southwest:

1. Hire great people
2. Put people first
3. Lead them well and no BS  (meaning “Big Shot” leadership)

He also emphasised three things that all Southwest employees need to have:

• A warrior spirit (being innovative and creative)
• A servant’s heart
• A fun-loving attitude

I think Southwest has it right… and I try to embody these last 3 principals in my everyday life.  Do you?  I think any company who does has a huge wing up on their competition!

Published by Harley-Davidson more than 70 years ago. Cover: HD Servi-Car outfitted for American Airlines in front of their DC-3 airliner Flagship Cincinnati. Inside: 9-pg article “Let’s visit the Harley-Davidson Factory” with many pictures of the factory during this era. Another article documents Sam Arena’s 200 mile speed record at Oakland Speedway. Rear cover: H-D dealer in Albuquerque, New Mexico, then owned by Charles Pinckard.

1939 January ”The Enthusiast” Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue available at www.DadsVintageAds.com in the “ Other Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issues” category

Search our Magazine Back Issue Index for old Motorcycle Magazine Back Issues for sale.

To search our full inventory of Vintage Motorcycle Advertisements, Articles, and Road Tests CLICK HERE.

From an economic standpoint, it is time for American Airlines to completely update its fleet to the newest Boeing Aircraft because they are the most efficient in the World and must safer, as well as need so much less maintenance than the comparable Airbus (same number of seats).

We need better standards on new airliners, which are made of composites because we now know more than we did previously about these new modern materials. We know more composites and their life cycles and airworthiness. We know more about their durability related to strength over time and after years of ultraviolet rays, heat expansion and contraction, fatigue, and sheer strength.

American states it’ll be flying to a number of Latin American and European destinations using the 757-200ER. It’s already kicked off the experiment, placing this aircraft on its New York (JFK) to Brussels, Belgium (BRU) route. Cabin configuration will be 16 seats “up front” (First Class) in a 2 and 2 (2 nice seats on each side, with an aisle separating them) and 166 seats “in back” (Coach or Economy Class) in a 3 and 3 arrangement.

The United Airlines pet policy is that they do allow pets in the baggage and cargo areas as well as in the cabin. Some short-nosed breeds of dogs are not allowed as checked baggage or as cargo during the summer months which are from June 1 through September 30. The breeds referred to are Shih Tzu, Boston Terrier, English Bull dog, French Bull dog, Lhasa Apso, Boxer, King Charles Spaniel, Pug, etc.

To keep track of the all the changes involves a ton of work, but I’ve done the hard work for you. The following list contains all of the current airlines serving the Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Stay tuned…more air carriers are certain to follow while some existing carriers may call it quits!

Most air travelers were familiar with the big carriers, such as American Airlines and Delta. It wasn’t until airfare skyrocketed that passengers started examining their options more. Most were pleased to see that not only did budget airlines exist, but there were quite a few to choose from. In the United States, just a few of your options include Southwest, Spirit, Virgin American, JetBlue, and Horizon Air.

The companies admit that currently the Internet onboard of a plane is doomed to work much more slowly, than on the ground, the technicians are to resolve numerous problems. It is one of the reasons on which meanwhile the users should not pay for it. Anyway, JetBlue will become the first air carrier in the USA which will allow the clients to get into the worldwide web.

Summer is one of the busiest times of the year for air travel because of family vacations, sporting events and off-site business functions, which have compounded an already existing problem of airport congestion. Add that on top of other issues such as heightened security measures, long luggage check-in lines and an increase in the number of mishandled bags, and you have a lot of frustrated travelers on your hands.

Kind of airplane that domestic airlines make use of differs from one destination to other. For instance, thy may use bigger Boeing 747 for the international flights or else coast-to-coast flights, and from city to city, also they make use of more packed in airbus planes. Kind of service given on board will depend on length of flight and on airline.

Read about get rid of wrinkles.Also read about bad breath remedies and new hollywood releases

Copyright Photo: Robert Collazo. Boeing 757-223 N174AA (msn 31308) made its first visit in the new scheme to the Miami hub.

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) has now introduced its first Boeing 757 in the colors of the Oneworld Alliance.

Note: This is also posted on my blog at the Seattle-PI

In an attempt to lure Japan Airlines (JAL) away from the OneWorld alliance, Delta Air Lines and their SkyTeam Alliance partners are offering Japan Airlines (JAL) $1 billion to join SkyTeam. Japan Airlines, currently struggling in the economic climate, offers a broad network of destinations in Japan and China, the key motive for both SkyTeam and OneWorld to fight for JAL.

Delta’s offer includes a $500 million capital investment, $300 million in short-term revenue guarantees, and $200 million in asset-backed financing for Japan Airlines. However, American Airlines claims JAL will lose up to $500 million of revenue within then next two years if the carrier switches to the SkyTeam Alliance.

JAL’s Massive Debt

As the carrier dubbed “too big to fail” by the Asia times, JAL’s situation is similar to General Motors of the U.S., JAL is among pressure to turn things around. The airline is a national symbol that has fallen due to both economic hardships and leadership missteps. The Japanese government has worked hard to help salvage the airline – they gave out approximately 100 billion yen last June, just one of many government-backed loans the airline has received in the past few years.

During the first half of this fiscal year, JAL lost $1.5 billion, and remains under the weight of more than $11 billion in net debt. With those numbers in mind, $1 billion is a substantial amount of cash for JAL – but will they take it?

OneWorld’s Thoughts on a JAL-Delta link

American Airlines’s president, chairman, and chief executive, Gerard Arpey, has quite a lot to say on SkyTeam’s bid for JAL. “JAL is a highly valued member of OneWorld. The alliance and its other member airlines have deep and long-standing partnerships with JAL that produces hundreds of million of dollars of value for JAL, and we are committed to maintaining and strengthening that partnerships.”

American and OneWorld would lose quite a bit of market share in Asia if they lost JAL. The Japanese market is crucial to all alliances, as it’s a large market. The Star Alliance already maintains All Nippon Airways (ANA) as a full member. Delta’s Northwest Airlines owns a hub in Tokyo-Narita, a primary hub for JAL.

American has said they, and private-equity partner TPG, are willing to inject an undisclosed amount of money into JAL. If only we knew how much…

“War of Words”

On the “what-if” scenario, Mr. Arpey said, “if JAL were to change horses, we would certainly argue that they might not be allowed to even code-share, let alone have immunity with the dominant carrier in Narita.”

Soon after, Virgin Atlantic issued a press release:

“Virgin Atlantic absolutely agrees with American Airlines that a high level of market concentration should be an insurmountable hurdle to obtain antitrust immunity for a possible alliance such as BA/AA. Mr. Arpey has clearly highlighted why dominant groups like AA and BA shouldn’t be given regulatory clearance. We have asked the DoT to further investigate his views as American cannot have it both ways.”

This “War of Words,” as Boarding Area blogger Dan Webb calls it, had American issue a statement soon after, saying:

“Virgin’s comments are long on accusations and rhetoric and short on the facts. American is opposed to a Delta-Japan Airlines (JAL) tie-up for the same reason we are confident our transatlantic immunity application will be approved: to preserve and enhance competition.”

As Dan points out, it’s interested what statistics both Virgin and American Airlines use to argue their points. Virgin claims:

“The Delta-JAL joint venture would result in a total capacity share on U.S.-Narita routes of 54%, significantly smaller than the 64% share that BA/AA would hold on U.S.-Heathrow routes.”

American says:

“SkyTeam with a Delta-JAL combination would account for nearly 60 percent of U.S.-Tokyo passengers, as opposed to OneWorld’s approximate 44 percent share of U.S.-London passengers.”

Delta’s Thoughts

Delta Air Lines chief executive, Richard Anderson, said SkyTeam would be willing to invest more than its proposed $1 billion into JAL. “When you get that value, it can be financeable. You create a lot more value, and together parties can figure out how to monetize that value,” said Mr. Anderson.

According to Delta, neither Delta or SkyTeam partners are interested in a board seat at JAL. “We don’t need to manage anybody,” said Mr. Anderson. The carrier also said they’re unlikely to link-up with a private equity group to help win-over JAL. “We’re focused on a SkyTeam strategic investment.”

Conclusion

JAL’s financial woes are a serious problem, and SkyTeam’s $1 billion bid looks quite tempting. Meanwhile, American is fighting hard to keep JAL in OneWorld, since the Japanese plays a major role in OneWorld’s Asian region routes. It will be interesting to watch and follow what JAL’s management decides to do.

In the news . . .

Wired writer tries to find out if it’s possible to disappear in the digital world.

England’s proposed new copyright laws are extremely controversial.

Insurance company takes away Canadian woman’s long-term sick leave benefit after Facebook photos indicate she wasn’t suffering from depression.

Sony e-Reader attempts to compete with Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook, but appears to be unavailable for holiday season. 

The MPAA aggressively pushes protective legislation.

City of Los Angeles wants $3 million repayment for Michael Jackson memorial.

Barnes & Noble blocks hostile takeover by billionaire Ron Burkle.

During latest off-shore pirate scuffle, soldiers resort to bullets after Long Range Acoustic Device proves ineffective.

TLC seeks Jon Gosselin’s secret, hand-written contract with personal assistant in breach of contract case.

Olympic gold medalist Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain stripped of 1,500 meter title for PED disqualification. Meanwhile, Time.com highlights the top sporting cheats of all time.

FDA approves Pfizer’s updated pneumococcal disease vaccine for children.

The Large Hadron Collider is back online.

American Airlines fires web designer for responding courteously to online complaint.

Sixty-nine-year-old online predator in Wales busted by wife, who posed as minor from computer in next room.

Transcribed from St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, FL, October 25, 1942, p. 16:

Air Liner and Bomber Crash; 12 Killed

LOS ANGELES — (INS) — Although withholding details, the western defense command in San Francisco yesterday confirmed the American Airlines announcement that the air liner which carried 12 persons to death near Palm Springs Friday night collided in midair with an Army plane.

The Army did not describe the type of warplane involved in the crash, not give any indication of the fate of its pilot or crew.

The defense command announcement said “an official board is investigating and the details will be available later.”

The air line announced the collision shortly after the crash.

Charles A. Rheinstrom, vice president in charge of traffic for American Airlines, reviewed the evidence in New York and wired to his Los Angeles office:

American Airlines flight 28, eastbound from Los Angeles to New York, was in collision with Army bomber and crashed one-half mile west of Palm Springs at 5:15 p.m. (PWT) Friday, Oct. 23. All nine passengers and crew of three were killed.”

R. M. Martin, an airplane spotter on duty at a station three miles from the crash scene, said he saw two planes at 8,000 feet, a mile and a half apart.

“Both were twin engine ships,” he reported. “The one in the rear veered away into a cloud and I thought it had changed course. Then it came back and slid in so close to the other plane I couldn’t distinguish between them. Bits of metal began flying from the planes.”

Among those who died in the airliner was Ralph Rainger, Hollywood songwriter, who authored such hits as “Love in Bloom,” “It’s June in January,” and “Moanin’ Love.”

Others killed were:

Capt. Charles F. Pedley, pilot, Irving, Texas.

L. F. Reppert, first officer, Fort Worth, Texas.

Estelle Regan, stewardess, Dallas, Texas.

Lt. Joseph R. Rosser, Santa Ana, Cal., Army air base.

Frank Bird, Lockheed aircraft employe. [sic]

M. C. Henderson, state industrial commission, Phoenix, Ariz.

C. Baker, Phoenix accompanying Henderson.

B. R. Vest Jr., of Allison Engineering corporation.

E. H. Wallace, Las Vegas, Nev.

L. A. Hege, Winston-Salem, N. C.

Transcribed from St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, FL, October 29, 1942, p. 3:

Planned Aerial Rendezvous Blamed for Fatal Air Crash

LOS ANGELES. –(U.P.)– Rep. Jack Nichols, Oklahoma Democrat, head of a congressional investigating committee, said last night that the collision of an Army bomber and an American Airlines transport last Friday, in which 12 persons were killed, was the result of a planned aerial rendezvous of the pilot of the bomber and the co-pilot of the transport.

Representative Nichols issued the statement with the approval of an Army investigating board which announced that Lt. W. N. Wilson of Los Angeles, pilot of the bomber, would be held for court-martial on manslaughter charges.

The congressman’s statement, made at a congressional hearing into the cause of the crash, said that Lieutenant Wilson and the transport’s co-pilot L. F. Reppert of Dallas, had met at a Long Beach, Cal., cafe the night before the accident and agreed to exchange salutes over Palm Springs the following day.

The agreement was that Lieutenant Wilson would take off from the ferry command base at Long Beach late in the afternoon and would fly to Palm Springs in time to meet the American airliner as it crossed over the desert resort on its way to Phoenix, Ariz.

The officer delayed his flight en route so he would not arrive at the rendezvous too early, flying around an air school to kill time, Representative Nichols said.

In the vicinity of San Gorgonio pass, the Army officer said the airliner approached and pulled up to the level of the bomber.

Lt. Wilson then wig-wagged his wings, the agreed singla, as he passed the airliner and crossed in front to fit. The bomber then made a left turn to see if his crossing was completed.

Nichols said that Lt. Wilson sighted the airliner again and turned towards it a second time, overhauling it in a few seconds.

The Army flier saw that he was too close to the big transport as he drew up on it from below and made a violent effort to avoid colliding with it but the propellor [sic] of the bomber struck the tail of the transport, which crashed near Palm Springs, killing all aboard.

Nichols said that Wilson had repeated the facts he had told to an Army investigating board which the congressman congratulated for its “free and open” investigation of the crash.

The civil aeronautics board also began a hearing on the crash yesterday. The congressional investigation was behind closed doors, but CAB officials said their hearing would be public “so far as we are permitted.”

Rep. Carl Hinshaw, California Republican, said the congressional committee had been preparing legislation to provide “allotments of air space, the same as we now control navigable waters,” such a system, he said, has become a “necessity” to reduce airplane collisions.

Yesterday was a real “fun” day. When I arrived at the San Francisco airport at noon for my 1:40 flight, I was informed that the flight was delayed until 7:30 PM. After a few seconds it sunk in — I wasn’t going to make it home last night.

The agent didn’t really answer my questions about what had happened and told me that there weren’t any options on any airline that could get me home any sooner (although she didn’t seem to look very hard). She didn’t apologize and didn’t even seem to notice the enormous inconvenience to me.  

After I told her how horrible the situation was, she gave me some vouchers for free food. As a business traveler with an expense account, this gesture did nothing to dampen the prospects of my 6 hour delay. So I asked if she could at least give me a pass into the Admiral’s Club. She said that she couldn’t do that; all she could do is give me the food vouchers (compare this with my post about Ritz-Carlton).

It turned out that the delay was caused by mechanical problems; so it was totally American Airline’s fault. And the plane ended up leaving even later and I got home at 5:30 AM in the morning — about 7.5 hours later than scheduled.

 Here’s how I’d rate American’s customer service with my C.A.R.E.S. model:

• Communication: D
  The airline didn’t provide much information at all about the situation
• Accountability: E
  The airline didn’t try and do anything proactively to remedy the situation (like getting a plane quicker) or offer any options that lessened the inconvenience
• Responsiveness: D-
  The airline didn’t notify me in advance of the delay and didn’t try to rebook me on another flight. 
• Empathy: D
  The pilot was the only American Airline employee that apologized for the inconvenience.
• Solution: D
  A seven hour delay with no real attempt at remedying the situation for travelers is not an acceptable solution.

To put this in perspective, I’m a Platinum member of American’s loyalty program and am very close to reaching the Executive Platinum level (the airline’s highest level). So this is an indication of how American treats its best customers.

While American Airlines can’t avoid all situations where it inconveniences travelers, it certainly can (and must) do much better job with its service recovery process (responding to problem situations) and improve its corporate culture which is not very customer-centric.

The bottom line:  American Airlines does not seem to care about customer experience.

You know that scene in Home Alone where the McAllister family is sprinting through the airport, all 12 of them with huge suitcases barging through the crowds, shoving people out of the way in a race to the gate? That was me last Saturday.

I left my house at 7am to catch the metro to the Ronald Reagan National Airport, which is only a stop away. Google had offered to fly me out for an interview, and I couldn’t resist getting a free trip home, even if it meant I’d have to miss work (oh drat, what a sacrifice). My flight was at 8:20am; you’d think that an hour and a half would leave me plenty of time to chill at the gate, but no, I made my flight by the barest of margins. My panic began when the American Airlines woman at the check-in counter informed me rather snottily at 7:50am that there was a 30-minute cut-off for checking in; well yea, but if 7:50am isn’t 30 minutes before 8:20am, then the world’s all gone to hell. I convinced her to give me a boarding pass (which she had no right to be uppity about anyway), and turned in horror to the huge security line.

The security personnel were able to inspect people relatively quickly, so the line was moving at a decent place, but there were just SO. MANY. PEOPLE. I considered asking politely to cut in front of each and every one of them, seeing as my flight was due to take off in 15 minutes, but calculated that it would have saved me about 18 seconds. I had no choice but to shuffle anxiously and check my watch every half second in the hopes that time would have miraculously slowed.

8:07:45am — only 18 people ahead of me!
8:08:10am — hm, I’ve only moved 2 inches…
8:08:30am — time isn’t slowing, why why why?
8:09:05am — ohgodohgodohgodohgod only 10 minutes + part of a minute

I got through the security gate with less than 5 minutes to spare, threw on my layers of clothing, crammed my laptop into my backpack, and took off running with my feet halfway in my sneakers. I made it to the gate in a whirl of things hanging off my arm and overturned my carry-on in my hurry to get through. Less than 2 minutes after I sank into my seat, the doors closed and the plane began to taxi to the runway.

As the plane broke through the clouds (it was a drizzly, overcast morning), I felt this great sense of freedom. Breaking away from my job, breaking through the clouds that covered the rest of the Washington DC area — I was leaving all the gloominess behind figuratively and literally. As the plane rose over the rolling grayness, I basked in the sunlight and breathed this huge sigh of relief; I’d been feeling claustrophobic on weekends and it was increasingly difficult to return to work on Mondays, but flying out lifted this gigantic burden from my conscience. It helped that I got to enjoy amazing views of the earth as I made my escape.

The snaky mountains of western Virginia, obscured only partly by the clouds that blanketed all of DC

Aerial view of Mono Lake. I’d visited as a child, but it was cool to see from the air. I remember the white edges are due to its high salt content, and that it’s so salty that if you dip your clothes in and wring a few times, they’ll be clean.

Aerial of Yosemite

Air Canada is testing an in-flight Wi-Fi service from Aircell on its flights between Toronto and Los Angeles and Montreal and L.A. From now until Jan. 29, passengers can plunk down $9.95 per flight to surf on a laptop and $7.95 to access the Internet on smaller devices such as a smartphone or WiFi-enabled media players like the iPod touch. AirCell also provides its GoGo in-air Wi-Fi service on Delta (S dal) and American Airlines (S amr) flights in the U.S.

And because Aircell currently only has regulatory approval and the antenna coverage that enables airlines to offer Wi-Fi in the U.S., Air Canada passengers can only get their Wi-Fi fix when flying over U.S. soil. Perhaps that accounts for the slight discount on Air Canada’s prices for Wi-Fi when compared to American’s charge of $12.95 for in-flight access.

 

N395AN, originally uploaded by Peter Spence.

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) has painted and introduced the first Boeing 767-300 painted in the Oneworld Alliance color scheme.

Copyright Photo: Peter Spence. Boeing 767-323 ER N395AN (msn 29432) taxies with the new look at Los Angeles.

It was a rainy day in November. A day not unfamiliar to many business travelers. But, this day was different, the destination was not the goal. It was the journey that was to hold center stage, bathed in a moving bicoastal spotlight, through an immersive marketing engagement with both social, as well as other, media.

"to know me is to fly with me" (Ryan Bingham, Up in the Air)

Recently, I had the unique opportunity to look at various cross-promoted products by way of film and social media and speak with many of the people behind them when I, as a VIP Guest, was…

• invited to an exclusive cross-country private screening of Paramount Pictures’ film "Up in the Air," staring George Clooney, (a great, funny, emotional, must-see movie <– for those who know me know this is VERY high praise)
• while enjoying free GoGo InFlight Wi-Fi,
• on American Airlines,
• with an overnight stay at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport.

And, out of this very awesome bicoastal adventure, I found many lessons that can benefit all in the marketing and promotion of their own products, in both online and offline worlds.

It started like this…

Saturday, November 14
3:50 PM, The Terminal
This airline terminal, of American Airlines, has now filled with many different types of people, from such industries as movie, journalism, technology, business, etc., all contributing to the pervasive spirit of reserved elation and excitement – as networking and introductions ensued, in wait for a nice, bubbly party.

4:10 PM, Taxiing Begins
… for our scheduled 4 PM flight as I scour underneath rows of seats looking for the elusively scattered, power plug. Being sure to, like in the "Up in the Air" movie premiere we are about to be party to, not overlook these quirks that many the frequent traveler grows to not loath, but rather welcome as numbering among those endearing qualities that cement one’s affections for another, or makes that quirky place, even one as transient as air travel, the experience, altogether, your home.

It is this sentiment that the movie seeks to capture, and does so superbly. It is this experience, and many more, the traveler’s experience, that resulted in American Airlines’ substantial involvement in this project.

 

4:21 PM, Lift-off
It starts off a rainy day as the journey begins, flying into the thick of clouds. The darkness brought about soon, rapidly disappears as the plane emerges into the dusty blue sky, with hints of setting sun. The sounds, the dull roar of peace settling over the cabin as the festivities, the reason for this journey, are about to begin.

 

Here, everyone is a stranger, much like typical business travel with which we are all most familiar. Although, in this case, invited by either American Airlines or Paramount.

And, it ended like this…

7:29 PM, Touch-down
… 11 minutes ahead of schedule!

    

Sunday, November 15
4:45 AM (next day), Breakfast @ Hilton
… consisting of a turkey sandwich and a venti white mocha.

6:03 AM, Return
I began my journey back to NYC, the final leg of this adventure, by heading back to the airport in preparation for my un-delayed, non-VIP, Economy class flight.

First Class Experience

… from my vantage point in Economy class on this AA Charter flight. American Airlines’ social media program is still somewhat new, making for a great study subject. I started out by sitting down with American Airlines’ Billy Sanez, Director of Corporate Communications and Advertising & Promotions, and Chris Vary, Social Media Director, to begin my look into the inner workings and sharable lessons of this event.

On Social Media Strategy

American Airlines (AA) identifies two basic social media types that they seek to reach out to…

• the very engaged / engaging individual, and
• the reader / listener.

In the process of attracting these individuals, they ‘follow a lot of people,’ …

• targeting following customers, as well as what they follow,
• cultivating friendships with communities that are friends with their passengers.

Billy refers to all this as "family building." By doing so, they see themselves as creating a community of engaged people. Their social media goal is in building a community consisting of people "with real voices and opinions" who "talk about it (AA), enjoy it (AA), tell us (AA) how to fix it (AA)."

On the "Up in the Air" Movie and Premiere

Among American Airlines’ considerations for getting involved in this project were they…

• felt the story was "real," and the people of AA, and in-turn, their customers, could easily relate to the story, travel quirks and all, and
• saw the overall project as a great way to show off their product, what they do — that they can take "him" (Ryan Bingham, the main character in the movie and on the broader stage, the generic traveler) there.

On Pitfalls to Avoid & Advice

Some great advice Billy Sanez had for others seeking to launch a social media initiative boiled down to commitment.

Launching a social media initiative should be done because it is good for business, meets the needs of the business and product, not because it is cool, not because everyone else is doing it, not because you feel like you have to do it.

For American Airlines, the social media initiative is a great way for them to reach out to target audiences across a diverse array of channels that the various social media participants represented, everything from business and entrepreneurial, to fashion and consumer electronics.

When launching a social media initiative the company "must commit to it." You are setting yourself up for failure if you do not approach the social media initiative as a long-term strategy — much more than a brief initiative for a single event.

Being committed to a social media initiative is more than planning for the long-term, but also making sure to have the proper and sufficient resources behind it. For example, having enough resources to monitor all the content out there that pertains to your product, can be seen as a good start.

Lessons from 20,000 Ft

This successful move premiere was driven by a very effective social media campaign and all-encompassing event. Some takeaways that everyone with a product can learn from this strategy are:

Smart

• Create an immersive product experience.

Most effective about this first ever movie premiere in the air was the totally immersive experience that they, American Airlines and Paramount Pictures, sought to envelope everyone in, simultaneously reaching out to and leveraging diverse social media communities. I became the main character in the movie, I was Ryan Bingham (George Clooney)!

Immersing the user, or event participants, in the product experience makes more relevant the product’s characteristics, its benefits, its purpose for existing, while founding a strong and lasting emotional connection.

• Leverage diverse social media communities.

The organizations behind this event did not limit themselves to movie and celebrity outlets. They reached out to key community participants and buzz makers across a variety of industries, a variety of market influences. In addition to myself, some of the other opinion makers at the event were…

Sherri Smith
Specializing in Consumer Electronics, Video Games
From Black Web 2.0

Samantha Ewers
Specializing in Fashion, Beauty, Entertainment
From I’m Not Obsessed!

Tom Limongello
Specializing in Mobile, Advertising, Business
From The Upper Westside Journal

Alex Billington
Specializing in Movies, Hollywood
From First Showing

By not limiting themselves to only the generic movie channels, American Airlines and Paramount were able to reach out to a much broader audience, generate more buzz across more spheres of influence. Anywhere there were individuals primed for either or all products being promoted, American Airlines and Paramount Pictures, increased their chances of reaching them.

Should Do

The products of American Airlines and Paramount Pictures where excellently showcased and thoroughly enjoyed by all at this premiere in the air. Some steps that can be taken to further build upon these successes are…

…as to the event…

• Have a pre-flight get together to introduce key players, American Airlines and Paramount responsible for assembling this trip, and those who will be available throughout the course of the event, as well as their VIP guests, and consider even allowing for a brief group Q&A to get the reporting and social media juices flowing.
• One of the parts of this trip that everyone was talking about, and I was particularly looking forward to, was the live in-flight concert by Sad Brad. Disappointingly, while I could clearly see Brad, hearing the concert on the plane proved impossible for all but those sitting right next to him. But, this quirk of air travel, and of trying something new, and something that should definitely be attempted again, provided a good learning experience — such as testing out the more technically challenging components of the trip beforehand. It would have been great to have been able to listen to the concert by plugging our goodie bagged Bose QC 15 headphones into the entertainment system.
• An often overlooked aspect of scheduling social media events is the "down time" for the participants to engage their social media audiences, work on their article writing, etc. For this event it would have been very helpful to have had built-in down time at the hotel, the night of the event, as well as the day after for writing and posting, before sending everyone on their way home — exhausted from the travel, thereby delaying the desired product buzz building.

…as to the target audiences…

• While I had access to Wi-Fi on my flight back from LAX to JFK, I did not have access to power. And, without access to power I would not be able to avail myself of the Wi-Fi or get much work done on my bicoastal flight, like working on this article. For both the event and the audiences being targeted by the event’s products, the biggest ‘Should Do’ relates to access to power. Prior to takeoff on the first leg of the trip, I was able to secure power, but only after crawling around on my hands and knees looking for the seemingly, randomly placed power outlet (my assigned seat, as well as its row, did not have an outlet). If you are targeting business travelers, social media types (the creators as well as the readers) your perks need to consist of more than Wi-Fi, but must include power at EVERY seat, not scattered throughout.
• Providing free Wi-Fi is essential, and was successfully accomplished. Beyond the necessity of easy access to power for such devices as laptops and cell phones, essential on a non-stop bicoastal adventure, it is worth considering, to encourage people to engage their audiences better by…
  • advising people to spread out their coverage over days / weeks, leveraging various familiar mediums (e.g. text and pictures) and their respective services (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc.) to further support the buzz building, and
  • depending on budget and other capabilities, provide devices that encourage posting, twitter devices, Internet enabled digital cameras already connected to the plane’s Wi-Fi, etc.; because the more effort your remove from the process, the broader and more sustained will be the coverage received.

Supporting

Of all the perks and quirks surrounding this adventure, of all the planning and preparation done on all sides, at the end of the day, it came down to the core, the support, the backbone that made everything run smoothly, with which I was most impressed. I do a great deal of traveling for my consulting and have had many an unpleasant and apathetic encounter with customer support. On both this trip, as well as my standard Economy class flight back to NYC, as well as when I had to call the 800# to make last minute travel changes, the customer support, the flight attendants, were entirely and consistently helpful and attentive from one coast to the other, and back again.

No matter what your product is, no matter how cool the immediate event is, always remember that it is the support infrastructure that your clients, your product’s users, often most frequently interact with, that sets the tone for the overall product experience, leaves a lasting, influential impression, that will have a direct impact on current and future opinions is the customer support.

Your social media endeavors and product events pale in relation to having a sound support infrastructure, cheerful, accessible, helpful individuals, like American Airlines’ Jenny Harrington, there to help your product’s consumers throughout their product experience. Every product needs at least one Jenny Harrington.

"warm reminders that I am home" (Ryan Bingham, Up in the Air)

Fly, Fly Again

I turn down requested product reviews on this blog all of the time, but this one, universally unique, had me at ‘movie premiere on an airplane’. My advice to other companies looking to replicate much of what was done here …

be immersive,
encourage social media engagement, and
foster emotional ties between the product and those participating

… in your product campaigns and announcements and you will be able to have similar, repeatable successes as was done at the "Up in the Air" movie premiere with American Airlines and Paramount Pictures as we flew from JFK to LAX.

Also, I’d love to know how the lessons from this experience have benefited you and your product, or changed the way you are thinking about your next marketing / promotional endeavors. Leave a comment, email me, tweet me.

Enjoy & Share!

Jeremy Horn
The Product Guy

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Quale è al giorno d’oggi il prezzo della fedeltà nel trasporto aereo? Se i Cieli corrispondessero al giardino dell’Eden e Japan AIrlines incarnasse la bella primordiale Eva, di sicuro Delta impersonificherebbe il serpente tentatore!

Delta, assieme ai partner dell’alleanza Skyteam stanno mettendo a dura prova la fedeltà di Japan Airlines con un’offerta da capogiro fatta atterrare sotto il naso dell’agonizzante vettore nipponico, nella speranza di far cambiare alleanza a quest’ultimo. 1 miliardo di dollari americani: bello, pronto e sonante.

Non ha alcun dubbio il presidente di Delta, Ed Bastian, secondo cui la sua compagnia è di gran lunga il partner più forte per Japan Airlines. A rimorchio e supporto ci sono tutti i compari di Skyteam, pronti a sfornare un bel pacchetto da 1 miliardo di dollari: secondo il Wall Street Journal sono 500 i milioni per l’aumento di capitale da parte dell’alleanza, 300 milioni di dollari di revenue da Delta e ulteriori 200 in fondi vari.
Senza tralasciare – anche se al confronto fa ridere – il chip di venti milioni di dollari per i costi di transizione da un’alleanza all’altra!

Certo per Japan Airlines si tratta di una mossa da ponderare molto bene: le relazioni con American Airlines durano da tre lustri, hanno accordi di partnership di vendita reciproca, di codesharing e non ultimo tra i programmi frequent flyer.
Ma Ed Bastian non si arrende e si spinge oltre, asserendo che l’alleanza di JAL con Oneworld ha arrecato non pochi danni al vettore nipponico. “Continuando la sua partnership attuale minaccia la competitività di JAL internazionale a lungo termine,” scrive l’associated press. . “Solo attraverso una partnership con SkyTeam e Delta, JAL può avere la forza di cui ha bisogno per riconquistare una posizione di leadership internazionale in Giappone, in Asia e in tutto il mondo.”

Ma la domanda (sarebbe scontato dire “da un milione di dollari”, anzi da un miliardo) è un’altra: cosa ne pensa la diretta interessata?
La compagnia aerea è consapevole dell’offerta di Delta e SkyTeam, ma al momento non ci sono commenti.

Al momento le strade sono tutte aperte: restano in campo American Airlines e il fondo TPG, ma non si esclude l’idea di poter portare i libri in tribunale.

Please click on the AG icon for a direct link to the JAL photo gallery.

JAL-Japan Airlines (Tokyo-Haneda) is facing a tough decision that will affect its future. Delta is reportedly now offering JAL to cover some, if not most, of the costs of switching from OneWorld to the SkyTeam Alliance as part of its $1 billion pledge. American meanwhile believes its bid is worth the most to JAL. On November 13, JAL CEO Mr. Nishimatsu told the media “it is natural to continue the partnership with American”. Which way will JAL turn?

Meanwhile the value of JAL’s stock has slid to a new all-time low.

News link:

www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idCNT19964020091118?rpc=44

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) along with its Oneworld partners believe they have made the best offer for a share of JAL-Japan Airlines.

American’s statement:

finance.yahoo.com/news/American-Airlines-Statement-prnews-778789397.html?x=0&.v=1

Welcoming the Summit attendees to the greatest city in Texas.

Yesterday I flew from BOS to AUS to attend the Convio Summit. Possibly one of my favorite things about working for a nonprofit that utilizes Convio is that they hold annual meetings in the greatest city in Texas, and arguably one of the greatest cities in the US.

The tricky part is getting here.

From Boston there are very few direct flights. The only one I could find was on JetBlue and it only goes once a day. So I opted for American (always close to my heart and even closer now that I’m inching towards reaching status again this year). That of course means a layover in Chicago or Dallas. Big D it was.

On my 2.5 hour layover I got a chance to navigate the bus system of DFW and have lunch with my parents in the new Grand Hyatt at Terminal A (something I highly recommend). (We chose that because it’s among the only spots not past security where I could meet them.) I also got a chance to rekindle my love-affair with Texan apparel. Being born and bred in Texas, there is something magical about stepping into DFW and becoming part of a glorious maze of cowboy hats, tight jeans, and boots complimented by ‘I love Texas’ stores, big blonde hair, and Sonny Bryan’s BBQ. I may not take advantage of any Texan clothing on a daily basis in Boston, but I have to say, I miss it.

I also miss the weather. During the lunch in Dallas, dark clouds were rolling in. Not a thunderstorm but a cooler front of air. Landing in Austin an hour later it was still warm, but the breeze was picking up and you could sense a change in the air. This morning, the temperature had slipped into the mid-50s with a strong breeze. The trees bent and swayed as flags around the capitol buildings snapped in the wind.

The trip down here ended up being long, but pretty pleasant (and shockingly no delays). Now it’s time to enjoy Austin, learn a lot at the conference, rock out during my presentation on Wednesday, and not think too hard about the 6am flight back on Thursday…

Transcribed from The Free-Lance Star, Fredericksburg, VA, June 13, 1962, p. 8:

Lost Bolt May Have Caused Crash

By WALTER R. MEARS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A mechanic’s oversight, a tiny cotter pin and a bolt less than an inch long could have been the ingredients of disaster in the New York crash of a jet airliner, the Federal Aviation Agency says.

Ninety-five people were killed when the American Airlines Boeing 707 plunged into Jamaica Bay on March 1, seconds after taking off from Idlewild Airport.

The FAA said the bolt, part of a complex rudder mechanism, may have slipped out of place when a nut securing it fell off– for lack of the little cotter pin.

The agency wired airlines and other organizations that fly 707 jets Tuesday, warning them of the potential danger spot. One such warning went to the Military Air Transport Service, which operates the Boeing jets used by President Kennedy and other government leaders.

George C. Prill, director of the FAA flight standards service, said the New York crash “could have been the result of an installation mistake by one man on one aircraft.”

“We do not see this as a possible explanation for any other 707 crash about which we have any information,” he said. “But it would not be the first time that an airplane crashed because a mechanic left a cotter pin out of a bolt.

“You cannot say this is it–we can never prove it happened even though it could have happened!”

Prill said the Civil Aeronautics Board still is investigating the New York crash and will make the final decision on the probably cause.

Transcribed from Eugene Register-Guard, Eugene, OR, January 15, 1963, p. 1:

CAB Blames Jet Crash on Short Circuit

WASHINGTON (AP) — A short circuit–caused by the improper use of tweezers in binding up wires–was the most likely abnormality that sent a jet and 95 persons to their doom last March, the Civil Aeronautics Board said Tuesday.

The American Airlines plane plunged into Jamaica Bay shortly after take-off from New York’s Idlewild International Airport.

The CAB report said the wires, part of the automatic pilot system, lead to the rudder boost control mechanism–called the rudder servo.

Federal Aviation Agency inspectors, the CAB said, determined that the damage was the result of improper use of tweezers in tying wire bundles and backed up the conclusion by finding similarly damaged units in the manufacturer’s production line.

The board said that after the difficulty was discovered, the FAA issued an order for inspection of generator motors for damaged wire bundles.

The Bendix Corp., a division of which in Teterboro, N.J., makes the servo control unit, issued a denial that the unit was defective.

The CAB conceded that an FAA theory made public last June — that a small bolt may have dropped out of the automatic control system — was one of several things that could have happened.