SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER/NOVEMBER, 1971
THE PIEDMONITOR
PAGE FIVE
Interesting Interlining
Why Not Take a Trip To Do Your Chrisfmas Shopping?
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has several
bargains for interliners. They have a new Ams
terdam fare which will be valid through May,
1972 of $75, economy class only, roundtrip.
Requests for this special must go through the
Pass Department, INT-ZZ. Piedmont em
ployees, spouses and dependents are eligible and
you may depart from either New York or Chi
cago. You may make firm reservations 30
days prior to leaving.
Not since Delalos dedicated his legendary
pair of wings to Apollo has there been such
excitment in Greece as the “Greek Odyssey
A Special” recently announced by Olympic. It
is a seven day tour for interliners for only $99.
,^fc^Departures are daily from New York but there
^^Pis a restriction from December 10 through
January 10. Price includes airfare, lodging,
some meals, tours and sightseeing. For further
information write Agency and Interline Sales
Manager, Olympic Airways, 888 Seventh Ave
nue, New York, N.Y. 10019.
“YOU’LL LOVE US for it.” That’s the slo
gan promoted by American and Alitalia. It iden
tifies the carriers’ joint Regional Fare and In
terline Tour program. The Regional Fares make
trips possible in five regions, with costs starting
from $75 going up to $199 for a trip around the
world. In addition, there are 50 tour packages
ofl:ered, running from three days to three weeks
and covering every continent except North and
South America. Regional Fare travel works like
this: It’s economy class, space available, from
now until Aug. 31, 1972. From now until May
31, however, on the transatlantic run within
Region I, you may have positive space, with
the exception of peak holiday periods. Region I
includes 68 cities in Europe, the Mideast and
North Africa. It costs $75. Region II includes
the same list and 16 more cities in Africa.
Cost is $150. Region III includes everything
mentioned so far, plus 12 more destinations in
(Editor’s Note: How profitable are airlines?
Why is there excess capacity on some routes?
What have airlines done about the environ
ment? Those and other questions are answered
in an informative booklet called “Questions
People Ask About Airlines” produced by the
Air Transport Association. Excerpts from the
booklet are presented here in the first of a
series. Copies of the booklet are available to
Piedmont employees from Public Relations
Dept., Air Transport Association of America,
1000 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington,
D.C. 20036.)
Q. I have no personal stake in the airline
business, so why should I be concerned about
it?
A. Because airlines have become the most
important travel medium of our day and an
essential contributor to the U.S. economy.
• The speed and convenience provided by
airlines have greatly expanded the horizons
of the business and pleasure traveler, and have
made tourism a large U.S. industi’y-
• Half of all adults have been airline pas-
sengers at one time or another, traveling on
business or vacation or for personal reasons.
• More than three-quarters of all public
travel between cities is by airline, and nine
of every 10 passengers going overseas fly
there.
• Airlines directly employ about 300,000
men and women, and indirectly accounts for
the employment of hundreds of thousands of
others.
• Nearly $4 of every $100 in capital ex
penditures in the U.S. comes from the sched
uled airlines, adding a tremendous boost to the
economy.
Q. How profitable are the nation’s airlines?
A. U.S. scheduled airlines experienced an
Asia and Australia (places like Bombay, Bang
kok, Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo). Cost
here is $225. These are all roundtrip prices.
Going around the world costs less than you
might think. Head across the Atlantic for Eu
rope, on to Sydney, change to one of AA’s
flights and continue on to the U.S.A. Or for
that matter, do it in reverse. It’s $199 either
direction.
The joint tour program is even more excit
ing. A A and Alitalia have touched base just
about everywhere they can. The least expen
sive is the three-day weekend in Rome, Flor-
Dress Codes
It seems rather a shame that the world’s
most frequent travelers must be told
how to dress as they romp about the globe
but we all know that there are some who
just refuse to abide by unwritten rules of
good taste. Thus the airlines have had to
establish dress codes for their own employ
ees and for interliners.
There are some variations from carrier
to carrier. To be on the safe side, or in
line with all the difl'erent policies, Pied
mont’s male personnel should wear a coat
and tie. Women should wear a dress or
suit (pants suit included). Children should
also be suitably dressed. Some carriers will
board those inappropriately attii'ed only
in coach and others will not board you at
all!
Please take note of these new rules and
don’t ruin your trip before you get started.
Even when you’re travelling on line re
member that Piedmont looks best when
you do.
aggregate loss of $180 million in 1970, the
worst in their history. At this writing, a loss
is anticipated again in 1971.
Q. That was a period the entire economy
was down. What about profits over a number
of years?
A. Over a period of time the airlines have
been unable to earn adequate profits during
good years to build a reserve that would help
to ofl'set bad years. Historically the airlines
have earned low profits. The poor performance
in 1970 culminated four years of declining
earnings. In the 10 previous years, the major
airlines only once achieved the 10.5 per cent
return of investment established in 1961 as
fair and reasonable by the Civil Aeronautics
Board.
Q. What are some of the factors contrib
uting to poor profits?
A. For one thing, the industry is character
ized by excessive competition. Some routes, for
instance, have been awarded to more competing
companies than the potential traffic justifies.
Scheduled airlines have to cope with cut-rate
competition from “non-skeds,” or supplemental
airlines, that operate only when and where
convenient. Airlines compete on the basis of
equipment, flight frequencies and services.
Scheduled air transportation may be the only
regulated industry in the U.S. that consistently
earns less than the permitted rate because of
excessive competition. Inflation, labor costs
rising at a rate exceeding the national average,
and other factors adversely afl’ected profits.
Q. Aren’t the major airlines subsidized by
the government?
A. No. This notion probably persists be
cause at one time all airlines were subsidized.
The four largest airlines have not received a
subsidy in 20 years, and none of the 12 major
carriers are now subsidized.
ence, Venice or Naples. Ground arrangements
cost $30 and cover accomodations for two
nights, breakfast, sightseeing and two meals at
typical restaurants. AA’s share of the tour
program is reflected in four “Down-under
Tours” costing from $127.90 to $225. These in
dependent tours all originate from Nadi, Fiji.
Two use Ansett Airlines in Australia, and two
use Mt. Cook Airlines in New Zealand.
Tours range upwards, covering a wide variety
of rates and places—such as 10 days in Ethi
opia and Kenya for $179. Regional Fare book
ings go to Alitalia sales or ticket oflices, or
American ticket offices, along with letters of
authorization from your supervisor and your
check. Tour folders are available from your
nearest Alitalia office.
“TAKE A BREAK” and have a little fun.
“Take a Break” and see a new part of the
world. “Take a Break” and get away from daily
routine. It doesn’t matter why, says Swissair,
just take it with us. So the Airline of the Alps
is ofl'ering the interlines’ “Take a Break to Eu
rope,” a one-week holiday for $77.
The cost includes confirmed air space, round
trip economy class to Zurich or Geneva from
New York, Montreal or Chicago, a deluxe hotel
with breakfast for the first night and a Kem-
wel self-drive car with unlimited mileage. It’s
based on two interlines per car, but three can
share one of those little VW 1200s at an even
lower rate. (You can request a larger car for
more people.) There are scheduled departures
through April 12. The Christmas holiday season
is restricted, of course. Gasoline, garaging and
tolls are on you, but you may choose your
own route, just so you wind up in the same
place where you started. If you’re thinking
about buying a car, you can order it ahead of
time for delivery in Europe. You will then have
it in time to drive on your holiday with no rent
al fee. Kemwel has a special low tax-free tourist
price for most models. For this deal, contact
The Kemwel Group, Inc., 247 W. 12th St., New
York, N.Y. 10014.
HOW GOES
IT?
Mechanically speaking the August 1971 sitatistics
revealed the following:
Mechanical Dispatch Reliability
Actual Forecast
FH-227
98.1% 99.4%
YS-llA _ .
98.4% 99.0%
B-737
98.3% 99.0%
On-Time Performance of flights
operated noit more than 15
minutes late
. 68.2%
Actual Load Factor
Quota Forecast
52.21%
53.09%
SEPTEMBER
Mechanical Dispatch Reliability
Actual Forecast
FH-227
. 98.4% 99.4%
YS-llA
. 98.5% 99.0%
B-737
. 98.5% 99.0%
On-Time Performance of flights
operated not more than 15
minutes late
73.5%
Actual Load Factor
Quota Forecast
46.77%
31.60%
OCTOBER
Mechanical Dispatch Reliability
Actual Forecast
FH-227 .
98.5% 99.4%
YS-llA
. 98.6% 99.0%
B-737
. 98.3% 99.0%
On-Time Performance of flights
operated net more than 15
minutes late
.. 62.7%
Actual Load Factor
Quota Forecast
48.29%
48.43%
NOVEMBER
Mechanical Dispatch Reliability
Actual Forecast
FH-227
98.8% 99.4%
YS-llA
.. 98.9% 99.0%
B-737 _
. 98.3% 99.0%
On-Time Performance of flights
operated not more than 15
minutes late
78.6%
Actual Load Factor
Quota Forecast
45.94%
49.35%
Questions People Ask About Airlines