The Up-And-Coming Airline
5
PI expanded identity
What will this arrangement
mean for the passengers and the
three airlines involved?
■'Well, for the passenger," Folger
said, "these commuter agreements
mean more conveniently sched
uled tie-ins to jet service from
smaller communities and the
through-service also means better
fares. For the airlines it means
more visibility, more destinations
and more passengers."
After these commuters join our
system. Piedmont will provide
reservations services for both.
Once schedules are matched and
the commuter flights are entered
into computer systems under our
two-letter reservations code, the
smaller airlines’ flights are much
more readily visible for reserva-
tionists and travel agents to sell.
The commuters pay a three-part
fee to Piedmont that covers reser
vations and ticket handling, pas
sengers boarded and baggage and
document processing. The fee is
based on how much actual han
dling we do of their equipment
and passengers at each of the
cities.
"The track records of the air
lines already in Piedmont's Com
muter System provide the benefits
to such agreements," Folger added.
"The month before Sunbird joined
our System, they boarded around
6.500 passengers. Six months
after painting on the Piedmont
colors, they boarded around
20,000—more than tripling their
loads.
“Piedmont benefits because a
great majority of their passengers
transfer to or from our {lights. The
month before Henson joined us in
1983, our Regional Airline inter
lined just 2,800 passengers to us.
In October of 1985, Piedmont and
Henson transferred 41,000 passen
gers to one another.”
With the addition of TVans Air
and Southern Express, five airlines
will be part of the Piedmont Com
muter System. Sunbird became
part of the commuter network last
May and Jetstream International
and Britt Airways began wearing
the Piedmont insignia in
November.
PI ends year
With WRAPUP 85
Piedmont is offering holiday trav
elers 70 percent discounts for travel
on December 25th, 26th, 27th, and
28th anywhere on the Piedmont sys
tem. The fares—coded WRAPUP
85—will also be valid on Piedmont
Commuter flights using Henson,
Sunbird, Britt and Jetstream airlines.
The WRAPUP 85 fare will be calcu
lated as a 70 percent discount of
normal, unrestricted coach fares. The
fares will cilso be good for travel
between points in Florida and New
York City. TVavel between New York
City and Florida is restricted on
these dates on other airlines.
Tickets must be purchased within
three days after reservations are
made, or by December 23rd, which
ever date falls earlier. All tickets must
be purchased on a round-trip basis.
The fares will be non-refundable, and
no stopovers will be permitted. The
tickets will be invalid for travel on any
other days, or for any exchange on
other tickets.
group who has contributed the most
to the telecommunications industry in
the state. Kivette is the incoming
president of the organization.
Kivett joined Piedmont in Novem
ber. He most recently was telecom
munications manager for Wachovia.
Kivett receives
1985 Carol Award
Dohn Kivette, programmer/analyst,
communications and planning-
computer and communications ser
vices, Madison Park, has received the
1985 Carol Award from the N.C. Tele
communications Association.
The award is presented annually to
the person chosen by the 65-member
PI now testing
new warning system
Piedmont has been chosen as the
first airline in the country to try out a
new computer system that warns
pilots of an impending midair colli
sion and gives directions on how to
avoid it.
A 727-200 has been fitted with the
collision avoidance system. The sys
tem will be evaluated in eight months
of normal commercial service begin
ning in early next year.
Piedmont has been working with
the FAA on preliminary evaluation of
the collision avoidance system for
several months. TWo 727-200s were
fitted with a portion of the collision
avoidance system to gather informa
tion for the FAA. The equipment did
not include the cockpit display that
would warn the pilot of a potential
collision.
After an eight-month test of the full
system on one aircraft, the evaluation
will be expanded to about 18 aircraft
flown by Piedmont, United, and
Republic. The system is expected to
cost $50,000 to $70,000 for each
aircraft.
Joe Culler (right], president-CAG. and
Jim Thylor. vice president/general
manager-GAG. look out on the taxiway
from the new headquarters building for
the General Aviation Group.
General Aviation Group's modern, new headquarters building at Smith
Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem opened this fall. The $1.9 million
hangar/office complex includes a large hangar and office space lo- GAG's
management and employees in the Winston-Salem division ol GAG, the
Beechcraft sales department, and the charter department. In addition,
GAG now has its own accounting department, located on the second floor
of the building.
In the lobby of
the new build
ing are employ
ees (I to r) Gerri
liirnel. Jeanette
Gatlin. Bruce
Nash, and
Susan Fulcher.
rwn
r
The complex includes a 27,600-square-
foot hangar wnich can house from 18 to
24 aircraft. Among those working in the
Beechcraft sales department which is
based in the new building, are (I to r) Rob
Wells, manager. John Bryan. Mona
Jacobs. Jeff Broos. and Danny Culler.