OCTOBER, 1970
THE PIEDMONITOR
PAGE THREE
m
THE ERA OF COMPUTERISM is not totally upon us,
yet. It seems that it is still necessary to push pens,
if you'll pardon the pun, before buttons. Wielding
the pens in this case were President of Mutual Com
puter Services William C. Powell, left, and Piedmont
Senior Vice President C. G. Brown, Jr. Also on
hand for the contract signing were, in the usual
order. Piedmont's Director — Data Services Sam
Carter, MCS Vice President, L. T. O'Connor and
T. R. Cowen, Director-Reservations and Ticketing
Services for Piedmont. The official signing came
late last month.
Computer Contract
Signed By Company
To do away with the “last" vestiges of a manual operation,
fittingly enough, there is no button to push.
The all-important signatures for making such a move official
must be inscribed by hand.
And so it was when Piedmont recently signed a contract for
computerized reservation service with Mutual Computer Ser
vices, Inc., a subsidiary of Continental Airlines.
Piedmont’s new reservations service, properly called an
automated passenger record system, will go into operation April
1 next year.
The building that will house the people that will push the
buttons is currently under construction off South Stratford Road
in Winston-Salem, while the actual computer machinery will be
located in Los Angeles, California, home office of MCS, Inc.
The system itself, called SHARES, for SHared Airline
Reservations System, is based on the widely used and highly
accepted IBM Programmed Airline Reservation System (PARS).
Ozark Airlines is already using this system and plans are
being made to share the Continental central site computer with
other airlines.
The Piedmonitor will have an up to date report on the
progress of the new Central Reservations Office and further
details of the Company’s computerization in the next issue.
LONG LINES
Since Piedmont’s long line is one of, ij not the most,
successful of our modes of communication, we thought
a column by the same name might he a good ivay of
mentioning some of the small, but newsy things of
interest that go on around the system. Any contributions
you might have will be more than welcome. Address
them to the Editor, Piedmonitor, INT-ZY.
Southern Pines got a new Action Station Manager
when it re-opened for seasonal service on October 1.
Former Fayetteville Lead Agent Horace E. Bryant
assumed the duties for the duration of SOP’s seasonal
operation.
The final decision in the St. Louis Case was handed
down by the Civil Aeronautics Board late last march.
Eastern Air Lines was given the authority to operate
the non-stop service between all the points involved,
Charlotte, Greensboro/High Point, Raleigh/Durham
and Richmond. The examiner had recommended Pied
mont for the Richmond-St. Louis segment, but the
Company requested a broader authority in order to
make it a profitable operation. The Company is, of
course, disappointed at not being given broader author
ity, but is delighted that the cities will get the much
needed service.
The three-letter city code for the new Jacksonville,
North Carolina Airport is OAJ. If you depend on
memory by association for that sort of thing it might
help to know that the airport is located in Onslow
ounty — Onslow Airport Jacksonville, maybe?
Industry Expecting Losses
According To AT A Report
The U. S. scheduled airline industry is expected to
show a net loss at the end of 1970, according to a recent
report released by the Air Transport Association.
“The U. S. Scheduled Airline Industry — An Eco
nomic Overview,” says that each individual airline
group within the industry — 12 major airlines, 9 region
al airlines, and 3 cargo airlines — is expected to
show a net loss for 1970,
The new ATA report details the host of economic
and financial problems which are plaguing all segments
of the industry today, describing, for example, the
depressing effect which the recent downturn in the
national economy has had upon the airlines.
Industry efforts to control costs and cut back
capacity have been underway for some time as a
means of coping with the rapidly deteriorating financial
picture, the report says. But to be effective, it is
urged, these steps must be accompanied by government
action to increase fares, to create an effective charter
enforcement program, and to immediately implement
plans for improving airports and airways.
The report, prepared by ATA’s Department of
Economics and Finance, is the first in a series which
will analyze issues vital to commercial air transpor
tation.
Dulles Improvements
(CoiilimuMl froiii OiuO
Four permanent mobile lounge loading docks now
have replaced two temporary positions which previously
served the international arrival facility. The new
mobile lounge gates are built so that international
passengers can go by mobile lounge directly from th:ir
aircraft to the processing points in tha arrivals area.
Government inspection booths used by officia's of
Customs, Immigration, Agriculture and the Public
Health Service have been increased from 10 to 16.
MORE AMERICANS
TAKE FIRST TRIP
A poll taken for the U. S. airline industry by the
Gallup Organization has found that nearly half of all
adult Americans have now taken trips on a scheduled
airline.
According to a recent Air Transport Association re
lease, forty-seven per cent of all adults have now flown
compared to only 33 per cent eight years ago.
On a per cent basis, young Americans fly more than
the older groups, people from the West fly more than
other areas, and Southerners fly the least.
Among the several airlines currently cutting back
on schedules we found that United has cut in half its
service to Asheville. We’re sorry they had to do it, but
hopefully it will help Piedmont and at this stage in the
game, any and all help is greatly appreciated.
For more than one reason, certainly, it is a good
thing that Trans World Airlines doesn’t have its home
office in Winston-Salem. They’re claiming, and all but
blatantly so, to be the first airline to put no-smoking
sections on every aircraft in their fleet. Cigarette City
would hardly approve.
m
h
w
A NEW LOOK for the counter, candy rather than ticket.
In this case, that of the Paramount Theater in Charlottes
ville. All part of their unique campaign to promote the
movie "Airport". Posters of Piedmont's 737's were dis
played throughout the theater and their ticket
pop corn agents wore Piedmont uniforms. More
16,000 people saw the movie during its three
run and got some good Piedmont exposure too.