Republic shareholders approved the merger of Iheir
airline into Northwest at their annual meeting
April 23.
« « *
On May I. USAir began the first nonstop serviee
from Washington Dulles to MYR. We offer two daily
nonstops from BWI to MYR.
* * *
Work has begun at CVG on a $45 million project
which will increase Delta’s gates at this airport from
10 to 22. Delta plans to use the airport as a hub serv
ing 150 flights a day.
« « *
Effective June 1, Business Express will become a
Delta Connection commuter.
♦ ♦ ♦
Air Atlanta now offers nonstop service from ATL and
New York to the Greenbrier. The two daily nonstops
began April 27.
* * *
On April 27. Air Canada became the first major
North American airline to introduce total non-smoking
flights, with more than half of the frequencies between
Montreal/Toronto and Toronto/Ottawa being designed
as total non-smoking flights. The test will run for three
months. The idea to test a complete non-smoking
flight stems from more than 1,800 interviews con
ducted with frequent travelers.
« * *
Oral hearings will begin May 27 before an adminis
trative law judge to determine whether Texas Air's bid
lo acquire Eastern should be approved. Texas Air has
acquired 51 percent of the outstanding shares of
Eastern slock.
♦ ♦ ♦
Della inaugurated nonstop service from ATL lo
Municli on April 27 and from ATL to Shannon. Ire
land. on May 8.
* * *
TWA and Pan Am have implemented a $5-per-
passenger one-way surcharge on transatlantic flights,
effective April 25. The surcharge has been introduced
to help offset part of the carriers’ costs for improving
security on these flights.
* ♦ *
A second slot trading session is planned for late
June for airlines serving the four high-density air
ports—Dj A, JFK, ORD, and DCA.
'I'he Dayton International Airshow and Trade Expo
sition will be held July 24-27 at the Dayton Inter
national Airport. The airshow, on Saturday and
Sunday, will include military flight teams, civilian
performers, experimental and antique aircraft. World
War 11 aircraft, business and corporate flying demon
strations, a parachute demonstration team, hot air
balloon rallies, and radio-controlled aircraft. For more
information write to the Dayton International Airshow
and lYade Exposition, Terminal Building, Room 214,
Dayton International Airport. Vandalia, Ohio 45377 or
cafl 513/898-5901.
* * *
Texas Air, Eastern, Continental, and New York Air
together accounted for 16 percent of industry revenue
passenger miles in the first quarter compared to 14.2
percent for United and 13.9 percent for American.
♦ ♦ *
People Express recently announced these changes
in services:
• a 'lYavel Reward Program for frequent flyers which
gives passengers a free round-trip coach ticket for
20,000 miles accumulated.
• full-service, flrst class flights for its EWR-DEN
market.
• entire fleet reconfigured with first class and coach
sections by mid-November.
• at EWR. boarding passes, one-stop check-in, and a
first class frequent flyer lounge by year end.
In addition, the airline may introduce full-service
coach flights in addition to the present no-frills flights.
The airline will launch service to Hawaii soon.
2 ^
Don Witte
(right),
director-
marketing
services,
shows ORF
passenger
Sean Brickell
how our new
Self Express
machine
works.
'Self Express' ticketing machines
On line to cut lines at DAY, ORF
Piedmont customer serviee
took another step forward re
cently with the inauguration
of our new Self Express auto
matic ticketing machines at
ORF and DAY,
At both locations, a colorful
Self Express center was
placed before our ticket
counter and a volunteer pas
senger tried out the machine
as local officials. Piedmont
representatives and the local
media watched. Each time.
Self Express performed on
cue as its screen guided the
passenger through the pur
chase of his ticket and the
issuance of his boarding pass
— both printed within min
utes after first inserting a
credit card. And each time
the passenger was able to
quickly proceed to the gate
before his flight departed.
Don Witte, director-
marketing services and head
of the Self Express project,
said that the machine has al
ready exceeded expectations.
"More people are using it
than we thought would use it
at this early stage,” Witte
said. "But as we expected, the
majority of users are experi
enced business travelers who
want to purchase their tickets
and receive boarding passes
without standing in line. Self
Express has become their
fastest route to the boarding
gate.”
At ORF on April 17, the vol
unteer passenger was Sean
Brickell, executive vice presi
dent/general manager of
Brickell & Associates, a mar
keting and public relations
firm. After using Self Express,
ORF District Sales Manager
Joe Grant and Station
Manager Lance Anderson
presented Brickell with a
letter saying his trip from
ORF to EWR, then to BWI
and return would be
compliments of Piedmont,
and gave him a Piedmont
flight bag to take along.
Brickell later thanked Pied
mont for the consideration —
and for Self Express.
"Thanks for the many
goodies you gave me for my
participation,” Brickell wrote.
"Looking forward to watching
this program grow and ex
pand for Piedmont.”
He also returned his board
ing pass for us to keep in our
archives—the first Self Ex
press boarding pass ever
issued to a passenger.
Similar Inaugural cere
monies at DAY were held
May 7.
Piedmont representatives
from INT at the ceremonies
included Witte; Cathy Ral
ston, marketing services
analyst; Ed Wright, applica
tions manager; Brian Groe,
team leader; Kurt Navratil,
programmer; and Pat McKee,
passenger procedures analyst.
Also at DAY were Chuck
Allen, district sales manager,
Wayne Rankin, station man
ager, and representatives
from the NCR Corporation,
which manufactures the Self
Express machine.
By early summer. Piedmont
will also have Self Express
centers installed at EWR and
MIA.
ADWEEK honors Piedmont's marketing
Piedmont’s special market
ing programs and creative ads
have done more than help
bring us record 'ooardings vir
tually every month. They’ve
also attracted national atten
tion as ADWEEK, one of the
nation’s leading marketing
publications, recently named
us 1985 Southeast Marketer
of the Year.
A feature article appeared
in the May 5 issue of
ADWEEK describing the mar
keting strategies that have
propelled us into the ranks of
the nation’s most prosperous
major airlines. To write the
story, ADWEEK Senior Editor
Jeffry Scott visited our head
quarters and interviewed Bill
Howard, president and chief
executive officer, and Bill
McGee, senior vice president-
marketing.
After seeing our operations
at INT, Scott interviewed offi
cers of McKinney Silver &
Rockett. Piedmont’s advertis
ing agency in Raleigh, where
he discovered the creative
edge that has consistently
translated our marketing pro
grams into award-winning
ads.
"You did the best job of
marketing in the Southeast
last year,” Scott said. "Year in
and year out since deregula
tion, you’ve done a great job.”
Scott cited the Empire
acquisition. The Piedmont
Shuttle and our general per
formance since deregulation
as key elements that influ
enced the editorial staff of
ADWEEK to vote Piedmont
Southeast Marketer of the
Year.
Piedmont is the first airline
to win the prestigious award
and will receive a plaque
to commemorate the
achievement.
Howard said that the award
is welcome recognition of our
continuing efforts to provide
the best service in the air
transportation industry.
"We’re pleased that
ADWEEK has recognized the
real accomplishments of our
marketing programs," he
said.
\
number of departures: 1,197
miles flown daily: 416,511
ASMs (av£iilable seat miles): 50,500,473
number of aircraft in fleet: 153
average aircraft hop: 348 miles
number of airports served: 87
daily block time flown: 1,350 hours, 50 minutes
The next schedule change will be July 15.