PIEDMONT AIRLINES
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
WEEKLY TRAFFIC MH-IORilNDUM //18 November 15, 194B
1, AIR FREIGHT - There has been a steady increase each month in the volume of air freight
handled. The net revenue from this source amounts to enough to pay the salaries of
several of us. Fellows, this is important traffic and we m\ist give it the handling it
deserves. Recently there have been a few cases of mishandling; most of these have been
on our own system at connecting points. Some have been caused by failure of the origi
nating station to send the connection message, thereby caiising shipments to be over-
carried. Be svire to send connecting information on AF as well as all connecting traffic,
(This refers to Flights 20 & 40 at RDU, Flights 15 & 21 at TRI and Flights 41 & 36 at ROA)
After a shipment or part of a shipment has been over-carried or mishandled in any way,
don't let it sit around. Use your head. Decide what can be done to get the AF to desti
nation and do it.
Example; An INT-SDF shipment is dispatched on 21 to connect at TRI with 15 for SDF, The
shipment is sho:m on the Trip Dispatch but not shown in a "Connection Msg," This is only
Error No. 1. TRI fails to pull shipment—Error No, 2. After 21 is out of TRI, the error
is not noticed. Had the error been detected, LEX. could have been advised to pull ship
ment there for inspection and disposition—thus Error No, 3, Shipment is taken off at
CVG and held for Trin 10 next day and sent to LEX. In my estimation this would consti
tute Errors No, 4 & 5. CVG should have returned to LEX on l6. If this not done, author
ity should have been requested to forward to SDF by TliJA or AAL, But as it happened,
when it was received at LEX on the 2nd day. Error No, 6 was committed by holding shipment
for Flight 15. No one advised origin or destination as to the shipment being in their
station. This neglect must be classed as Error No, ?•
You will agree that that is lousy handling. Think of it. Suppose that had been your
shipment—you paid the charges—you were expecting to receive a large order from the
consignee because of this air freight shipment of samples—the consignee was expecting
the shipment because of expensive phone call you had made and paid for—the consignee
had gone to considerable expense to have designers from throughout the Middle West and
South present to look over your samples. No doubt you, too, would have been quite let
dov/n when they were not shown because someone with Piedmont Airlines has failed to give
your air freight shipment proper attention.
I regret that this has been so lengthy. I regret still more that it was necessary at
all. Let's not make it necessary again. Remember, all traffic carried by air is impor
tant and must have your undivided attention, THINK - then act,
2, FLIGHT INFOftl-'IATION TO THE PUBLIC - Nothing irritates a person more than telephoning the
airport for info on the arrival time of a flight which he or she is to meet and to be
advised that the trip is expected in on schedule; but upon arrival at the airport, to
find that the trip is operating late—sometimes as much as several hours late. We have
had several instances similar to this happen to us already. Winter weather is with us
now and we can expect some delays, but there is no excuse for gi^d.ng out false informa
tion or missing our estimate of arrival as far as we have missed some. All managers will
see to it that your station has a definite procedure for keeping up ’vd.th flights coming
into your station. You do not have an opportunity to do very much direct selling. The
telephone is one of your most important mediums—the way you and your personnel use it
is the thing that counts. Think—use it wisely.
3, FAiMILY PlJlN FOSTERS - One large poster is being forv>rarded each station. Will all con
cerned please see that this poster gets the very best display possible. Let's get them
up right away*