Clipper, Vol. 17, No. 4, April 1958

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Read On Four Continents And Four Islands In Between


ATLANTIC DIVISION
Volume 17
APRIL, 1958
No. 4
Five Key Execs Promoted
NORMAN P. BLAKE HOWARD M. BLACKWELL JOHN T. SHANNON	CHARLES S. VAUGHN SAMUEL H. MILLER
Pax Aglow Over Economy Service
The Economy Class passengers on Pan Am’s eastbound inaugural Economy flight, flight 10/01 April, reacted enthusiastically to the new lower fares, seating and sandwich meals — buttressing earlier predictions that the reduced fares would pay off in significant increases in transatlantic air travel.
The Economy section of the maiden flight was booked solidly with 54 passengers taking advantage of the $113.40 round-trip saving afforded by the new low fares.
Uniform satisfaction was expressed by the passengers with the new 34-inch seat spacing arrangement required for Economy Class. Among the passengers were four pregnant women and several large, economy-size persons, all of whom found the seating adequate and comfortable.
An analysis of the occupations of the first 54 Economy passengers indicates how the Economy fares have broadened the base of the air travel market. They included: the wife of a factory supervisor, the wives of five American servicemen stationed abroad, a clerk-typist, three secretaries, two students, a tile-setter, a hotel steward, a fireman, a retired couple, three widows, a couple on a diamond
anniversary trip, and an upholsterer.
About a third of the passengers were foreign-born Americans making return visits to their homelands. In several cases, the trip to Europe would have been out of the question without the Economy Fare reduction in costs.
Funds Go Farther
Perhaps half the Economy passengers said they chose the new service so that their funds would permit a longer stay in Europe or leave them more money to spend while there.
Economy Fares also proved to be a stimulus to family group travel. Aboard the first flight were a couple from Rhode Island enroute to Germany to visit their soldier son, a Los Angeles couple bound for Israel and a Passover reunion with relatives they hadn’t seen for 36 years, a Texas couple on a belated honeymoon, and a young California executive and his (Continued on Page 9)
FIRST ECONOMY FLIGHT passenger Mrs. Richard Schmidt gives piggy bank $113 “change” between previous fare and new low thrift fare. The Schmidt children look on as Traffic Supervisor Jim Markham returns her ticket.
Two new officers of Pan American World Airways were elected by the Board of Directors at their April meeting, President Juan T. Trippe has announced. Norman P. Blake, formerly Atlantic Division Manager, was elected a Vice-President, and Howard M. Blackwell, Purchasing Manager — Services of Supply, was elected Assistant Vice-President — Services
of Supply.
At the same time, Mr. Trippe announced the appointment of John T. Shannon as Atlantic Division Manager to succeed Mr. Blake.
Following this announcement, Atlantic Division Executive Vice-President Harold E. Gray announced the appointment of Captain Charles S. Vaughn as Mr. Shannon’s successor.
Captain Samuel H. Miller has been appointed Chief Pilot of the Atlantic Division to replace Captain Vaughn.
Before becoming Atlantic Division Manager, Mr. Blake had been Assistant to the Executive Vice-President of the Atlantic Division. Prior to that he was Regional Director for the Middle East and India with headquarters in Beirut. He joined Pan American in 1939 and served during World War II as (Continued on Page 3)
AN EDITORIAL_____________________________________
A significant tip-off to the attitude of some of our major competitors toward dependable operation is found in the record of transatlantic flight performance during February — a very difficult month for all transatlantic carriers. The weather was bad and passengers were scarce.
Some carriers took the easy way out — they cancelled schedules. One of our major competitors cancelled 24% of its eastbound flights; another cancelled 22% of its westbound schedules. Wholesale cancellations of this magnitude undoubtedly caused serious inconvenience to many of their passengers.
Pan American, on the other hand, at great expense and effort, managed to operate 97% of its scheduled transatlantic flights during this trying period.
On time performance — another strong indication of the quality of a carrier’s service — is an area in which we excel. During 1957, for example, 91% of our more than 6,000 transatlantic flights departed on time or with only minor delays.
And we delivered this superior product in a year in which we not only operated the biggest schedule in our history but also sandwiched in $3,500,000 in charter business. During 1957, we produced 311,000,000 available ton-miles — more than twice what we produced four years ago.
Aircraft utilization — the result of a number of factors including economic planning, scheduling, production control, maintenance, traffic, sales, flight and ground operations — also climbed during the busiest year we’ve yet experienced.
During the four-month peak period of June through September, our DC-7C block time utilization was 12 hours, 52 minutes out of every 24 hours. That’s really keeping them flying! Over the entire year, each Super-7 was flying 11 hours, 41 minutes of every day — more than two hours over the industry average.
Some of us may have developed the feeling that we are far from perfect in our service to our passengers. Our impressions are likely to be distorted because we see only our own mistakes. When we take the time to dig out the facts about the other fellow’s operations, we usually find, as in the cases cited above, that we do a superior job. We do much more for our passengers in many respects than our competitors do for theirs. We should learn where we excel and take pride in it.
There is no intellectual honesty in believing everything bad one hears about his own company while assuming without proof that competitors are perfect. This is unfair to one’s own company and frustrating to oneself.
We believe that a careful examination of comparative facts, such as those discussed above, should instill a feeling of aggressive confidence which is both beneficial to our company and personally satisfying to each of us.
BOB HOPE pores over a Russian phrase book before boarding a Pan Am flight to London, first step on his trip to Moscow. The papaha (Cossack hat), Hope hoped, would assure him anonymity in Red Square.