Pan Am clipper, Vol. 15, No. 7, September 1989

              Pan Am London Lands Jetways U. S. Tour Program
by Alan Loflin
The Pan Am Sales team in London has won a major contract with Jetways, one of the premier British-based operators of all-inclusive tour programs to the United States—an unprecedented contract that names Pan Am as the tour operator’s exclusive carrier for three years.
Jetways, for years firmly tied to TWA, was acquired recently by British travel baron Reg Pycroft, who over the years has owned a number of tour companies highly regarded for their product quality and value.
In the competition for the Jetways contract, TWA was outbid by British Airways. It was assumed that BA would get the Jetways contract because of Pycroft’s past ties, but the Pan Am Sales team, led by Managing Director Ronnie Simkins, entered the bidding.
“It took more than two months of careful and methodical negotiating with Pycroft, ” says Simkins. “He was looking for the same high quality in an airline that we were looking for in a tour operator, and we both recognized that British Airways is a very formidable competitor. In the end, we discovered that Pan Am and Jetways had similar goals, and we had a deal.” Simkins estimates that the association with Jetways will represent approximately $15 million for Pan Am in 1990. Pycroft is even more optimistic, forecasting $100 million in revenues for Pan Am during the three-year term of the contract.
Pycroft’s travel companies have based their success on being in the forefront of recognizing what the traveling public will want next. In the 1970s, his company, Jetsave, introduced the U. K., low-cost airfares to New York and low-cost, high-quality vacation packages to Florida. The idea was so successful that a competitor bought the company in the early 1980s. Pycroft was then engaged by British Airways to develop what later became known as Poundstretcher, a highly popular vacation program to the U.S.A. When British Airways was privatized, the airline bought out his 49-percent stake in Poundstretcher. When he bought Jetways in July of this year, news of the acquisition made front-page headlines in the travel trade press in the U. K. Pycroft, who, along with Sir Freddie Laker, is credited with changing the face of the travel industry in the U. K., saw Jetways as a quality company that was simply underperforming. “There is a tremendous market here for more upscale tour programs to the U. S., ” says Pycroft. “So many travelers here have taken super low-cost charter packages before and discovered that they don’t allow for flexibility or for more specialized or comprehensive touring, especially in the heartlands of America. These are the people who are willing to pay a higher cost for a higher quality package that gives them the flexibility to pursue their desires in travel.”
The new business relationship is unique because Pan Am and Jetways have more than a simple tour operator-airline relationship. Jetways will work closely with Pan Am in the area of route development. For example, where there are weaker market sectors, Jetways will develop tour programs to help build traffic in the market.
“The London-Washington market is on the soft side, ” says Pycroft, “so we’ll build a London-Washington-Orlando program to boost traffic on the transatlantic sector.
Pycroft says a similar approach will be taken in the London-Seattle market, where off-season traffic is sluggish.
“Seattle is a very popular city for travelers from the U. K. When you combine Seattle with a visit to the Rockies or other areas of interest in continued on page 2
Happy 60th Port Of Spain!
On the occasion of Pan Am’s 60th Anniversary of service to Trinidad we have taken this opportunity to feature a double- page account of service to the island, then...and now. Shown from left to right are THnidad-born Flight Attendants Judy Noel and Joann Rudder, and First Officers Richard Eckel and Michael Littlepage. To the far right is New York Chief Pilot Dan Condon holding a picture of the Sikorsky S-38, photographed during the days when Charles A. Lindbergh flew into Thnidad station.	Story on page 4
imivAivi
CUPPER
Ship-Shape at the Shuttle.
The Maintenance Team In Action
by Susan Timper
Crew Chief Rich Seifert and Mechanic George Gagnier charge out of the LaGuardia Shuttle Maintenance office as Clipper Raven arrives on time at 1030 from Washington. As the Fleet Service team quickly sets the chocks to keep the airplane in place for passenger deplanement, Seifert and Gagnier perform a thorough look/sce walkaround check. As Seifert visually inspects the aircraft fuselage and engines, Gagnier inspects the tires and landing gear mechanisms. After completing a thorough check of the aircraft and having ascertained that everything is visibly in order, Gagnier proceeds to the cockpit where he reviews the maintenance log book with the Flight Engineer to determine if any mechanical problems exist. All concerned agree that Clipper Raven is in perfect operating order and ready to depart on its next trip at 1130 after the necessary servicing is complete. As Gagnier exits the airplane another Shuttle crew is meeting the simultaneous arrival of the Boston flight.
The Pan Am maintenance team that keeps the
Shuttle aircraft operating on quick turnarounds is exceptionally proud of its reliability performance which has consistently averaged 99% since the Shuttle began its operation on October 1, 1986. Proudly displayed on the bulletin board in the maintenance office is a letter from Shuttle President Harris Herman thanking the maintenance team for this extraordinary achievement and the continued effort put forth by all of the workers.
The Shuttle maintenance team is kept busy with four operating aircraft on the ground simultaneously as an aircraft arrives every hour on the half hour from Washington and Boston, and an aircraft departs every hour on the half hour to each of these stations. There are a total of 32 departures and arrivals at LaGuardia every day, not including extra sections, which are often required at peak periods. This task is accomplished with the availability of a fleet of fifteen B727 aircraft dedicated to the Shuttle operation.
Thirty-one Mechanics, 7 Maintenance continued on page 7
Mechanic Pat Pardo responds to an inbound maintenance item by inspecting and re-racking the pitch computer which is located in the electronics equipment bay of the aircraft.
Pan Am Announces
Major Expansion In Florida Service; Number Of Flights Increases 50 Percent
Pan American has announced a nearly 50 percent increase in its Florida services. Included in the expansion, effective this fall, is the start-up of service between Miami and Philadelphia, Boston, San Juan, Nassau,
St. Maarten, Antigua, Raleigh/Durham and Charlotte, as well as new service from New York’s John E Kennedy International Airport to Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood.
According to Senior Vice President-Marketing Peter McHugh, “We fully recognize the importance of Florida and want to capitalize on the potential for increased traffic to this popular destination as we build our domestic route system.”
Effective September 23, Pan Am will initiate service to the Cayman Islands with four weekly Boeing 727 flights between Miami and Grand Cayman. The service will operate daily beginning October 29.
The next phase of Pan Am’s Miami expansion will begin on October 1, with the start up of service between Miami and Nassau. Pan Am will operate three daily Miami-Nassau flights using 727 aircraft.
Beginning October 29, Pan Am will substantially add to its Miami schedule with the addition of service from Philadelphia, Boston, Raleigh/Durham and Charlotte to Miami. Three daily nonstp Philadelphia-Miami flights and two daily nonstop Miami-Boston flights will be implemented on that day, as well as one daily flight between Raleigh/Durham, Charlotte and Miami. Pan Am will also begin serving St. Maarten and Antigua from its Miami hub with daily service. In addition, a third daily Miami-Washington, D. C. flight will be added. All flights will operate with 727 aircraft. One weekly nonstop 747 flight between Miami and Frankfurt will also be added.
Also effective October 29 will be the start-up of service between New York’s Kennedy Airport and Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood, with two daily nonstop 727 flights between the two cities.
Pan Am will resume service into San Juan on December 15 with four daily nonstop 727 flights between Miami and San Juan. Pan Am last served San Juan in 1983 after having first offered service to Puerto Rico in 1929.
Additionally, a fifth daily nonstop flight between New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Miami will be added on December 14. Pan Am also has seven daily flights between Kennedy and Miami using Airbus A300s, A310s and 727s.
Pan Am said that the expansion announced today increases by 22, to 70, the average number of daily flights Pan Am plans to operate into Florida mid-winter this year compared with a year ago.