U. S. sales clipper, Vol. 2, No. 12, December 1948

              TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT
FORCE
VOL. 2, NO. 12
NEW YORK 17, N. Y.
DECEMBER 1948
Christmas Greeting*	|
To Officials and Personnel of Pan American World Airways	S
OW, as another Christmas draws near, I want §f 3£to extend the Season’s Greetings to all in the j| Pan American family.	a
Together we have gone through another difficult || year in our industry. Teamwork has again paid i off. Thanks to close cooperation among officials fj and personnel all along the line, Pan American is § still world leader in air transportation.
The significance of this job well done far exceeds § the interests of our own Company. Our success 1 contributes directly to our country’s leadership in §j> international civil aviation and to the strength- M ening of U.S. air power during a critical period. It § also contributes very directly to our national policy 1 for world recovery—on which our hopes for peace must finally rest, p The coming year will continue to present grave problems for our | industry. I am sure, however, that we of Pan American will be able § to make even greater contributions. In addition to teamwork and j§ knowhow, which are our greatest assets, we will .be flying the largest § fleet of the most advanced type of commercial aircraft anywhere in j|
the world—	r'"	..-	m
Best wishes to you all for Christmas and the New Year.
President Trippe
PRESIDENT
PAA Helps Santa Get His Letter Writing Done and Delivered on Time
L.A.D. INSTITUTES SLEEPERETTES ON NY-BUE SERVICE
Clippers on PAA’s “blue ribbon” route between New York and Buenos Aires will be equipped with “sleeperette” seats beginning January 1, it was announced by Vice President Traffic and Sales, Willis G. Lipscomb.
Passenger capacity of the Clippers will be reduced from fifty-two to thirty to make room for the new seats which stretch out almost flat and provide an unbroken night’s sleep on the 6,313 mile, 42 hour trip. There will be no extra charge for the service.
The sleeperettes will be available on the through flights between New York, RIO and BUE, leaving New York daily at 11:15 P.M.
Ample leg room for the tallest passenger is provided by the sleeperettes, which are spaced 60 inches apart, compared to 40 inches in the conventional type of seating. The seats are equipped with leg rests and may be tilted back to form a bed six feet, six inches in length. Both the back and leg rests are cushioned with foam rubber for added comfort. Curtains are hung to surround the seats to provide privacy for the passenger while resting.
Introduction of the sleeperettes on the New York-BUE route is PAA’s newest step to provide complete passenger comfort on the flight.
PAA to FlyBOS
All of New. England will have a convenient gateway to BDA when PAA begins semi-weekly Clipper service direct from BOS on December 30, Vice President Traffic-Sales Willis G. Lipscomb recently announced.
Flights will leave Logan International Airport, BOS, on Mondays and Thursdays and will return on the same day. Departure from BOS will be at 2 P.M. and return trips will arrive in the Hub City at 6:50 P.M.
The fare will be the same as from New York, $126 round trip plus tax. All-expense, ten-day vacation trips to BDA for as low as $232 per person are being offered to the public by PAA on this route.
All flights will be made in 49-passenger Constellation-type Clippers. Flight time for the 796 miles from BOS to the British resort islands is scheduled for three hours 15 minutes. The crew complement on the flights will consist of a captain, co-pilot, flight engineer and two or three pursers and stewardesses.
PAA played “Santa Claus” this year to the millions of children all over the United States thanks to a brilliant idea conceived by Howard Brooks of the Air Mail Services section of Traffic-Sales. The now famous “Santa Claus Letter” mailed from the North Pole with the help of PAA was Howard’s brainchild.
When the idea was originally submitted to John W. G. Ogilvie, PAA Cargo Sales Manager, directions
Jeanne Livingston arrives with an armful of “Santa” mail, while Howard Brooks pauses from his stamping chores to give a happy smile.
were immediately sent to all DSOs on how to handle the project for maximum efficiency. Clearance was obtained from the U.S. Post Office by PAA’s Assistant Vice President Mrs. A. M. Archiblad, and within a week’s time, the whole country knew about it through newspapers and radio. Front page stories with local color filled with Santa’s human interest appeal told the part PAA was playing to make it a happy realistic Xmas for children. Many prominent city officials took part in publicizing the idea including Paul Aiken, Assistant Postmaster General of the United States, who cooperated with the DCA DSO and Bert Rice in sorting through the “Santa” mail received by that office.
“Thank You” Letters
The PHL DSO like many others used the idea as a window display. PHL, however, went one better and had a real U.S. Mail Box, presented to them by PHL Postmaster J. F. Gallagher, placed in the window as the theme for their display. The Alaska sector .cooperated wholeheartedly with the idea and had a picture taken of Santa Claus at the “North Pole” presenting a bag of (Continued on Page 3 Col. 4)
PAA-AOA Plan Merger; C.A.B. and Stockholder Approval to Be Asked
American Overseas Airlines and Pan American Airways announced that an agreement had been concluded between the two companies looking to a consolidation of the AOA routes with the Trans-Atlantic services of PAA. The agreement is subject to the approval of the Civil Aeronautics Board and the stockholders of the two companies. The announcement followed meetings of the Boards of American Airlines, Inc., American Overseas Airlines, and PAA during the past week.
The agreement contemplates the transfer of the assets of AOA to PAA, in exchange for stock of PAA. It is planned that the stock of PAA received by AOA will be distributed to its stockholders and AOA will thereafter be dissolved. As a major stockholder in AOA, American Airlines, Inc., will acquire a stock interest in PAA. American has no plan to take part in the management of PAA and the stock received by it will be placed in a voting trust until ultimately sold to the public or distributed to its stockholders.
Move in Public Interest
The amount of stock involved in the transaction cannot be definitely estimated at this time. That figure will be ascertained by independent auditors who will determine the fair value of the assets and liabilities of both companies as of December 31, 1948.
The contract provides that PAA will, at the time of the transfer, take over the employees of AOA, and thereafter will endeavor to provide continuing suitable employment for them, in the light of their experience and qualifications.
It is believed that the integration proposed is in the public interest. Much weight was given to recent suggestions of Chairman Joseph O’Connell, Civil Aeronautics Board, that the air transport industry “give serious consideration to desirable mergers and consolidations.”
Executives Comment
The “reasons for this decision on the part of American Overseas,” as stated by C. R. Smith, President of that company, “were predicated on the slow revival of normal trade and commerce between the United States and Europe; the fact that the foreseeable volume of business does not justify the continuation of three competing United States carriers on the North Atlantic route; the increased subsidy which will be required to sustain three carriers; and the difficulty of securing the additional capital which will be required for the future.”
President Juan T. Trippe referred (Continued on Page 3, Col. 4)