Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
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Pontifications: Make a Wish, AA responds
By Scott Hamilton
July 13, 2015: I’m traveling. Pontifications this week and next will be “grabs” from YouTube.
The first is a short video of a young boy with a heart condition who wishes to be a pilot for American Airlines, which is part of the Make a Wish foundation. When AA was informed, see what happened next.
Next, a short video about the Lockheed Constitution, a double-decker piston airplane designed during World War II. The military was the driver of the project but Pan American World Airways was also interested. Only two Constitutions were built.
Next is a short video of “strange” aircraft. There are several shots of a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 with an Unducted Fan (UDF) in the Number 1 engine position.
While make a wish is great and and I really feel for the kid, I wish American Airlines would pay more attention to actually being an airline.
during my most recent trip, the aircraft needed a new windshield wiper prior to takeoff. this resulted in a 4 hour delay, which resulted in a further 3 hour delay on my connection and they lost my luggage (resulting in another hour delay at the destination airport first waiting until they shut off the belt to know my bag wasn’t coming then standing in line to file the paperwork) with an hour drive to my hotel in another city I didn’t arrive until 1 AM. having a 45 minute drive from there to the remote worksite in the morning and having to be at work by 6:30 I was forced to go to work in dirty clothes and a pair of Crocs.
On my next travel leg (on aircraft still painted US Air colors) a 1.5 hour delay on my initial flight snowballed into a 4.5 hour delay getting to my destination although this time at least they didn’t lose my luggage.
Did you know that there are no charging stations in Phoenix airport? they ripped them all out a few months ago according to the people working the shops. As a result it looks like a giant homeless shelter with people sleeping on the floors next to the bathrooms because that is the only place with electrical outlets.
So yeah, the heartwarming publicity piece about the kid is heartwarming. but AA is a garbage airline.
That´s what they call improving. I once had a 30 hour delay with them, needless to say my then employer never bought another ticket with them.
You want garbage? Try flying United…
None of the US companies are acceptable, so I guess we can just hope that one of the ME3 will someday manage a takeover.
Yeah, but it’s a nice story. William is unlikely to grow up to be a pilot. American Airlines has to herd millions of passengers from A to B for the lowest cost and it’s all a bit crap. But you can dream for a day …
The Lockheed Constitution looks like a good design. If they had produced it for some time maybe a T56 reengine could have dfone wonders. The Constellations covered the post war market and everyone was thinking jets already.
It was an awkward time, the aircraft industry was going through puberty. Lots of fits and starts and dead ends. Of course having a midwing layout made for a crowded design. Still some beautiful designs came out of it.
Not to mention lots of cheap surplus aircraft.
Thinking about the Middle of Market category between the 737/A320 and the twin aisle 787 and A350, it strikes me that a twin deck single aisle plane has an extremely efficient ratio of volume, weight and drag per passenger. As long as you don’t need to carry freight.
The same thing is happening to trains in continental Europe where default configuration now is twin deck.