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America's Meanest Airlines


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In the late '70s, when Pan Am was having financial problems (which led to its bust), I got to sprawl horizontal on several flights. There were so few people that you just raised up the arms and stretched out across the seats. Put on a seat belt just in case you hit any turbulence. Philippines Airlines had "sleepers" over 20 years ago. Now with Filie hostesses, that could be quite interesting! :D

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I guess I was sitting in the wrong cabin all the times I flew PAL. :doah:

 

I have a mechanic friend who worked for PAL. He came over here to work for AA - I don't recall the circumstances for which he was recruited, but he was eventually furloughed.

 

Anyway, he complained that, at PAL, they actually had to fix shit, due to lack of spares, whereas at AA they'd just slap a new part on the plane without fixing the root cause of the malfunction, so you'd see the plane back in the hanger in a week or two. OH can correct me if I'm wrong about this type of policy.

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I remember a flight with Pan Am - 1975 or '76. I boarded in LA and the plane was almost empty. I figured we'd load up in SFO. But I think one got on and one got off in Sandy Friskie. The hostesses looked around and one of them said, "Where are the passengers?" She said, "You take him, and I'll take that one ..." etc. It worked out to be about one apiece. And we flew that way to Tokyo. I got a free night at a 5-star hotel in Tokyo as well - though the prats took my bags off and sent them to Osaka. The next day I flew that almost empty plane to Hong Kong and finally Don Muang. I wonder how much money Pan Am lost on that flight.

 

 

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This was the round the world flight. They had to fly it even if no pasengers were on board. I suppose the plane had maybe a total of 15 to 20 on the flight to Tokyo, defintely not more than that. Picked up a few more for the Bangkok leg.

 

Next time I flew Pan Am, it was packed. I talked to the guy next to me who told me they were all tour groups - cut rate tickets. He was a stock clerk from NYC on his first flight anywhere - tour of Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore. Something like $900 inclusive. I asked him why the f**k he was going to Singapore.

 

 

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According to the SeatGuru survey' date=' United, American Airlines and US Airways are the three worst airlines for meals and rude flight attendants.

 

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It would be my luck that I had to go partly with AA (because of FF miles) for my trip to LOS next month. All of my future trips to LOS using FF miles are with the worst airlines, I'm afraid -- AA, United, British Air, Continental.

 

UA is SO bad on so many levels (sorry, OH!) that I avoid it at all costs...and I would *never* fly any US airline to Asia; thankfully, there's no reason to, as there are always much cheaper options (with much better service)..

 

 

No offense taken, it is what it is.

 

 

I guess I was sitting in the wrong cabin all the times I flew PAL. :doah:

 

I have a mechanic friend who worked for PAL. He came over here to work for AA - I don't recall the circumstances for which he was recruited, but he was eventually furloughed.

 

Anyway, he complained that, at PAL, they actually had to fix shit, due to lack of spares, whereas at AA they'd just slap a new part on the plane without fixing the root cause of the malfunction, so you'd see the plane back in the hanger in a week or two. OH can correct me if I'm wrong about this type of policy.

 

Sounds about right, the idea is to get the plane up and running and making that money. Assuming the quick fix is safe.

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Should've tried these guys...

 

Air America' date=' Inc.

 

Air America, Inc. was at one time the world's largest airline in terms of flying equipment. It was also one of the world's most secret and bravest. Air America flew every possible mission, from routine...

 

[/quote']

 

 

Cav, you never told us you were CIA before. :hmmm:

 

Ever stay at the Chao Phaya Hotel on Sri Ayutthaya? Or maybe the Liberty in Saphan Kwai?

 

 

 

 

I ain't admittin' to nuttin' :neener:

 

 

You are obviously NOT a "company man." If you were, you'd know the proper denial is "...I am not aware of any activity by any organization using that name. That is not to confirm or deny that I have any such knowledge of this organization, or that such an organization even exists. That is to the best of my knowledge at this time..."

 

or...

 

"...I do not recall at this time, ever having met or partaken in such activities with that person or anyone resembling that person. It is possible that I may have encountered this person in passing, but I am unable to recall when or where that might be..."

 

or...

 

"...I'm sorry, I am unable to answer your questions at this time, as doing so may violate the terms of national security..."

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Should've tried these guys...

 

Air America' date=' Inc.

 

Air America, Inc. was at one time the world's largest airline in terms of flying equipment. It was also one of the world's most secret and bravest. Air America flew every possible mission, from routine...

 

[/quote']

 

 

Cav, you never told us you were CIA before. :hmmm:

 

Ever stay at the Chao Phaya Hotel on Sri Ayutthaya? Or maybe the Liberty in Saphan Kwai?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flash,

 

I have stayed at several hotels in the areas you referenced. It is possible that I may have stayed at the places you mentioned, as have thousands of others, but I am unable state as fact that I have for certain ever been there at that time. Assuming such places did exist at that time.

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The Liberty Hotel was used during the VN War by the US military. It was also home to both the CIA and the KGB! The Chao Phraya Hotel is long gone - but gave its name to the Chao Phraya Massage Parlour that is diagonally across from where it stood. The CP Hotel was very popular with the commissioned occifers - a strange place where you had to convert your baht to dollars to use the restaurants, then convert your change back when you left.

 

The old Liberty may still be there, but the CP Hotel never had any luck after the US military left. It soon closed and was torn down years ago. The Siam City Hotel stands almost on its sigte.

 

There was a nice little bar strip in Saphan Kwai near the Liberty in the 1970s - no gogo but lots of sit down bars with gals. It gave up the ghost by the early 1980s.

 

 

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