National Airlines was one of the best-run airlines in the nation, and when it merged into Pan Am in 1980, one of the great airline brands disappeared. If we are making comparisons, it was the Apple Computer of the airline industry; each piece of the airline was designed to the nth detail, and every function [...]

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DALLAS – There are few airlines with more pluck and fashion than the late Braniff. Braniff was a Texas-sized operation, with a very important sense of itself and a verve and passion that matched the exuberance and stylishness of the state. With its Alexander Calder painted planes and Pucci-uniformed stewardesses in clear plastic bubble caps, [...]

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A recent campaign by British Airways points up exactly what United, Delta and American are missing in their approach to airline branding. Namely, a sense of history and drama. BA’s Brand Engagement Head Abi Comber, in an interview posted on YouTube, says the campaign is all about what BA stands for as a business. The [...]

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DALLAS – American Airlines is spinning off its American Eagle subsidiary. Last year, American tried to sell their commuter carrier, but has not been able to do it. The Financial Times reports that AA pilots are against the deal, fearing that it will only lead to lower salaries. American is in a pinch. Unlike other [...]

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The news that a civilian airliner was a bit off course and went into restricted airspace around Washington, D.C. made a bit of a surprise for many folks in the South. The reason? The plane was listed as a Piedmont Airlines plane, and Piedmont is an airline that many thought had completely [...]

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Portsmouth, N.H. – The Pan Am brand is making a new push at a comeback, with a new TV show from ABC and a revived fashion line. The airline Pan Am died years ago after two successive efforts to revive the airline. Today, it lives on companies as varied as Pan Am Railways and a [...]

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There appears to be no logic to what happens to brands when airlines merge. In the airline world, if the company is bigger, it keeps its name, and the smaller company name disappears. There can be a discussion, but the answer is always the same. The United-Continental merger appears to have the WORST of both. [...]

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NEW YORK – In the wake of discussion about the possible demolition of the Pan Am Worldport (now Delta’s Terminal 3), there is one key element that has already been removed. The Zodiac Screen sculptures (or sculpture), now in storage, that used to dominate the front of the building. The screen was once the largest [...]

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NEW YORK – We read in Crain’s New York that the old Pan Am Worldport at JFK might be demolished soon by Delta. The building is one of the great landmarks of aviation, though it has been so abused over the years that few would actually believe it if they toured it. It’s where the [...]

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TORONTO – There’s a niche airline that gives free drinks, flies planes with propellers and only goes on a few select routes. Best yet, it puts its flight attendants in pillbox hats. It’s Porter Airlines of Canada. Kind of like a regional Virgin Atlantic, but it has a serious, more business-feeling approach. Says the airline [...]

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