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 stewardessesMORE HERE
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 standsMORE HERE
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 isMORE HERE
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 airlineMORE HERE
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 asMORE HERE
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 toMORE HERE
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. TheMORE HERE
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 theyMORE HERE
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, moreMORE HERE
Brief items: Proctor & Gamble just released its revived collection of Rochas, under the leadership of Marco Zanini. Proctor & Gamble shut down Rochas in 2006, and brought it back. The Wall Street Journal noted last week that its “nutty wide heels” and such targeted the exuberant woman who wantedMORE HERE