American Airlines is a proud member of something called the Oneworld Alliance, which is a group of 10 airlines combining for the booking of reservations etc. but otherwise independent from one another.
Or is it? Are they?
From an American jet we took Friday, taxiing to the gate at Dallas/Fort Worth, we saw a huge banner hung, facing the runway, from the building, so airline staff — and we — could read it.
For the Love of our Country, For the Love of our Industry, For the Love of AmericanAirlines.”
— capitals, punctuation and spacing “cq“
Am I the only person this freaks out?
Yes, our local Wal-Mart Stores Inc. long has had similar mottos, but those are different. At a Supercenter Tuesday, I saw lapel pins for sale, as thousands of visitors for the retailer’s annual meeting were to arrive. The slogans on the buttons are for employees to work harder, to have pride etc. They didn’t have the airline’s near-nationalistic tinge.
It’s still amazing that Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport is found profitable enough for a few airlines to make it a destination point. We flew non-stop to Los Angeles International. We returned on a direct flight from San Diego International, not non-stop as it landed at D/FW to discharge some passengers and take new ones on to XNA.
The layover was just under an hour, and My Beloved and I planned to either wait aboard the jet or one of us would head inside to fetch coffees. The first announcement indicated that might be complicated, as regulations say the passenger would have to take all his carry-ons and reboard only when the flight is called. New day, yes, didn’t used to be like this.
The second announcement propelled both of us into the terminal. All continuing passengers were asked to close the little blinds on the windows and turn off the individual reading lights. This was because the air-conditioning would be turned off and the lights and windows would cause additional heat in the cabin (Grapevine was in the upper 80s that afternoon).
So are we saving energy and being dutiful ecologists, or is the airline saving money a pinch here and there? Near our gate were two Starbucks, a McDonald’s and a TGI Friday’s.
Other signs:
Throughout southern California, at doors to buildings like hotels or convenience stores, were signs with wording very close to:
WARNING: This [building, store, restaurant or food item available here] contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm,” with the blank being “building” or “property.”
Sometimes the posting had “… chemicals, including tobacco, known to …”
The Internet indicates various signs like this arise from the state’s Proposition 65. They are so wordy, however, a visitor could wonder how many people fully read them. Even if taken seriously, they’d have to be ignored. These restaurants and Marriotts all seemed to be doing great business.
I was about to make fun of California, when recorded no-smoking announcements repeatedly were sent over loudspeakers at D/FW and XNA, not to mention more signs and attendant announcements on each plane taken in a recent trip. Different wording for each but all were lengthy. Have had these for years.
What happened to just “No Smoking”? Or if emphasis was to remind people you couldn’t smoke outside, either, how about “No smoking in building or on grounds”? In the airplane bathrooms: “Smoking is forbidden throughout the aircraft,” instead of also noting the law.
Even Fayetteville’s new Washington Regional Medical Center (slogan: “We could’ve built a parking deck but we opted to cover our acres of lush hillside with parking lots for anguished people to stagger up”) has densely worded no-smoking signs every few yards on the grounds.
How about, “No smoking. This is a hospital, idjit.” -30-
