Ramper@iah From United States, joined Dec 2001, 240 posts, RR: 1 Posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 10231 times:
I was looking at some vintage pictures of the Manhatten skyline and couldn't help but notice the Pan Am building. The picture was taken in the glory days of the legacy carriers. The thought brings me to the question; which airline do y'all think has the most prestigos-looking headquarters building. While I haven't seen them all by a long shot, here's my take on what I have seen:
United - a compound that takes up four city blocks in the suburbs of Chicago. The two and three story office complexes sprawl for acres surrounded by expertly manicured grounds complete with ponds with swans and a private hotel with the UAL logo at the bottom of the swimming pool.
Delta - a common looking mid-rise office building that borders the Hartsfield airport in Atlanta.
US Airways/America West - a modern, mostly galss building in Tempe that has a modest presence to motorist driving on the interstate towards the airport.
Southwest - probably the ugliest in my opinion. Right outside the Dallas Love airport, a humdrum metal office building.
Continental - based in one of downtown Houston's tallest buildings, the 53 story skyscraper known as Continental Ceter I is illuminated with CAL's logo at the top at night. In my opinion, its the best looking airline headquarters building out there. http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=117757
These are the only ones I've seen in person. What are others like: Northwest, jetBlue, American, and others?
TymnBalewne From United States, joined Mar 2005, 546 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 10208 times:
British Airways' "Waterside" headquarters is an interesting building. It's made up of 6 separate buildings connected by bridges underneath an atrium. Each buiding is named after a geographic region of the world. The "Street" is the ground level avenue that connects all the buildings.
There's a large mode of Concorde as well as a main landing gear from a 747 on The Street. There are models of various historic aircraft as well as vintage posters throughout the building.
There is a design flaw...the hallways in the buildings are made of wood so if you're having a meeting in a meeting room you have to hear the echoing clunking of shoes on the floor.
Jetdeltamsy From United States, joined Nov 2000, 2965 posts, RR: 11 Reply 2, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 10142 times:
I don't know where they are headquartered today, but i do know that at the time of the Republic acquisition, NWA's headquarters was in an building without windows....managements way of keeping people from wasting time staring out the windows. Ever-so-typical Northwest management mentality.
Read it in Newsweek or Time years ago.
[Edited 2006-05-30 08:56:39]
Worked for too many airlines to list. Banktupcy after bankruptcy after bankruptcy.
DL Widget Head From United States, joined Apr 2000, 1879 posts, RR: 5 Reply 3, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 10120 times:
Quoting Ramper@iah (Thread starter): Continental - based in one of downtown Houston's tallest buildings, the 53 story skyscraper known as Continental Ceter I is illuminated with CAL's logo at the top at night. In my opinion, its the best looking airline headquarters building out there.
Somehow I knew you were going to say that, ramper@iah.
It's a nice looking building but a little non-descript.
I ws gonna say watersdie as well. Maybe cause its the only Airline HQ i have been in.
The street is very impressicve, even has a river running in it. There is a supermarket that staff can use. They even can make orders online. The staff restraunt is, well lets say it puts my office canteen to shame. The food was amazing.
The glass fronted entrance is great too. Its in some nice grounds with views over a lake when in the restraunt, and green fields. All just the other side of the road from LHR
Petmbro From United States, joined Jan 2006, 260 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 10021 times:
I too like CO's building in Houston. The blue colored lighting make it instantly recognizable and it is definitely one of the nicest buildings in downtown Houston. Besides CO, do any other airlines have their headquarters in a downtown skyscraper?
"don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining!" - Judge Judy
Myt332 From United Kingdom (England), joined Sep 2003, 8722 posts, RR: 91 Reply 8, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 9994 times:
It has to be GB Airways and the Beehive surely? Opened in 1936 it served as LGW's first terminal and was the first circular terminal in the world.
Fancy smancy it's not but it's 70 years old and a piece of history.
WDBRR From United States, joined Jan 2005, 583 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 9893 times:
Quoting Jetdeltamsy (Reply 2): I don't know where they are headquartered today, but i do know that at the time of the Republic acquisition, NWA's headquarters was in an building without windows....managements way of keeping people from wasting time staring out the windows. Ever-so-typical Northwest management mentality.
Interesting to add that I once read that NW took off the doors in the bathroom stalls to "speed up" the bathroom breaks.
IAHFLYR From United States, joined Jun 2005, 3401 posts, RR: 38 Reply 11, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 9804 times:
Quoting Ramper@iah (Thread starter): Continental - based in one of downtown Houston's tallest buildings, the 53 story skyscraper known as Continental Ceter I is illuminated with CAL's logo at the top at night. In my opinion, its the best looking airline headquarters building out there. http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=...17757
And I will second that! True wonderful sight to see on the way up 45.
Singapore_Air From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2000, 13606 posts, RR: 25 Reply 12, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 9796 times:
I think Cathay Pacific City is one of the better ones
01 OCTOBER 2009: This user has retired from aviation to the status of lurker. Thanks Airliners.net for some great times
Nitrohelper From United States, joined Mar 2005, 429 posts, RR: 3 Reply 13, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 9764 times:
Northworst is now in an office park close to the airport in Eagan MN., their logo was on the roof . You can see it from the " A " seats when landing from the East, they also have a building for the simulators in the same park. I haven't been there since the '90s, they may have more buildings now ?
Drerx7 From United States, joined Jun 2000, 3224 posts, RR: 8 Reply 14, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 9722 times:
Continental Center is pretty nice--they had to go through some city lobbying though to get the City of Houston to change the signage ordinances to accomodate the logo. The new ordinance reads something like for a company to place its signage on a downtown building so many stories the world headquarters must be in Houston, they must occupy so many thousand sq. ft. of space, and a couple of other 'continental specific' requirements. Initially the light was going to be all white--but with some coaxing--you have the all blue. Pretty impressive at night.
BDKLEZ From Ireland, joined Jun 2005, 1730 posts, RR: 23 Reply 15, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 9697 times:
Guess which airline this is...???
But from the end of 2006, easyJet will be moving across the road to the old Britannia Hangar 89 at Luton Airport and it should look something like this...
Trespassers will be shot; survivors will be shot again!
AlexPorter From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 18, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 9607 times:
I've seen both NW's and US's HQs, and US's is much better. NW's isn't bad, but it's just a typical suburban office building, and it's pretty non-descript. US's is one of the tallest, if not the tallest building in downtown Tempe and has a big US Airways sign on the side at the top. Both are close to the flight paths at their respective airports, and flights landing from the east in PHX can look out the left side and clearly see the US Airways sign - reminding pax on other airlines who's in charge at PHX. Flights landing in MSP can apparently see the NW logo on top of their HQ, something I've verified on Google Earth, but I've never noticed this in person, despite knowing exactly where the HQ is. US's is in a much better location, too. Downtown Tempe has much more going on than just a simple office park in Eagan - and US's overlooks Tempe Town Lake as well.
SapphireLHR From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2006, 103 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 9381 times:
Wrighbrothers From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2005, 1815 posts, RR: 12 Reply 22, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 9351 times:
Has to be BA's waterside, as Trekster said, it's amazing, great scenery, everything , I've only been in their once thou
AirScoot From United States, joined May 2005, 688 posts, RR: 3 Reply 23, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 9347 times:
The HQ building in Tempe for HP/US is quite nice.. and very well located. For work I've seen the buildings for several others. NW has split operations.. some in an office park that looks to be in the middle of a residential neighborhood, and another at MSP (big ugly building.. no windows).
UA's WHQ looks like it was impressive in the 60's and 70's. It looks much better on the inside
AA's complex is also pretty nondescript though if I remember right one of the Centerport buildings (is it old STIN or is it still AA? Can't remember.. haven't been there in a while) sits at the end of what used to be a runway. Makes for an interesting parking lot.
I live near US's old HQ in Arlington, VA. It looks like it was quite nice when it was in full swing - but I never got the opportunity to go in.
My favorite inside of an airline HQ is - by far - Alaska. It's the whirlpool thingy they have in the foyer that makes it.
B6JFKH81 From United States, joined Mar 2006, 1154 posts, RR: 2 Reply 24, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 9320 times:
Our main support center is in Forest Hills (Queens, NY). It is a very modest looking highrise. I haven't had the chance to see our other support centers in Salt Lake or Darien, but the JetBlue University Orlando Campus/Orlando Support Center is nice.
"If you do not learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it"
Planespotting From United States, joined Apr 2004, 2881 posts, RR: 8 Reply 25, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 9319 times:
Quoting Ramper@iah (Thread starter): Southwest - probably the ugliest in my opinion. Right outside the Dallas Love airport, a humdrum metal office building.
Um...are you sure you were looking at the right building? Southwest's Corporate Headquarters is neither humdrum nor metal.
This is the only picture I could find of it online......but notice how the architecture is not the standard ugly office building type...on the 3rd floor there is the deck/patio area that looks out right onto DAL, and farther in the back of the building they are adding onto it. There are different levels for the roof up front facing the runway, and it is aesthetically pleasing to most. You may have noticed the maitenance hangers...those are like any hangers large enough to fit a few 737's...not the most elegant looking buildings.
Anyhow, seeing as no one had stuck up for it as of yet, I figured I would...
Fight fight fight for Iowa, until the game. is. won! Go Hawks - 9-2!
26 2H4: Here are some more shots of WN headquarters: Here's the lobby: The hallways of headquarters and the training center are packed with photos of employe
27 September11: Thanks 2H4 for posting these pictures -- few months ago my friend encouraged me to pay a visit there... Only been to one airline headquarters building
28 KingAir200: Some NW stuff is done in the "bunker," a teal building with an American flag on it. It is on the left of the MSP entrance road, if you're going toward
29 Planespotting: awww...brings back some great memories for me buddy! for you too i'm sure.
30 Levent: Air Exel's old HQ used to be a part of the Air Service Limburg building at Maastricht-Aachen Airport, south of the tower. It wasn't much, but I loved
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