Delta777Jet From Germany, joined Jun 2000, 792 posts, RR: 1 Posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 2857 times:
I still hate to see that my favorite Airlines TWA disappeared from the Sky on December 1st 2001 (more than 2 years ago!!! )
What was your last TWA flight (maybe Flight #, Aircraft, Rex., Inflight experience, ???)
Last Flight: TWA721
Date: 12/01/01 (Last official TWA flight out of Gatwick!)
from: London/Gatwick (LGW)
to: St. Louis, MO (STL)
Class of Service: Trans World ONE
Seat #: 1C
Rex.: N691LF
Remarks: With Water Canon Salute in both LGW and STL!!!!
752is From United States, joined Oct 2001, 88 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 2819 times:
My last was a non rev flight from JFK to MCO this was some near the end I think it was an MD-80 of some sort don't remember. Had alot of things on my mind that day but I'll never forget the TWA terminal in JFK...........beautiful.
QANTAS747-438 From United States, joined Jan 2001, 982 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 2787 times:
We were sitting on the taxiway for about 45 minutes waiting for a lightning storm overhead to pass. It was raining fairly hard when lightning struck nearby STL. We were then given clearance to takeoff and did so. The climb was fine, we went through the clouds, and then came one of the most beautiful sights I've seen. We got above the clouds, and there were enormous columns of clouds. There must have been 20 HUGE thick columns of clouds rising from the cloud layer. Our 762 was ditching all the columns turning right, then left, then right, coarsing our way through the maze. It was sooooooo incredible! As we passed over Kansas or so, the sun was setting and in the distance you could see the cloud column profiles. Just gorgeous!!!
MSYtristar From United States, joined Aug 2005, 4680 posts, RR: 52 Reply 3, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 2789 times:
St. Louis to Boston, September 1st 2000, MD-83 aircraft. I believe it was flight 436, the 10:00am-ish departure.
InnocuousFox From United States, joined Dec 2003, 2518 posts, RR: 26 Reply 4, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 2732 times:
It would have been in Dec of 1998 - MCO-STL-OMA. I'm not going to miss them all that much. Lambert was a tiring experience and I didn't like the snippy staff. I will miss them as an airline but I won't miss flying on them.
An interesting side note, however. It WAS at Lambert that I originally conceived of our game. I guess I have TWA to thank for that!
Dave Mark - Intrinsic Algorithm - Reducing the world to mathematical equations!
Ssides From United States, joined Feb 2001, 3770 posts, RR: 20 Reply 5, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 2734 times:
My last was on a STL-AUS run on an MD-83. It was one of the "hybrid liveries" that was in AA colors but still had TWA titles. Interior of the plane was crappy compared to the mainline AA interior.
Chepos From Puerto Rico, joined Dec 2000, 5177 posts, RR: 11 Reply 6, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 2719 times:
My last flight was in 2000 (my only flight on TWA), from SJU-MCO-SJU on an MD-83 . Northbound we were upgraded to business class cause coach was full -so that was fun
Chepos
Worldperks From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 2674 times:
TWA always seemed to have the right fare and the right schedule. My last flight with them was BWI-STL-SEA / SEA-STL-BWI on Memorial Day weekend in 2001. Outbound was 757-757, and inbound was MD83-MD83. Shortly after the trip, I was offered AA miles for all my Aviator miles and took the offer. Made little difference since I've switched brand loyalties.
A340Spotter From United States, joined Jul 2003, 1809 posts, RR: 21 Reply 11, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 2641 times:
My last and sadly only flight I ever flew on TWA was at least memorable,
July 28, 2001
TW122 IAH-STL 717-231 N413TW turned into IAH-IAH as the number 1 engine was shutdown 20 minutes after takeoff due to low oil pressure. Emergency landing carried out at IAH with no fanfare...
Jeffrey
"Irregardless, it's a Cat III airplane, we don't need an alternate!"
InnocuousFox From United States, joined Dec 2003, 2518 posts, RR: 26 Reply 14, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 2602 times:
"but a cheap fare"
Some would contend, in retrospect, that wasn't a very good idea.
Dave Mark - Intrinsic Algorithm - Reducing the world to mathematical equations!
JetboyTWA From United States, joined Jul 1999, 319 posts, RR: 4 Reply 15, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 2601 times:
I was fortunate enough to be part of TWA's Commemorative Final Flight on December 2, 2001, from MCI - STL , on TWA's "Wings of Pride" MD-80 series aircraft.
It was a flight I will absolutely never forget. I still have the certificate hanging on my wall, and I still have the gift box they provided all of the passengers with wine and TWA-logoed wine glasses still stored away.
Here's a copy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch report from that day:
-Ryan
"TWA CHECKS ITS BAGGAGE, BEGINS FINAL LEG TO AMERICAN"
By Cynthia Wilson
Of The Post-Dispatch
Robert Cohen And Rick Pierce Of The Post-Dispatch Contributed To This Report.
Today, airports throughout America will look a little different.
Gone are the blue, red and gold colors that denoted the oldest name in commercial aviation.
TWA, the brand created by Trans World Airlines, was replaced overnight Saturday with the red and blue of American Airlines, its new owner.
American bought the St. Louis-based airline last April in a $4.2 billion deal that helped make the successor carrier the world's largest airline. American is based in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.
Airline executives and employees retired the TWA name Saturday with a commemorative flight from Kansas City, home of the airline's main maintenance hub, to the airline's main hub in St. Louis.
The send-off of Flight 220 began with a water cannon salute, prompting the control tower to ask, "Is somebody retiring?"
Capt. William Compton, TWA's retiring president, replied, "Yes. TWA is retiring." Compton piloted the afternoon flight.
Passengers on board the MD-80 included paying customers and the media. All were given a certificate signed by Compton that marked the historic flight by noting its flight number and the names of the cockpit and cabin crew. The box lunch on the 40-minute flight included a bottle of Merlot and keepsake wine glass.
After working all night, Sandy Melton, a reservations agent based in Norfolk, Va., with 13 years at TWA, took an early morning flight to Kansas City to be a part of the send-off.
"I had to be here to say goodbye to TWA," Melton said. Normally, she can fly standby. But for this sought-after flight, she bought a ticket because she didn't want to risk not getting a seat.
Although TWA is retiring, the spirit of the airline will live on, said Bob Baker, vice chairman of American and chief executive of TWA Airlines LLC. He told the crowd gathered at the Kansas City airport that he is confident that "we" will strive, despite the problems the industry faces in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"I commend you for all you've accomplished as a family and as a company," Baker told employees in Kansas City and again after the plane's arrival in St. Louis.
Since taking control of TWA's assets, American has made several changes to TWA's operation. It has discontinued unprofitable routes and operations, and added more coach leg room to TWA airplanes.
But starting today, American's stamp will be more visible on TWA, the airline that long dominated service at Lambert Field and once did so at Kennedy Airport in New York.
Starting today, passengers holding TWA tickets will be directed to check in at American Airlines ticket counters and gates. Aircraft previously operated by TWA will begin to lose the TWA emblem and bear only the name of the new owner. TWA's Ambassador Club members will have access to American's Admiral's Club.
TWA Aviators frequent-flier program members whose miles have been transferred into American AAdvantage accounts may begin to redeem their miles for travel on American and any of its Oneworld Alliance partners.
TWA Airlines LLC still exists. That's the subsidiary set up by American to hold TWA's assets until the airlines are fully combined. Federal agencies still must declare the two airlines as a single carrier and designate TWA airplanes as American's.
TWA's inventory of seats will be sold as an American Airlines product. Flight information monitors in airport terminals will show TWA flight numbers as American's.
In preparation for the changeover, American ran newspaper ads in key markets, including St. Louis, informing passengers of what to expect.
"There's no need to exchange your TWA tickets for American Airlines tickets. In fact, you don't have to do anything," the ad states.
TWA Flight 2, from Honolulu to St. Louis, was expected to arrive at 6:30 a.m. this morning. It was the last flight actually scheduled to fly under the TWA name, said Julia Bishop-Cross, a spokeswoman for TWA and American.
Airline officials chose St. Louis and Kansas City for the commemorative flight partly because the communities are home to the bulk of TWA's employees, Bishop-Cross said. The cities also hold historical significance for the airline, she said.
"Both cities were stops along the first coast-to-coast air and rail service on a route laid out (in 1929) by Col. Charles Lindbergh, one of TWA's founding fathers," Bishop-Cross said.
Although its latter years were marred by financial turmoil, TWA was a pioneer in the airline industry. Among its innovations, TWA was the first U.S. airline to offer an all-jet fleet.
The TWA brand was born Oct. 1, 1930, when Transcontinental Air Transport and Western Air Express merged to form Transcontinental and Western Air Inc. Later that month, TWA inaugurated coast-to-coast, all-air service.
The cross-country journey took 36 hours and included an overnight stop in Kansas City, where in 1931 TWA relocated its headquarters from New York.
Often called the airline to Hollywood stars, TWA returned its headquarters to New York in 1964 and was once a leading international carrier. But the airline didn't adapt well to deregulation, which allowed the airlines to openly compete.
When it moved its headquarters to St. Louis in February 1994, TWA had completed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization only three months earlier. Within 18 months, it underwent a second bankruptcy reorganization.
Earlier this year the airline filed for its third bankruptcy in less than a decade, setting the stage for American Airlines' buyout of TWA's assets. Compton said then that TWA's would-be owners were attracted by its reputation for reliability and dedication to service, as well as its geographic location. He repeated those points again Saturday, as he thanked employees after his flight arrived at Lambert Field's Gate C-10.
He was met by a cheering crowd of teary-eyed employees, retirees and sentimental customers. "We're here today because of TWA employees and those TWA employees that came before us," Compton said.
Although the TWA brand name disappears, Bishop-Cross said longtime TWA customers have much to look forward to.
Beginning Sunday, American's newest passengers will have access to the world's largest airline network, with more than 900 destinations. Passengers also will be able to use new self-service check-in equipment to get boarding passes and check baggage with a ticket agent waiting nearby. Likewise, passengers who check baggage with a skycap can get boarding passes at the same time.
Although new security rules have affected check-in procedures, American passengers who have a ticket, a printed itinerary or a boarding pass and who don't check baggage can bypass the ticket counters and go directly to departure gates to check in, Bishop-Cross said.
A ticket, a printed itinerary or a boarding pass is needed to clear security checkpoints. By year's end, passengers who are booked and not checking bags, but who lack tickets or printed itineraries, will be able to use express check-in service at American's ticket counters to get boarding passes.
It was hard for many TWA employees, retirees and customers to say goodbye.
Peggy Gustafson of Columbia, Mo., is a longtime TWA customer. She said she was saddened at the thought of visiting Lambert and not seeing TWA signs, partly because it will remind her that there is less competition in the industry.
In addition, "I feel like St. Louis has lost something . . . even Missouri has lost something," she said.
Said Willie Crutchfield, a TWA skycap at Lambert: "I hate to see TWA go, but there's nothing you can do about it. We'll do the same job we do for American that we do for TWA."
In Kansas City, Kevin McMahon brought his family to the ceremony because he wanted his children to remember that he had worked for TWA. McMahon said he also will hold on to his TWA caps, posters and other memorabilia.
In the basement of the TWA Training Center on Natural Bridge Road, business was brisk Friday at the memorabilia store. Frieda Sparks, a TWA flight attendant since 1977, flipped through $10 foam models of a 747 jetliner, looking for one without dents.
Big sellers were TWA coffee mugs, calendars, Christmas ornaments and clothing commemorating the final days of TWA. All were being scooped up by a steady stream of pilots, flight attendants and ground personnel.
By far, the most sought-after souvenir Friday was a $5 poster of New York, a night skyline scene with the World Trade Center towers prominent and the TWA logo on the bottom.
======
TWA'S LOCAL IMPACT
* The airline had 8,700 local employees who generated more than $2 billion a year in local economic activity as of last spring.
* TWA was responsible for pumping $9.3 billion a year into the region's economy, including the activity of other airport-related businesses.
Who would of thought a little more than a year later the airline would start pulling its most heralded international routes of Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan and Rome! TWA had more than a ticket... it had an experience. Be it good or be it bad. TWA, was a very vibrant piece of aviation!
Rjpieces From United States, joined Nov 2003, 6896 posts, RR: 50 Reply 18, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 2549 times:
Summer of 2001, JFK-MIA and MIA-JFK on an MD-83. TWA livery on the outside, AA MRTC on the inside....I remember both flights so vividly. I remember wondering what the TWA station manager at MIA was going to do in a few months. It was wonderful talking to the flight attendants on both flights as they were oldtimers who had been there for a LONG time! And arriving back at Terminal 5 at nighttime....What a beautiful piece of aviation.
Does anyone remember the plaque near the Trans World One checkin counters, the one that dedicated Terminal 5 specifically for the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet? I wonder who has that today.
Every now and then, watching the planes land on 13L at JFK, I look up and hope for a TWA 747 to rocket past me.....
RIP TWA, we miss you
[Edited 2003-12-07 19:23:55]
[Edited 2003-12-07 19:24:50]
"Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon"
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I guess I have TWA to thank for that!
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