EMBQA From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 9286 posts, RR: 13 Reply 1, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 16029 times:
In a car...in a plane......Depends on where they are going.
Most do not.....
Yes.....Positive Space
If that is all their airline have to offer.....I flew on jetBlue once with David Neeleman and he sat up front. I did a project with jetBlue and a crewmember told me he had flown with him in the last row.
Sea2Pdx From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 66 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 16009 times:
The CEO of my company flies on confirmed tickets in coach (not positive-space non-bumpable). He of course has the highest frequent flyer status, so qualifies for automatic time of purchase upgrades to first when traveling on an aircraft that is so equipped.
DL Widget Head From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 2039 posts, RR: 5 Reply 3, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 15962 times:
DL's officers and VP's travel in F/C positive space.
Lucky42 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 4, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 15956 times:
Quoting Sea2Pdx (Reply 2): The CEO of my company flies on confirmed tickets in coach
LOL..You will NEVER see that at NWA. They can and do kick paying pax out of first class I have seen them do it. When John Dasburg was the CEO him and some of the other execs and their family members took ALL the first class seats in an A320 for a skiing trip to Colorado..After we found that out, they changed the computer program so employees couldn't see their itinerary.
Gigneil From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 16215 posts, RR: 88 Reply 5, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 15938 times:
I have encountered a wide variety of past US Airways execs in C on United flights to Europe from Dulles... and from what I've been told, encountering Herb Kelleher on Continental flights is/was far from unheard of.
GreenArc From United States of America, joined May 2000, 78 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 15888 times:
As far as "legacy" execs traveling on their own airlines; I suggest a bag lunch and bottled water from home.
GreenArc
Gigneil From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 16215 posts, RR: 88 Reply 7, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 15847 times:
Quoting Lucky42 (Reply 4): They can and do kick paying pax out of first class I have seen them do it.
AA737-823 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 5338 posts, RR: 11 Reply 8, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 15753 times:
Quoting Lucky42 (Reply 4): They can and do kick paying pax out of first class I have seen them do it.
Braniff was famous for this at DFW back in the day. My grandfather and grandmother were booted off a first-class flight, after they had their boarding passes, only to watch Tom and Mrs. Braniff get on board.
Soured them on Braniff (at the time, aka 'trick or treat airways,' because flying them was either a treat, or a bad trick) for the rest of Braniff's days.
AA737-823 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 5338 posts, RR: 11 Reply 9, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 15751 times:
By the way, Bob Crandall was seen on a Continental flight just a couple of months ago. When someone inquired, he replied that he didn't like to connect at DFW if he didn't have to!!!
Norcal773 From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 1280 posts, RR: 12 Reply 10, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 15715 times:
Big mouth SRB has been spotted in coach on his jets from what I've read here.
Gigneil From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 16215 posts, RR: 88 Reply 11, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 15704 times:
Denying boarding to someone with a confirmed seat has all sorts of legal ramifications. They may have done it in 1979, but they don't do it today.
FURUREFA From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 762 posts, RR: 2 Reply 12, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 15681 times:
At AA there are 9 levels of management employees, they the top 3 levels can fly:
Level 9 = CEO/Board Members Confirmed F/J/Y
Level 8 = SVPs Confirmed F/J/Y
Level 7 = EVPs Confirmed Y
This is the data I have from 2004, so things could have changed!
Stitch From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 26699 posts, RR: 83 Reply 13, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 15637 times:
UA Officers travel positive space (usually in First or Business) when on company business.
An amusing side note, I know one UGS who personally booted UA CEO and Chairman Glen Tilton out of 1A as that was originally the UGS' assigned seat.
SkyexRamper From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 15, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 15579 times:
They travel positive at YX/SYX but with nerve they don't even bother to mingle with their paying customers. They get picked up in a company mini van plane side. Oh yeah, even their wives get the van service and we're told to ki$$ their a$$s too. mmmmm no thanks! Especially in last few months with this whole YX/FL fuss going on, you'd think that Timmy would want to walk with his fellow YX passengers, chat with them and so forth to enforce the YX spirit, nope, he just wants to avoid all that and be the guy who is too good to mix with the normal folk.
Dl757md From United States of America, joined May 2004, 1555 posts, RR: 18 Reply 16, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 15578 times:
Quoting Gigneil (Reply 11): Denying boarding to someone with a confirmed seat has all sorts of legal ramifications. They may have done it in 1979, but they don't do it today.
It happens. There is even a section in our HR manuals covering it. There was a big flap about it when Leo Mullin's handpicked CFO Warren Jensen did this very thing back in '98. The issue wasn't even that they pulled paying pax off the flight but that some of the party that he brought with him were friends of his kids. No s#*t.
Willyj From United States of America, joined Oct 2005, 467 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 15569 times:
I traveled in C class on AF CDG-JFK with the CEO's assistant in the seat next to me last June. THe CEO, Jean-Cyril Spinetta, was in First and came back several times to chat with her. She also went up to First to work for a few hours of the flight. I had gone over to Paris for the weekend to visit a friend and felt horrible - at the time I thought it was a combination of jet-lag and way too much partying, although it turned out I had meningitis! - anyhow, I regret not having been able to chat with him for a bit, as he was very friendly and talkative during his visits.
Graphic From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 18, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 15556 times:
I've read that Neeleman flies B6 at least once a week, often working with the F/A's during whatever they call "meal service" and asking for customer feedback. If it's true, that's a CEO that cares!
SkyexRamper From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 19, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 15519 times:
Quoting Willyj (Reply 17): with the CEO's assistant in the seat next to me last June. THe CEO, Jean-Cyril Spinetta, was in First and came back several times to chat with her.
Well that'll make an employee really think they aren't important, the boss is riding up front and they stick you in back.
Drerx7 From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 4906 posts, RR: 9 Reply 21, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 15477 times:
EMBQA From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 9286 posts, RR: 13 Reply 22, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 15477 times:
Quoting Graphic (Reply 18): I've read that Neeleman flies B6 at least once a week, often working with the F/A's during whatever they call "meal service" and asking for customer feedback. If it's true, that's a CEO that cares!
As I said above, I flew with hime one time on an inagural flight none the less. He sat up front and didn't talk to one passenger....!! He BS'd with a few people in the jetway after the flight. but that was it.
[Edited 2007-03-12 04:17:24]
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog"
One US airline CEO who did often travel by private jet was Robert Six, CO's CEO for over 40 years until 1980 and one of the legendary figures in US airline history. He was also responsible for changing CO's original name, Varney Speed Lines (named for the founder), to Continental in 1937, a year after he bought 40% of the company.
CO was one of the few airlines that owned a couple of business jets, ostensibly for pilot training but also used for corporate travel. Photo of one of CO's Sabreliners below. This one crashed on takeoff from Montrose, Colorado (MTJ) in 1973 killing the crew. It had dropped off 3 passengers, which may have included Six and his wife since Six owned a large ranch near MTJ. The accident report here http://www.airdisaster.com/reports/ntsb/AAR73-19.pdf doesn't identify the passengers on the inbound flight from LAX (CO headquarters then) but says they had travelled on this aircraft many times.
(The name of Six's wife in the photo caption is wrong. It was Audrey Meadows (not Janet). Her most famous role was Alice Kramden, the wife of Ralph Kramden (played by Jackie Gleason) in The Honeymooners, one of the classic American TV comedy series of the mid-1950s. I recall reading that she was closely involved in decisions involving the interior design of CO aircraft after she married Six in 1961.)
25 N751PR: I'd be more concerned about the crew...
26 Willyj: Well, it was Business Class on the 77W, so I doubt she felt too horrible about her position! Apparently she and Spinetta are quite close, perhaps tha
27 WestJetYQQ: Let me Think, If I was the CEO: I would do whatever could possibly be best my Airline. I would not fly on Confirmed Tickets Unless it was absolutely n
28 HAWK21M: Out here:- Commercial Aircraft Private Aircraft Private Car Depending on the Distance & the Airline they work with. regds MEL
29 HPAEAA: I've heard that too... I remeber from the HP days hearing about Anthony Mule, who was incharge of Customer service... he got to fly confirmed first c
30 Kaitak744: So I guess the CEOs of FedEx and UPS go in air-freight.
31 WestJetYQQ: What Size of Company is this exactly?
33 HPAEAA: well for AMR who is the 108 largest US company the number 107 and 109 slots went to Publix and BellSouth, for UAL who took the number 128, it was Dom
34 Lincoln: Yeah, based on the way some of the NW gate agents at DTW were talking (quite loudly, I might add) about what they'd like to do to whatever-the-hell-h
35 Tedex: UGS is United Global Services. It's a by-invitation "super elite" level reserved for those who control the travel budgets of large numbers of people
36 EMBQA: LoL... No, FedEx has a fleet of business jets.
37 SCCutler: I have to tell you, if Tom Braniff showed up for a flight from DFW, I would have gladly given up my seat for him... and would have taken some picture
38 AlexPorter: A lot of this probably has to do with two or three things: 1. Wright Amendment - he lives in Dallas, and if going anywhere outside of that zone, he w
39 ORDPIA: As tedex stated its United Global Service something I'm very proud to say i have just accomplished. Put simply its 'super elite" personally I've had
40 Columba: Wolfgang Mayrhuber CEO of Lufthansa said recently that he travels in all classes with LH in order to see how the service is.
41 JetJeanes: fed ex chairman orginally had his own falcon he kept parked away from fex, and my freight would come in every morning with another line. Then one day
43 Gh123: Last time I flew from ORD to LHR with United their CEO of UK ops was flying in F. Really nice guy - was speaking and asking the FA's asking their opin
44 Nonfirm: This is no bull.We have upper mgt from the director level to the CEO that can get away with this in coach and 1 st.
45 OHLHD: Somewhen in the 90´s a OS Executive decided quite late that he and his wife + 3kids wanted to travel to NYC. So he got them Business Class tickets NO
47 NicolasRubio: AR's CEO is the only one authorized, together with the president and vice president of Argentina, to use the VIP kit for the 744's upper decks.Therefo
49 B747-437B: Airline CEOs are just like any other guy for the most part - some are unassuming and humble - and others are arrogant pricks. I've run into one airlin
50 EISHN: Heres a good one for you all. How does Michael O'Leary, the CEO of europes largest low cost carrier Ryanair, travel to Seattle for talks with Boeing?
51 Bohlman: As was mentioned, Herb flies CO or WN, usually handing out snacks on either one. I'd love to be sitting on the airplane where the snoody business man
52 Stitch: United Global Services was launched in 2003 as a way to recognize (and cultivate the continued loyalty and lagresse of) what United considers to be t
53 Jetdeltamsy: Anyway they want to. Just like the CEO's of any multi-billion dollar corporations.
54 OzarkD9S: There was a story about Edward J. Crane, former CEO of Ozark Airlines. He was flying positive space from an outstation back to STL and the flight was
55 Bongodog1964: If I was spending the sort of amount Michael O'Leary does with Boeing; I would expect them to come to see me whenever I felt it neccesary. if I felt
56 MattCan: How do airline CEOs travel? For FREE of course! Actually it probably depends on the company and the personality of the CEO. Back when I worked for Uni
57 EISHN: What about in instance like this when MOL travels to Seattle.
58 Jetdeltamsy: A little off topic her,but a colleague of mine bumped the Governor of Wisconsin earlier this year from a weight restricted Eagle flight. He in no way
59 UALPHLCS: This is true for UA, I assume it is the same for most Legacy carriers Confirmed Positive-space F Class. However, on two occasions with Goodwin and wi
60 Clickhappy: On several trips to Seattle, MOL and crew have traveled from AMS to SEA on NW, and they fly coach. Not sure how they get to AMS...
61 DarkBlue: I sat next to Fred Buttrell (former head of Comair) on a flight last May the day before he resigned. I guess after being forced to cram into a seat ne
62 EISHN: Probally fly FR to Rotterdam, then train it over to Schipol.Thanks for the info.
63 Cubastar: One grand old gentleman CEO did care (see above) and was most unassuming and humble. That man was Mr. C. E. Wollman, the founder of Delta Air Lines.
64 PHKLM: FR only has scheduled service to EIN in the Netherlands. The only airline that flies DUB-AMS is AerLingus. Now that would be something KL does have a
65 Clickhappy: Now that you mention it KLM did somehow come into the mix, but I am not sure they flew out of DUB. I seem to remember him saying Luton, but who knows,
66 Lucky42: I Don't know what world you are living in but in the world of nwa it doesn't matter..They will kick someone off and pay them compensation. I don't kn
67 Lincoln: The problem comes only if the passenger doesn't accept the compensation -- if it's involuntary denied boardinging (vs you volunarially giving up your
68 Aad665: O Leary own a Lear jet AND a Global Express from Bombardier. The are resgisted under her daughter name. aad665
69 Floridaflyboy: I wish that were true, but it is not. CEO's and various other management people do it ALL the time. Even if it is not business-related. While working
70 Clickhappy: Does MOL even have a daughter???? I know he has a young son (2 years old perhaps)....
71 Nycfuturepilot: know you're being sarcastic but actually the top 25 execs at CO drive bmw 745s, must be an interesting parking lot to walk through. Also, do DL guys
72 EISHN: Thats right, MOL only has a son. Sorry, thats what i meant, thanks for the correction. Maybe he does fly with EI to AMS. But I think it would just be
73 PHKLM: According to Amadeus the fastest option is BA and with the second best alternative KLM (EI and NW code-shares), via AMS it only takes 30 minutes extr
74 TomB: In response to DL Widget Head's question (Reply #46), when Sam Higginbottom became President of Eastern Airlines in the early 1970's, he wanted an exe
75 JRDC930: A little of topic, but i do my flight training at a facility in SLC, that shares space with two DL eliete Jets. Now theres a way to fly!. From what i
76 N908AW: One of my VATSIM friends recognized Doug Steenland on board a DC9 going SYR-MSP...wrote him a note on a napkin actually.
77 JetJeanes: Did Eal not have a few of those jetstars for use for several other things,and charters
78 C680: When Frank Wolf was running USAir(ways) he would fly a chartered Hawker HS125-700 private in and out of DCA all the time. IIRC it was chartered from e
79 Sea2Pdx: Here's what I can't understand: If you're the CEO of a major airline then you're most likely making bank. That being the case, why wouldn't you help y
80 AirTran737: I flew MKE-MSP three Friday's in a row last summer returning on Sunday evening and I sat next to Tim in the exit row everytime. And no I didn't move
81 SW733: I wouldn't wish that on anyone, let alone a billionaire...maybe he saw how bad his own airline was? I saw the CFO of Air Namibia once on a flight fro
82 Floridaflyboy: Wasn't it Stephen Wolf? Anyway, I've heard he was pretty full of himself.
83 AirMike2: Then there's a true story about a CEO of a airline who flew mysteriously into a city (not on his airline) to address the Chamber of Commerce and didn'
84 BAalltheway: I remember boarding a flight to Newark one time quite a few years back (1999 or 2000 I believe), saw a familiar face sitting in First Class as I schle
85 Nycfuturepilot: I'd do it all the time! Your CEO sounds like a great guy, which company is it?
86 CV580Freak: I understand he speaks highly of you as well !!!
87 Electech6299: Uh, actually pay a full (unrestricted) fare? Can the computers still do that? I heard a rumor that someone paid full fare back in '98.... Yup...deep
88 Lincoln: God do I wish that were true... I just shelled out $1300 for the second time in a month for an unrestricted (Y1-fare basis) ticket to RIC... And I bo
89 SW733: Dear god why....?!?! Full fare is a ridiculous rip off...
90 Lincoln: Combination of factors (a) Our clients' plans often change, necessitating flexibility; (b) My boss doesn't like the accounting implications/hassle of
91 Chuchoteur: In Richard Branson's case, correct! Richard Branson I believe travels all classes on Virgin Atlantic... and is supposed to be very friendly. Last tim
92 Vfw614: Lufthansa's ex CEO Jürgen Weber was known for commuting down from Hamburg (where he lived as the former head of Lufthansa Technik) to Frankfurt for w
93 SkyexRamper: That's wierd cause every time he is flying skyway or any top YXer it's always the van plane side and all that BS.
94 UA777222: Re: Why doesn't an exec pay full fare ticket for their travel. You need to understand that the travel is not going to be for their personal needs (95%
95 PanHAM: He surely does, when time permits. But as a CEO of a top 30 listed company with a 20 Billion € turnover, he is entitled to First Class positive spa
96 Electech6299: That's the point that is ridiculous. I know F/A's that pay for their travel because usually non-rev isn't worth the trouble. If an F/A can make that
97 UA777222: That point is far from ridiculous. People are under a false representation that all are treated equal. The harsh reality is that they sit behind a de
98 Electech6299: Perhaps it is just your wording that bugs me, but why should execs avoid paying fares "at all costs"? Try these two sentences: The tightwad avoids pay
99 PanHAM: Excuse me, but a business trip is paid by the company you work for. If that company happens to be an airline and the business trip takes place on one
100 Iflyswa: Hey Ben! I've also heard that whenever Herb Kelleher travels any great distance on WN, he'll take a seat up in the flight deck so he can smoke. Would
101 Iflyswa: I took a detour down to the ramp today and had a chance to snap a quick shot of Herb's gate-side parking place at DAL, looks like Herb wasnt traveling
102 JRDC930: And pilots or other type of laborors who work extremaly difficult and long jobs dont? Only the wealthy capitalists? I dont think some one with that k
103 Ayubogg: I have also wondered this but my guess is just as good as the next person. If I were the CEO of a successful airline I would travel with my own airlin
104 B52murph: Give Col Frank Borman's book COUNTDOWN a read sometime and he details the story of this JetStar and his early days @ EA. One of his first acts was to
105 PanHAM: what world are you living in? an airline CEO is usually not a wealthy capitalist but a high paid employee with a 24/7/365 work schedule. airlines are
106 JRDC930: Thats arguable, but i wont get too off topic. LH execs still make more than enough to afford to fly first with their own money. If they cant, fly coa
107 Lincoln: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others" At least in the US the only place where there is (and should be, IMHO) even the
108 Commavia: It's actually the exact opposite. All of the public blustering from both sides notwithstanding, AA and WN are two companies that have a great deal of
109 Lotsamiles: I once shared a flight with Glen Tilton from GRU-MIA, pretty soon after he took the job at UA. He was in F and I was in C. I thought it would be a nic
110 IPFreely: Maybe he didn't want his direct phone line ringing every time UAX cancelled one of your flights!
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