So many memories...

I started flying TWA regularly in 1990 when my job began requiring me to travel about 20 weeks a year. I remember so many things...flight 845 the +/- 5:30pm JFK departure to STL - typically in an L1011. The times I took the one stop to STL from JFK via PHL. The flight, a 767, would actually take off from JFK and fly about 17 minutes to PHL!!! There were the Transcons...I can't tell you how many satisfying flights I had on 841 JFK-LAX in the 747 after they went to two class service. The upper deck was like flying your own private plane coast to coast. There were of course the trips to Europe...JFK-CDG, LGA-STL-LGW, JFK-AMS-VIE, JFK-FRA and others.

Of course there's all of the special events/vacations where TWA would deliver me to my destination. Honeymoons, taking my grandmother back to her motherland, childern's first air trips, visiting old friends, etc. TWA was always there to get us where we wanted to go...even if it often meant a stop in STL to get us there.

Then there was the trip 'of a lifetime.' Cashing in those 300,000 miles for two first class tickets around the world (on TWA and Philipine Airlines). A great 36 days of seeing the world...that I can thank TWA and the FFB program for.

But through all of that there were the people of TWA...the folks that made the engines turn, the meals warm and the flights on-time. These folks are what made traveling TWA safe and enjoyable.

I always thought TWA was just about the 'right size.' Large enough to get you were you were going, but small enough that if you flew them as often as I did, you could get to know the people. Enough cannot be said or written about the TWA folks. They struggled through tremendous adversity and personal sacrifice to keep the place running, but throughout they demonstrated absolute professionalism and a personal touch that kept you coming back. It's funny, although TWA lacked many of the higher end amenities of an AA or UA at the time, TWA cabin attendants always worked to turn coal into gold and strived to provide high class service. They typically hit the mark.

It was a cold morning in January 2001 when I was sitting in the JFK Ambassadors Club when the news was broadcast that TWA was to declare bankruptcy and be purchased by AA. My heart sunk. I sensed the end was near...and indeed it was. Later that month, I passed the 1,000,000 flight mile threshold in flying with TWA. That made me a 'lifetime' Platinum member in TWA's flyger program. This of course was short lived. I did receive a nice shiny new card for hitting this mark. It serves now as a happy reminder of the kinder days of air travel when Red and White planes were the Queens of the Skies (or Red, Gold, Blue and White if you prefer) and travel was fun.

I miss TWA, her planes, the service and most importantly the spirit embodied in the people of TWA.