How do the Fortune 500 CEOs?
Nov 3, 1999, 11:22 am
#18
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Central New Jersey
Programs: UA-Platimum 2 MM, HH-Gold, MR-Lifetime Gold, Hyatt-Discoverist
Posts: 6,238
As a suggestion (which I am sure they will not take). I think all CEO's and senior management of travel related industries should be required to use their companies services at least once or twice a year. How are they expected to know what the general public goes through, be it in the air or at a hotel, if they don't experience it first hand themselves. While I know that security and time are of the essence, there must be some point when they can go for a quick trip to one of their offices by regular air or stay in a hotel as a "regular" guest--without special treatment. They may come back to their next Board Meeting with some new ideas or comments.
[This message has been edited by mauld (edited 11-03-1999).]
[This message has been edited by mauld (edited 11-03-1999).]
Nov 4, 1999, 8:01 am
#21
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 2,055
Although I'm not privy to the ferret's arrangements I understand he has a private office suite on the top floor with full staff and private masseuse on call. He jets in and out on his private jet then copters into the helopad on top of the building, so we rarely see him here in the depths of the building. We all keep a respectful distance as befits his status as a Hollywood phenom (My understanding is his contract calls for the clydesdale dalmation dogs to be kept 500' away at all times.)
Nov 4, 1999, 11:37 am
#24
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: St Paul 02/04...not flying Delta
Posts: 2,324
Tfjim, I made more than my fair share of trips to your city. I know a number of firms in St. Louis prepurchased tickets on TWA to help their cash flow. I must have averaged a 75% delay due to weather. Not my favorite airport. Add to that, I always got stuck in meetings on cost (people) cutting or low employee morale. They never spotted the connection between the two topics. Then they improved my morale by cutting me!
Nov 4, 1999, 1:40 pm
#25
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 2,055
Comicwoman,
Far be it from me to make excuses for our airport, but I have to say as a resident of this city I find the airport highly convenient (a 12 minute drive.) Easy parking and fairly easy to navigate when coming and going. However, I understand that it probably is not the best airport to connect, it's design is very mish-mash. Also, the delays are bad at times, but no worse than other cities, and actually the place has been managed well enough lately that the incidence of weather-related delays doesn't make it onto the top-10 list for US airports.
Yes, it's true that the St. Louis old-boy CEO network propped up TWA with prepurchased tickets, but we are not beholden to them and our list of "preferred" airlines is good. I could choose other airlines, but don't for convenience sake.
And if I had my choice between a gleaming new airport 25 miles outside the city (a la Denver, or that silly Mid-America) or a dingy, old, but gets-the-job-done airport just up the road 8 miles I'd choose the latter anyday. But that's the viewpoint of a local.
It's a shame you can't fly commercial into Meigs Field anymore!
Far be it from me to make excuses for our airport, but I have to say as a resident of this city I find the airport highly convenient (a 12 minute drive.) Easy parking and fairly easy to navigate when coming and going. However, I understand that it probably is not the best airport to connect, it's design is very mish-mash. Also, the delays are bad at times, but no worse than other cities, and actually the place has been managed well enough lately that the incidence of weather-related delays doesn't make it onto the top-10 list for US airports.
Yes, it's true that the St. Louis old-boy CEO network propped up TWA with prepurchased tickets, but we are not beholden to them and our list of "preferred" airlines is good. I could choose other airlines, but don't for convenience sake.
And if I had my choice between a gleaming new airport 25 miles outside the city (a la Denver, or that silly Mid-America) or a dingy, old, but gets-the-job-done airport just up the road 8 miles I'd choose the latter anyday. But that's the viewpoint of a local.
It's a shame you can't fly commercial into Meigs Field anymore!