American’s First Boeing 777-300ER, N718AN, seen at DFW Gate D-23, the day of departure flew the inaugural flight. Much more than just a new aircraft joining the fleet, It signifies the re-birth of an iconic airline. Image from Chris Sloan / Airchive.com.
This is a multi-part story written by Chris Sloan (@Airchive) on the changes at American Airlines and the inaugural Boeing 777-300 flight to Sao Paulo.
On January 31, 2013 American Airlines launched their first Boeing 777-300 ER into service with attention that rivaled any airline’s launch of a new type in recent memory. On the face of it, even though American became the first operator of the 777-300 in the United States, this event would almost seem overkill if for that reason alone. After all, American began 777-200 flights back in 1999 and the first 777-300 was first delivered to an airline, Cathay Pacific back in May, 1998. The first 777-300ER entered service nearly 10 years ago with Air France. Boeing’s two stretch variants of their venerable cash cow, the 777, easily have become the type’s most popular versions with over 680 orders and deliveries between them out of the entire 777 program’s 1,380 orders and deliveries. (as of December, 2012). In an era of smaller airliners, American inaugurated the 777-300, the largest new airliner by a U.S. carrier since the last Boeing 747-400s entered service with U.S. airliners in the late 1990s.
This inaugural, flight 963, from Dallas/Ft. Worth to São Paulo, Brazil in the author’s view is one of the most significant in the airline industry in years because it is about something much bigger than just the launch of a new airliner, it’s about the re-birth of a proud American institution that happens to bear the name of our country ’“ American Airlines.
American Airlines Electra at Port Columbus International Airport (CMH) in 1967. Image by Bob Garrard.
American Airlines problems are well known. After becoming the world’s largest airline with its 2000 acquisition of TWA, the 2000s were not kind at all to the Silver Bird. TWA and American merged during an economic downturn and by most accounts, the merger was anything but an unqualified success.
American shed most of TWA’s assets, routes, staff, and many of its aircraft. On September 11th, 2 of American’s airliners, their crew, and passengers were forever lost in the atrocities of this horrible day. As if things couldn’t get any worse, the world’s airline industry hemorrhaged with the U.S. legacy carriers losing more money during this time then they had profited in their entire history. All of them declared Chapter 11, with the exception of American. Under the category of ’œno good deed goes unpunished’, this decision would come back to haunt American for years.
On the left is your last generation American Airlines livery. In the middle is the retro Astrojet livery (N951AA) and on the right is American’s new livery (N908NN). Photo by Joe Statz / JetPhoto.net
Joe Statz grabbed this picture of three liveries of American Airlines all lined up at Dallas Forth Worth International Airport (DFW) and was willing to share it with all of us to enjoy.
Yes. The Astrojet is an amazingly retro design, but I don’t think a fleet made to look like that today would go over too well. I think that the last American Airlines livery will also start to look more retro and classic, but again, is not a design made for 2013. I still think the new livery is surely not an evolution, but a revolution. I still like it.
The World Series’ Trophy in all its glory.
For the second time in three years, the San Francisco Giants are World Series champions. To celebrate their victory, the Giants and Virgin America (the team’s official airline) teamed up to bring the World Series trophy back to the their roots in New York and I was invited to tag along. It was perfect for me since I both love aviation and baseball.
The team’s history dates back to 1883, when they were known as the New York Gothams, playing at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan. Even though the Giants moved to the west coast in 1958, there is still a considerable fan base in New York.
With the sun rising over the runways at San Francisco International Airport, I approached the gate for the 9:25AM flight to find the World Series trophy already on display, hours before departure. Glistening in the morning sunlight, passengers, airline employees, and even police dogs inside the terminal were drawn to the trophy, posing for pictures at this unexpected event.
San Francisco Police K-9 officer Xaro poses with the World Series Trophy
A little less than an hour before departure time, a flood of local media approached the gate area to set up video cameras, as the Giants President and CEO Larry Baer along with David Cush, Virgin Americas President and CEO, were about to give a press conference. The press conference only lasted a few short moments, and it quickly became photo-op time in front of the aircraft.
Virgin America President/CEO David Cush (left) and Giants President/CEO Larry Baer with the World Series Trophy in front of “The Beard”
The ride from San Francisco to New York was no ordinary Virgin America aircraft, of course. The flight was operated on the Airbus A320 officially named ’œFly Bye Baby,’ or as it is more commonly known, ’œThe Beard.’
This particular A320 (N849VA) has a large San Francisco Giants logo on either side, as well as a painted on beard on the nose. Originally inspired by Giants closing pitcher Brian Wilson, who is no longer with the team, ’œThe Beard’ definitely stands out from the rest of the Virgin fleet.
Nice beard man. Virgin America (N849VA) Airbus A320 with facial hair.
Once the photo-op was over, the trophy was finally brought onto the plane, where its first seat was arguably the best seat on board, the pilot’s seat. Thankfully for the passengers (which were mostly “normal” fare-paying folks and then a few media and invited folks), the trophy was soon moved to a first class seat after a few pictures, and the pilot was able to take his rightful position.
After takeoff, members of the media were brought up to the front of the cabin to interview Larry Baer of the Giants. I had never interviewed the CEO of a company before, but what better place to put me at ease than the first class cabin next to the World Series trophy. In the five minutes I was allotted, Mr. Baer and I talked about everything from the team’s loyal following in New York, to the partnership with Virgin America.
When asked about the Giants partnership with Virgin America, Mr. Baer had nothing but great things to say. ’œI can’t imagine a better airline partner than Virgin America,’ said Baer. Interestingly, he told me that before partnering with Virgin, the team was in talks to become partners with United, who has a very heavy presence in San Francisco. During talks with United, Virgin approached the Giants, and the rest is history.
Along the transcontinental journey, a few more events were held to celebrate the trophy’s journey. Mr. Baer and the Giants social media team held a ’œTwitter chat,’ utilizing the aircraft’s Gogo wifi system. Shortly after, the flight crew held a Giants trivia contest over the PA, but with an interesting twist. Instead of raising their hand, or simply shouting out answers, passengers had to use the in-flight entertainment system to answer. Using the tethered remote, passengers logged into the systems chat room, and whoever answered first was the winner. Those who won were brought up to the first class cabin to take pictures with the trophy.
Towards the end of the flight, the crew got on the PA system once more, and encouraged all passengers to wave the orange Giants towel they found at their seat at the beginning of the fight. Before landing at JFK, Mr. Baer walked to the back of the aircraft with the trophy so that every passenger had a chance to see it up close.
Giants President/CEO Larry Baer walks down the aisle with the World Series Trophy
Most major airlines in the United States sponsor multiple sports franchises, and sometimes it feels as if the sponsorship is nothing more than a few billboards at the stadium. In the case of the Giants and Virgin America, the relationship feels deeper than that, and it is refreshing. The event flight was a lot of fun, and it is something those passengers will not forget any time soon. As a big sports fan and aviation enthusiast, I couldn’t have asked for a better combination.
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Gate sign informing passengers of the event
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Virgin America A320 Model
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Posing with the trophy
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Fly Bye Baby, aka The Beard
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Virgin America President/CEO helps load a passengers bag into the overhead bins at SFO
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What better way to document the journey of the trophy than to strap a GoPro camera to it?
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This story written by… Jason Rabinowitz, Correspondent.
Jason is a New York City native who has grown up in the shadow of JFK International Airport. A true “avgeek”, he enjoys plane spotting and photography, as well taking any opportunity he can get to fly on an aircraft.
@AirlineFyer | FaceBook | |
American Airline’s Boeing 777-300ER is shown in new livery. The aircraft (N718AN) was painted at Victorville Airport (VCV) in California. Check the classic Delta L1011 in the background. Image from American.
Next week American Airline’s first Boeing 777-300ER (77W) will fly from Dallas (DFW) to Sao Paulo Brazil (SAO) on the 31st of this month (which Chris Sloan from Airchive.com will be sharing his experience with AirlineReporter.com). Before then, it needed to be painted in American’s new livery and now it has. We have seen computer mock-ups of the 777 and a real 737 in the livery, but now we can see the 777-300ER in its new threads. The big question: Is it growing on you?
Other American Livery Stories:
Now, American is pretty good at making interesting videos. I would assume that one is in process showing the 777 being painted, so maybe we will be seeing one soon.
American’s Boeing 77W inside the paint hangar. Image from America.
The tail seems to be many folks least favorite part of the livery. Not quite sure why. Image from American.
American Airlines 777 being painted in Victorville. Image from American.
The 77W looks ready to fly. Check out the Wi-Fi antenna up top. Image from American.
Want more? ADDITIONAL AMERICAN AIRLINES BOEING 777-300ER PHOTOS via their Facebook.
A nice big sign welcomes you to the Virgin America Loft – Photo: Mal Muir / AirlineReporter.com
Virgin America has tried to differentiate themselves from all the others by providing a better product than others, not just in flight but on the ground as well. They have all but taken over Terminal 3 in Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). When Alaska Airlines moved out of the terminal over to Terminal 6, it left a big empty space in the upstairs area at T3. This space was at one time the Alaska Airlines Boardroom, but as of early December, this is now Virgin America’s first airline lounge, known as ’œThe Loft’
Unlike most airline lounges, there is no memberships for sale; the lounge is open to anyone with a Virgin America ticket and a willingness to pay the entry fee of ($40). Not even the top tiers of Virgin America’s own frequent flier program, Elevate, get unlimited access (they get a few passes). Thankfully they do allow access to passengers who have Virgin Australia Velocity Gold & Platinum members free of charge (of which I am one coincidentally). It is also the lounge for those passengers who are flying Virgin Australia Business Class to Australia.
BONUS: Video tour of Virgin America’s The Loft at LAX
The lounge is located upstairs above the main terminal area, but unless you knew it was there, you would probably walk straight past it. If you did notice the sign directing you up the steps there is still a very non-descript doorway, which with the push of a button, you are allowed into a very modern and fashionable lobby. The dominating feature of this lobby is the glass partition with the engraved Virgin America aircraft (something that would look great on any AvGeeks wall).
Even though T3 was packed full of people, (thanks to the daily arrival of the international flights from the South Pacific and Asia and their connecting passengers) when I was visiting the lounge was nearly empty. This gave it a feeling of an oasis away from the mass.
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Does that Face look familiar? It should, its Richard Branson
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Even more disturbing is the female signage looks like Richard Branson
As you leave the lobby behind the glass partition are the bathrooms (sadly no showers for those wanting a quick freshen up after a long day in the LA sun) and from there the lounge is divided into two main areas. To your left is the ’œTV room’ with some very comfy, albeit unique looking seats in clusters around very low tables. To your right is the main lounge area and bar, with the a buffet connecting the two. As you would expect for an airline lounge in North America your snacks are free.
The spread for breakfast was a wonderful array of small pastries and muffins, cereals, breads for toast (and all the usual adornments such as peanut butter, jelly etc.) and even some cold bites like a smoked salmon bagel or a fruit salad wrap.
The lunch spread was also lovely with cold salads and wraps along with sushi and some cold meats and cheeses for a sandwich (with every condiment you could want). And if you want to plan ahead, you can check out The Loft’s food menu on Virgin America’s website.
Pair that up with the fully staffed bar serving cocktails, beer on tap and also wines in lovely big stem less glass ware and you have yourself a great experience.
Feel like something on the softer side? There is also Espresso (with a choice of beans), the usual soft drinks and some lovely flavored ice water (lime and a pineapple strawberry combination on offer that day). Even a pair of binoculars adorns the bar to allow you to check out the Hollywood sign (though I know a number of AvGeeks who would use them to check out who is on the downwind leg for landing).
Binoculars provided to check out the Hollywood Sign or that 747 on Downwind to 24R – Photo: Mal Muir / AirlineReporter.com
One thing that does remain from the old Alaska Boardroom days is the floor to ceiling windows. In my opinion, they provide some of the best runway views available at LAX. With a straight view out onto the taxiway and the parallel north runways (24L & R), this is a prime location to sit back and enjoy the view with a drink or a snack. You don’t even need a great lens or set up to get good shots. A small point and shoot camera should get some nice close up shots of the heavies as they go past.
The seats in this area are comfortable & relaxing, combined with the free Wi-Fi, this could mean that long layover between flights is spent being as productive or as chilled as you desire.
For someone who has 4 or 5 hours to wait after an international connection or between flights in LAX, the Virgin America Loft seems like good value considering the price and all the inclusions on offer in the lounge. Your entry fee would easily be covered after a number of cocktails and some food at the usual terminal pricing (and of considerably better quality compared to a Burger King or Starbucks probably). For me though, those views are the sell, the rest is just a bonus!
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This story written by…Malcolm Muir, Lead Correspondent. Mal is an Australian Avgeek now living and working in Seattle. With a passion for aircraft photography, traveling and the fun that combining the two can bring. Insights into the aviation world with a bit of a perspective thanks to working in the travel industry.@BigMalX | BigMal’s World | Photos |
