[PRCo] Airlines Good and Bad

Mon Sep 1 13:24:28 EDT 2014

Dwight,

Most of the equity in the consolidation went to AA shareholders/creditors, so I'd call it an acquisition of Used Air after its management took over AA.  The worldwide alliances have value and while I never benefitted from them, I understand why people stick with them.  You're pretty much stuck with United if your preference is Star.

Yes, I was referring to domestic carriers when speaking of investments.  Lufthansa seems to be doing OK, and QANTAS lost a competitor a while back, which probably improved their lot.  I don't generally follow the foreign-based carriers except in a superficial way.

We now typically use Southwest and Delta when practical.  But AA has always treated us well, and until things turn south (if they do), we will use them occasionally.  We do avoid United at almost all costs.  Continental management took them over in their consolidation and somehow managed to inflict the United culture on the entire company...which I don't understand because Continental got pretty high marks as a stand-alone.

And yes, I do know what QANTAS stands for!

Cheers,
Ed

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounces at mailman.dementix.org [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounces at mailman.dementix.org] On Behalf Of Dwight Long
Sent: Monday, September 01, 2014 12:59 PM
To: 'Western PA Trolley discussion'
Subject: Re: [PRCo] Airlines Good and Bad

Ed

Another loss thru the merger, or acquisition, whichever you wish to call it, is US Scare dropping out of the Star Alliance.  That relegates the combined carrier to a  use only when there are no reasonable alternatives  category for me.

Don t know if this is still valid, but a couple of years ago there were three large airlines with investment grade ratings:  Southwest, Lufthansa, and Qantas.  But perhaps you meant US-headquartered airlines, in which case you were correct.

Trivia question for the List:  How many know what Qantas stands for (I m sure you do).

Dwight

From: Edward H. Lybarger
Sent: Monday, 01 September, 2014 10:32
To: 'Western PA Trolley discussion'
Subject: Re: [PRCo] Isaly's -- Then & Now Actually American Airlines does still exist, emerging from bankruptcy as American Airlines Group and simultaneously merging with U S Airways with the latter's management in charge.  It was one of very few bankruptcies in which shareholders received anything...and the stock has done rather well since the combination.

That said, having the US Scare management running things is not particularly good for the customer.  Legroom is being reduced, fees are being increased, and services are being limited.  Unless, of course, you pay extra for things like flat-recline seats on transcontinental services, extra legroom, and aisle or window seats.  Mr. Parker and his merry band believe in nickeling-and-diming, for sure.  And not always giving much in return, except the ride.  I recall one America West flight out of Phoenix that had mold growing out of the air conditioning vents above the windows.  America West is Mr. Parker's outfit that took U S Air out of its final bankruptcy and kept its name, just as he did with American.  At least American is buying new airplanes to replace the DC-9-80s.

Southwest is still the only airline that is considered to be investment grade.

Ed

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounces at mailman.dementix.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounces at mailman.dementix.org] On Behalf Of Dwight Long
Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2014 9:27 PM
To: Western PA Trolley discussion
Subject: Re: [PRCo] Isaly's -- Then & Now

Hey, I read Brian Butko's book on the company, and that is what I recalled as well.  But there is, per Herb, a store in West View (any others???) that apparently is maintaining the old traditions in a satisfactory manner.

American Airlines does not exist anymore either-but US Scare bought the name and is going to use it in preference to their own.

When D&RGW bought Southern Pacific, Anschutz elected to use the better known
(maybe!!!) SP name and so renamed the surviving company that.

It happens all the time.  The key is whether the person or company using the old name is maintaining the old standards, traditions, etc.  Herb's report suggests the one in West View (is it an individual outfit or part of a
chain?) is doing so.

Dwight

From: Fred Schneider
Sent: Saturday, 30 August, 2014 20:35
To: Western PA Trolley discussion
Subject: Re: [PRCo] Isaly's -- Then & Now
Isaly's does not exist.   The family sold the name.   Read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaly's

On Aug 30, 2014, at 7:47 PM, Dwight Long wrote:

>
> Amazing.  I did not know any still existed.  We had one in my home
> town of
Beaver-it's long gone.  My last memory of Isaly's was eating lunch at the one in Homestead in the very last year of the trams in that town.
>
> I will be in the area in a couple of weeks, but will be at Arden on
> Friday
and Beaver/Newell, W.Va. on Saturday.  Do you know of any that are open down that way?  I doubt I would have time to go to West View although I agree it would be a pleasant return to yesteryear.
>
> Dwight
>
> From: Herb Brannon
> Sent: Saturday, 30 August, 2014 12:33
> To: Western PA Trolley discussion
> Subject: [PRCo] Isaly's -- Then & Now
> When I was growing up a big treat was to go to the Isaly's store near
> our house. One of my many favorites from them was a vanilla milkshake.
> They knew how to make them. One "perk" of going to get one at Isaly's
> was that all of the milkshake would never fit into the paper
> "take-out" cup. It was always the policy at our neighborhood Isaly's
> that the clerk would pour the excess into a glass and tell me to
> finish it
off. A real treat back then.
>
> I now work for Allegheny County on Perrysville Avenue. For lunch, last
> Tuesday, I decided to go to the Isaly's on Perry Highway near Center
> Avenue in West View. It was close, I could get the chip-chop sandwich
> and a vanilla milkshake to go and still have time to finish it back at
> the workplace. So I ordered and they began frying the chip-chop and
> the milkshake machine sprang to life making that familiar high pitched
> buzzing sound. I was looking at the scores of photographs on the wall
> of this Isaly's of old West View Park, the PRCo streetcars and other
> things when the lady at the counter called me over. She said, "Here
> drink this up, it all won't fit into the take out cup".  It was deja
> vu,
all over again.
>
> This Isaly's is very much worth going to. Still the same outside
> storefront and still the same counter with round stools and the same
> booths on the opposite side of the store. Same food cases with Isaly's
> meat and cheese products and really great photos on the walls. Well
> worth going to West View to see and enjoy.
>
> Also, much to my surprise, is much of the original PRCo/PATransit
> Route 10-West View trolley tracks are still hanging around. The place
> where the cars left Perrysville Avenue, past Bascombe Street, is still
> there with the rails embedded in cobblestone. Much of the north end of
> that section of private-right-of-way for the 10 and 11 was taken with
> the construction of the Parkway North, aka I-279. Then, just past Ross
> Bus Garage the side-of-the-road tracks can be seen gleaming in the sun
> just even with the grass growing around them. This goes on all the way
> to Center Avenue. I have yet to drive down Center Avenue to see what
> still
remains.
>
> Like I said, it's worth the trip to see the right-of-way and visit
Isaly's.
>
> --
> *Herb Brannon*
>
> *In Pittsburgh...........A City and *
>
>
> *..........................A State Of Mind*
>
> *Let's Go Bucs*
>
> *Let's Go Steelers*
>
>
>
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