SAA Orange Tail

JUNE/JUNIE

1970

NO. 78

BESTUURSHOOF SKENK PRYSGELD VIR BEVOEGDHEID

‘n Jaarlikse prysgeld ter waarde van R100 is van vanjaar af deur die bestuurshoof, mnr. A. M. Conradie, beskikbaar gestel om jong lede van die klerlike personeel in die handelstak van die S.A.L., aan to moedig om hulself aka­demies beter to bekwaam deur vir die eksamens van die „Institute of Transport” in te skryf. ‘n Lid van die personeel in hierdie kategorie en wat in enige jaar die „Graduateship”, of enige ander eksamen wat hierdie eksamen mag vervang, met „Air Law” as ‘n slaagvak suksesvol aflê, sal in aanmerking kom vir die prys. Indien meer as een lid van die personeel die „Graduate­ship”-eksamen met „Air Law” as ‘n slaagvak in enige jaar met sukses aflê, sal die prys toegeken word aan die kandi­daat wat die hoogste gemiddelde punte in al die eksamen­vakke behaal het; indien twee of meer kandidate dieselfde gemiddelde punte behaal het, sal die prys eweredig tussen hulle verdeel word. Die prys wat bekend sal staan as die Conradieprys, sal elke jaar beskikbaar wees gedurende mnr. Conradie se leeftyd. Besonderhede van die kursusse vir die „Institute of Transport.”, kan verkry word van die Ere-sekretaris, „Institute of Transport” Spoorwegafdeling, kamer 912, Paul Kruger­gebou, Johannesburg. Aansoeke om vir die prys in aan­merking te kom moot aan die Person eelbestuurder gerig word.

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SITTING PRETTY

Reservations staff can blame the 727 and the 737 for any headaches they’ve been having in coping with demands for seating. When the 727′s were first introduced in 1965 they achieved such an immediate popularity that the travel­ling habits of South Africans changed dramatically ! Shorter journey times between the major centres in the Republic allowed businessmen to make more trips per week, hence the snowballing effect on the demand for seats.

With the introduction of the first five 727′s the number of available seats on domestic routes was almost doubled, but even this was not enough to keep the travelling public happy. So great was the demand that an extra two 727′s were purchased. Since then, of course, we’ve seen the introduction of five 737′s on the shorter sectors. By August 1 the airline will be operating six of these aircraft, making a total number of thirteen Boeing jets in service on the internal routes. The acquisition of these thirteen jets over the last six years has involved a total capital outlay of over R50 million. To further augment this fleet, two more 727′s will be delivered early next year.

South African Airways already provides over 30,000 seats per week on 300 or more internal flights, but this number will be greatly increased from August 1, when the two new Boeing 737′s become fully operational. In coping with the ever-increasing demand for seats, S.A.A. has not only had to acquire more aircraft but the airline has also found it necessary to step up the training of flight crews. For every domestic jet in service a total number of five captains and five first officers is required.

Criticism has been levelled at S.A.A. in recent months concerning the shortage of seats at certain times of the year. There is no point in denying that the airline meets difficulties in coping with the rush over holiday periods. However, this situation prevails the world over. No airline can afford to maintain standby aircraft and crews merely to cater for the increased seating demands which are experi­enced on a very few occasions during the course of a year. It is unfair of our critics to generalise and say that a chronic shortage of seats prevails throughout the year. On the whole, S.A.A. caters more than adequately for the needs of air travellers in the Republic. The new timetable which comes out in August should put paid to most moans and groans of the past.

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VLIEGTUIGAANDRYWINGSTERME

Op die foto oorhandig mnr. G. W. T. Oosthuyzen, hoof van die Spoorwegtaalburo, die eerste eksemplaar van die lys Vliegtuigaandrywingsterme can mnr. A. M. Conradie, be­stuurshoof.

Hierdie lys bevat sowat 8,500 terme en is die eerste van ‘n reeks van vyf lyste vir die Lugdiens wat later vir die saamstel van ‘n Vliegtuigwoordeboek gebruik sal word.

Sommige van die ander lyste, wat terme oor vliegtuig­uitrusting, vliegtuigbou, vliegkuns, navigasie, ens. behels, is reeds in ‘n gevorderde stadium van afhandeling en sal hope­lik eersdaags vrygestel word.

 Die vertroue is deur mnr. Oosthuyzen uitgespreek dat die Vliegtuigaandrywingsterme tot groot nut sal wees vir die personeel, insonderheid die van die Suid-Afrikaanse Lug­diens, en dat hulle vryelik daarvan gebruik sal maak.

Mnr. Conradie het die Hoof van die Spoorwegtaalburo bedank vir die lys en hom gelukwens met die grootse poging.

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RUS IN VREDE

Nie ‘n maaglanding deur hierdie Super Constellation nie, maar net eenvoudig deur sy eienaars, „Trek Airways” ter ruste geplaas en onttakel om plek vir Boeing 707 stralers te maak.

Eens die prag van die hemelruim, het die „Super Star” by Jan Smutslughawe tot rus gekom.

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A RIDDLE?

What is grey, black, white and red with two round eyes and a startled expression? Answer: the butterfly wing design featured in the huge mosaic which was recently erected in the new concourse at Jan Smuts Airport (photo above).

The mosaic was designed by the well-known South African artist, Miss Cecily Sash, who is also a full-time lecturer in fine arts at the University of the Witwatersrand. The Butterfly theme was chosen by Miss Sash herself, as she considers butterflies to be the “most glamorous natural insects to be related with the idea of international travel”. The artist has cleverly abstracted the shape of butterfly wings to form a most pleasing and eye-catching design which certainly adds to the impact of the modern concourse building.

In its entirety the mosaic occupies 780 sq. ft. of wall space and is divided into two sections by a mezzanine floor. Its construction was a mammoth task, the completion of the work requiring full time labour by six workers for a period of 15 months. The actual design took Miss Sash three months to complete. To facilitate the construction of the mosaic the design then had to be divided into 42 separate sections which, when completed, were taken by truck to Jan Smuts. Airport. Workers then spent two weeks joining the sections and erected the finished project.

The first time Miss Sash saw the work completed was when it was erected at the airport.

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B.E.A. WINS HIGH AWARD

British European Airways has won the Queen’s award to industry for its technological achievement in pioneering the development of automatic landing for civil aircraft.

“Autoland,” the system of automatic landing used in the airline’s Trident jets, will eventually lead to B.E.A. aircraft being able to land in nil visibility.

Already nearly 500,000 passengers have been carried in B.E.A. Trident jets which have made landings under auto­matic control.

B.E.A. was the first airline in the world to make an automatic touchdown with passengers – on a Paris/London flight on June 10, 1965.

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THE INVENTION OF THE AIR HOSTESS

In the history of flying, the invention of the air hostess was nearly as crucial as that of the aircraft itself. According to a recent newspaper report a domestic airline in the United States claims it invented hostesses 40 years ago.

Their weighty dossier of evidence names the first stewardess as Miss Ellen Church, a registered nurse from Iowa, who served coffee and sandwiches to passengers on a 13-stop, 125-mile-an-hour flight from Chicago to San Francisco.

Earlier it was the duty of the co-pilot to serve refresh­ments. The man credited with the idea of having someone else on board to take over the chore was Mr. Steven Stimp­son, an execcrtive of the airline who was forced to help out with a little coffee pouring himself on a flight when the co-pilot was busy winding the engine.

Included in the dossier is a copy of his original memor­andum.

He wrote: “It strikes me that there would be a great psychological punch to having young women stewardesses or couriers, or whatever you want to call them . . I have in mind a couple of graduate nurses who would make exceptional stewardesses.

Horse sense.

“Of course it would be distinctly understood that there would be no reference made to their hospital training or nursing experience, but it would be a mighty fine thing to have this available, sub rosa, if necessary either for air sickness or perhaps something else worse …

“I am not suggesting at all the flapper type of girl, or one that would go haywire …

“The average graduate nurse is a girl with some horse sense, and is very practical and has seen enough of men to not be inclined to chase them round the block at every opportunity. Further, as a general rule nurses are not of the pretty type, which adds to their usefulness in this case”.

Undemocratic

Thinking has changed a little since then. Hostesses are now encouraged to be of the pretty type. The prettiest ones, though, are generally assigned to the first-class apartment, which is undemocratic.

There are now 50,000 hostesses charging about the air lanes all over the world, according to the airline. Mr. Stimp­son like all true pioneers, may not have known what he started.

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NUWE INTERNASIONALE VERTREKSAAL­ JAN SMUTSLUGHAWE

Die nuwe internasiona!e vertreksaal op Jan Smutslug­hawe is vir die eerste keer op 1 Mei 1970 in gebruik geneem. Passasiers wat op vlugte na die buiteland vertrek, gaan na die seal nadat inweeg-, paspoort- en doeaneformaliteite vol­tooi is, en bly dan dear totdat huile geroep word om aan boord te gaan.

Ofskoon slegs ‘n tussentydse reëling, is die vroeë be­skikbaarstelling van die seal moontlik gemaak deur die goeie vordering wat met die oprigting van die nuwe eind­puntgebou gemaak word. ‘n Koffiekroeg, doeanevrywinkels en ‘n bloemis sal onder andere in die vertreksaal beskikbaar wees.

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CAROUSEL WITH S.A.A.

Every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evening during the month of May, delighted “travellers” were whisked around the world by an airline called Mod-Dram Productions which operated in “pool partnership” with S.A.A. The head­quarters of Mod-Dram Productions was the hall of the Modderfontein factory of African Explosives and Chemical Industries, and its management consisted of members of the Modderfontein Amateur Dramatic Society.

This year the society had decided to present an evening of cabaret which would take its audience on a”trip” around the world in song and dance. Their first move was to become a”pool partner” of S.A. Airways and this in turn, gave birth to a title for the show “Carousel with S.A.A.”

The main idea behind the show was to let the audience feel that they were airborne on one of S.A.A’s interconti­nental jets and to achieve this effect the producers ap­proached S.A.A. for the necessary “props”. These “props” included S.A.A. cutlery and crockery for serving a meal “aloft” for approximately 250 “passengers” on each “flight”, as well as S.A.A.. uniforms for the “flight stewards” and “travel hostesses” who served the meal during the intervals at each performance.

In addition S.A.A. was asked to provide decor for the creation of an aircraft atmosphere. Part of the decor was a mock-up of an aircraft cabin door, with backdrops and cur­taining, for the main entrance.

Tickets for the show were issued in S.A.A, ticket folders and as the guests arrived at the entrance to the hall they were greeted by two mock Boeing tails placed on top of the building with a floodlit banner announcing the show stretched between them.

The efforts of the 100 or more people involved in the actual production were well rewarded by the fine response of the audience and the complimentary newspaper reviews.

Dignitaries arriving at the show with S.A.A’s theme in evidence.

Mr. N. S. Louw (Commercial Director) and Mrs. Louw, (right front) in company of guests in happy mood at the opening night.

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COMMON INTEREST

The following is the first instalment of an article which we publish in these columns with recognition to the Royal Bank of Canada in whose monthly letter it recently appeared. Members of the staff and especially those who deal directly with the public, should find the information contained in this article both interesting and informative and it is sug­gested that they keep it for easy reference: Complaints made by customers are a source of deep concern to management and of irritation to workers. It is human nature to take offence at a complaint when it is known that everyone from the man or woman at the counter up to the general manager of the firm is striving mightily to see that no preventable cause for grievance is given. But the clumsy handling of one small customer com­plaint by some harassed or frightened clerk may upset the earnest efforts of the whole organisation. Complaints, which may be looked upon as the expres­sion of dissatisfaction or a grievance or something that disturbs a person, are to be taken seriously. Do not let their apparent smallness, from your point of view, cause you to deal with complaints in an off-hand way. The grievance which may be almost invisible to you looms large in the complainant’s eyes. Even if an error can be corrected by nothing more than a little clerical dexterity, do not make it appear petty. Do it in the spirit of attentive service. Nine times out of ten an injury is exaggerated. Often it is imaginary. Sometimes it is fabricated. Nevertheless it must be handled in the best way in the interest of your firm. Why worry, some may say, about the occasional com­plaint when the great majority of customers says nothing? But just as nine-tenths of an iceberg lies under the surface of the sea, so this complaint may be a signal that there is much trouble at hand, though unseen. Smallness of a customer’s business is not a good reason for brushing off his complaint. Everyone who does business with your company feels that his affairs are important, and he is right. Careful handling of his complaint will build loyal support for you, and that is excellent business building. PREVENTING COMPLAINTS Established customers are a firm’s best friends. The most effective way to keep them is to give them no cause for complaint, to establish your firm on that foundation stone of respect and confidence which is best described by the word “dependability”. The ideal way to handle complaints is to prevent thinqs from happening that give rise to grievances, to be careful to give no grounds for a justifiable cause of distress. By thinking of the interest of the customer – a key principle in all business – you are safeguarding also your firm’s interests. Even if you were perfect, you vvould still receive com­plaints, but the nearer to perfection your work is the fewer will be the criticisms, and the better qualified you will be to deal with them. Every worker should know the drill pertaining to his own job, but he should know more than is absolutely neces­sary to his daily work. By understanding the policies of his company and the connection of his department with others, he is able to relate things, to get them into perspective, and this helps enormously in handling problems. He should also learn about customers’ wants and ex­pectations. Satisfied customers are the backbone of business success, but how can we satisfy them unless we know what they want? It is true that people who have a high regard for your firm are likely to be patient, but their long-suffering is not the sort of thing on which to count for future trade or word­of-mouth promotion of your company’s goods or services. Try to sense, before he reaches the point of making a complaint, when a customer is dissatisfied. It is not enough to assure yourself that yog are pursuing a course beneficial to your customer: you need to make it evident to him. Every contact with the customer should make it clear that he is the central figure. Even in this age of thought manipulation there are many old-fashioned people who believe that the best way to keep old customers and win new customers is to give value for money, intelligent service, and personal attention.

What a customer notices most is not your normal efficiency, which he takes for granted, but the extra touch which demonstrates your understanding of him, your genuine interest in his affairs, your willingness to do what is best for him, and your knowledge of how it can be done.

This extra touch is not a uniform put on for the occasion of serving customers, but is your personality, made up of many qualities sincerity, the Golden Rule, knowledge, and developed skill. Some people confuse mere geniality – the “glad hand” approach – with personality. The smile with which a customer is greeted must spring from the worker’s knowledge of the service he is in a position to give, con­fidence in the integrity of his firm, and a feeling of pleasure because he is able to help. Customers who are treated in this way are unlikely to find cause for complaint.

We hope to publish more next month.

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IN ROME

Ons foto toon ‘n voetbalspan van geen geringe status wet deur ons personeel in Rome saamgestel is.

So ver bekend is dit die enigste in sy soort wat dear by ons oorsese personeel bestaan. Die letters „S.A.A.” in blou is op ‘n oranje-kleurige trui aangebring en met ‘n blou broekie sien hulle dear uiters deftig uit.

Hulle sal ook teen spanne van ander lugrederye in Rome meeding en ons wens hul alle sukses daarmee toe.

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