flying - ilivetotravel's travel log

6 February 2014 by Raul 1 Comment

Many, and I mean, MANY, years ago I had the pleasure of flying Trans-World Airlines, or “TWA“, a now-defunct airline absorbed by a lesser player many years ago. This airline, steeped in aviation history, had an incredible international route system and rivaled the likes of PanAm (and outlasted it by a few years).

I got to fly it only domestically in the U.S. but grew to love it quickly with its friendly flight attendants and the occasional -and welcome- complimentary first class upgrades without having to accumulate a gazillion miles before being treated to a free upgrade… (Much better than airlines these days…) And those flight attendants in first class did pour the wine gleefully and frequently even in short flights. Not in an “I-do-the-first-serving-as-part-of-the-standard-thing” and “maybe-come-by-and-offer-you-a-refill-out-of-obligation-and-more-only-if-you-happen-to-catch-me-or-ring-me”, as many U.S. airlines do today. No, they really just were happy to keep you happy! As a freshly minted 24-year old traveling for business, seeing myself flying high and mightily in a first class seat being poured the wine (or beverage of my choice) freely, I did not pass up the opportunities… (I think back and see myself as a 24-year old wondering what people around me thought; me with my briefcase (no laptops back then!) with my baby face, sitting in first place probably not quite looking like I belonged. I was fortunate to have experiences like that… (but they came with brutal work schedules as I was a grunt in a large management consulting firm…).

So, ex-TWA-ers, if you read this, hats off to you. And that earns you this boarding pass series post. Thanks for the good rides! Miss ya.

Read some more Boarding Pass Series entries!

Headed to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
And Constantinople bound! OK, Istanbul…
Finally, to my hometown airline, looking at the beverage options back in the 1980s with Delta

My Boarding Pass Collection – The Log of My Travels

I have been flying since I was a pup and that is when I first got a boarding pass. However, my first time on a plane was around 3 months old though I do not remember it – or the boarding pass 🙂 Thankfully, that will not happen against thanks to my boarding pass collection!

My earliest travels

My first destination was San Juan, Puerto Rico. I flew again when I was 6 but I do not remember the plane part though I am sure it was exciting for a 6-year old boy to get on a plane (on the flip side, I remember a lot about visiting Disney!). The first flight I actually remember was when I was 8 years old when I flew alone from San Juan, PR to Miami, FL. I remember getting on the plane and running into someone who worked with my Mom. I remember the flight attendant taking care of me. It was an ADVENTURE!!!!!

Eastern Airlines plane ticket cover circa 1982 travel nostalgia flight — Bring any memories?? I flew Eastern almost exclusively for over 15 years as they dominated the SJU-MIA route. Loved their L-1011s!

Since then I have flown countless airlines (over 50), to go a multitude of airports (maybe a hundred or so?), and had my fair share of the good, the bad, and the ugly in terms of inflight experience (talking about both airlines AND fellow passengers…). I have been on airlines that have lasted decades (Delta, Lufthansa, Air France) and on others that disappeared (PanAm, TWA) and on others that are barely a blip in airline history (Kiwi).

Flying has been a part of my life all along and I have the evidence to prove it… A couple of years after traveling weekly for work, I opened a drawer at home and realized I had been dumping boarding passes in it – and had a good collection. So I found a box and continued the habit. To this day. Here is how a sample of my flights looks like – in boarding passes!

Airline, boarding pass, Alitalia, TWA, Lufthansa, Aerolineas Argentinas, boarding pass collection

Airline, boarding pass, flight, Varig, Emirates, Jet, Kiwi, Lufthansa, Delta, British Airways, Austrian Airlines, Air New Zealand, boarding pass collection — Lots of cool airlines traveled. Notice Kiwi on the top left? No, not in New Zealand – I flew it between Newark and Atlanta.

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——————————————————————————————————————-Some of the boarding pass series:

– Christchurch

– Dar es Salaam

– Delta drinks menu

– Denver

– Flying TWA

– Istanbul

– Las Vegas

– Little Rock

Do you have any cool boarding passes? Leave a comment with any that are especially priceless for you! I especially like those from now-defunct airlines. I also like them when they are/were colorful. The boring plain black & white en vogue these days in the name of costs savings really are a big downer for a boarding fan like me. And even the ink used wears out over time. While I appreciate technology innovation and what e-boarding passes allow, I still print mine at the airport to keep adding to my collection. Yep, I live to travel as you have noticed 🙂

I keep mine in wooden boxes that I have bought during my travels or have been given by my Mom from her travels. Once in a blue moon, it’s fun to open one of those small boxes and remember trips from near and far trips!

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