[StewartKidd1]

Yes, even when they had computers, they very rarely spotted this trick. I used to have about four or five Air UK return tickets on the go at any one time to allow me to do day trips from STN to EDI, GLA, ABZ and AMS.

[canucklad]

Remember the seat selection processat check-in–with the mock up of the aircraft and each seat represented by a sticky representation of the seat attached to your boarding card–and ticket wallets !!

[Papillion53]

You guys make me laugh with your tricks …. LOL! And even more so when I now realise you’re all a lot older than I thought you were! Hahahahahahahaha! LOL!

Concorde pulled up right outside our lounge at LHR years ago, oh the excitement! Lovely memory! Sadly we were not flying on her (are aircraft like ships, referred to as she?????)

[AMcWhirter]

LuganoPirate – you remind me of what used to be termed “cross border ticketing.” It was possible in the days of paper tickets and when airline systems were relatively unsophisticated.

You mention ZRH-DXB but I remember in the late 70s when the UK pound was weak that French biz travellers would use the same ruse to book AF Concorde tickets from UK-based agents. The UK pound price was considerably cheaper than the French Franc price.

BA also suffered from cross ticketing. In the early 80s when the pound was overvalued, it was tempting to book BA Concorde tickets in places like Italy and then not use the first coupon.

Worried about revenue losses, BA stationed “revenue protection” officials at Heathrow T3 (note that T4 did not open until 1986). Check-in agents, who spotted a ‘suspicious’ ticket would alert the official who would then question the passenger. Of course, some travellers got away with it but if you were caught with a cross border ticket you would either have to pay the higher ex-UK are or be denied boarding.

[StewartKidd1]

Canuck indeed, but at the old ABZ when you did an airport check-in in (Lloyd Loom chairs, magazines and flowers on the table) it was a chalk board and they rubbed out the seat numbers as they were allocated. When you left the terminal (!) it was a 5 yard walk to a little wooden fence with a gate and the Viscount was waiting 10 yards from that. When there was foot and mouth in 1967 you had to walk through a bath of disinfectant before boarding and on arrival.

[TiredOldHack]

@LondonCity – sounds a bit like the airlines objecting now when you start your journey in AMS to take advantage of the cheaper biz class fares.

I know I’ve thrown away one ‘useless’ return flight to AMS before….

[AMcWhirter]

TiredOldHack – Exactly. The difference then was that IATA was more in control of setting airline fares so the differentials were down to currency values.

Today the differentials tend to be market-driven with BA (via LHR) having to match those lower fares fares out of mainland Europe if it wants to participate in the long-haul market (out of mainland Europe).

[canucklad]

Another blast from the past….KLM advertising their high tech clean air DC-9’s ……You could smpke on the right hand side in the row of 3 but the non-smoking side was the left with the row of 2 …… The ad showed the sight of people breathing clean fresh air on the right and a smokey right right enjoying a puff with the middle air being sucked efficiently into the vents….I was a bemused 12 yr old who still had to endure inhaling posh people smoking Peter Sturyvent ? and not so posh people puffing on Winston’s ?

[StewartKidd1]

On Saudia flights in the 70’s the port side was non-smoking for the length of the cabin….

[TiredOldHack]

@canucklad – Peter Stuyvesant.

Wasn’t it Rothmans that used to advertise their pack of cigarettes placed next to the arm of what was obviously a senior airline pilot? Gold rings and that on the sleeve….

[StewartKidd1]

Your international passport to smoking pleasure…

[esselle]

Hi TiredOldHack

You are correct, it was Rothmans; one hand was casually draped over the wheel of what was either an E-type, or an Aston.

[TiredOldHack]

Lord. And I thought I was the only sad bar-steward with a memory for this sort of ephemera.

[esselle]

It made me switch from Bennies to Rothmans, even though I didn’t actually like them!

[Shearer]

I remember as a travel agent getting into trouble with BA for issuing “back to back” tickets. They threatened to remove our ticketing plate. Even producing tickets that BA ticket desk at GLA airport had issued to the passenger – giving them the idea in the first place – mattered not a jot.

So much easier to do from GLA, EDI and ABZ where the other ticket could be issued on BD. It’s still a great way to save on “day return” fares.

[Author]

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