Travel Notes: TWA era comes to an end with merger

It is sad to see the era of TWA come to an end! TWA has had such an interesting history, starting as Transcontinental Air Transport with Charles Lindbergh as one of its initial chairmen.

Within a few years it merged with Western Air Express and became Trans and Western Air, or TWA, convenient for the 1950 corporate name change to Trans World Airlines.

Howard Hughes owned and ruled the airline for 20 years, even though he never held an office or attended a board meeting.

He was said to have loved the airline more than anything he possessed, and he added significantly to the unique history of the operation.

The airline's slogan when Hughes acquired it was "an airline run by fliers."

TWA has managed to survive financial chaos, and three well-publicized crashes, one in 1931 in which Knute Rockne was killed, one in 1942 which claimed the life of Carole Lombard, and the more recent Flight 800 from New York to Paris.

It has survived strikes, highjackings, deregulation, wars, high fuel costs and recessions. A grand chapter of aviation history will close when it ceases operations.

While I am sad to see an era end, I am happy that the "war-torn" employees will survive, as well as the St. Louis Hub.

It is a concern that competition among airlines is dwindling. Their accountability to the consumer will be questionable when they have a market share of 50 percent or more in a particular market, have a market share of 25 percent or more of the total U.S. market, and have a market share of 25 percent or more in two or more major hubs.

The deregulatory dream of air competition is rapidly becoming, again, just a dream.

It is hoped that legislation will be enacted to counterbalance the consolidated airline market power.

In the meantime, how does the bankruptcy effect you, the consumer? You can find the answer to many of your questions by visiting the TWA Web site at www.twa.com/announce/q_a.html.

Flight service and flight schedules will remain the same during the bankruptcy proceedings, which should take several months.

All purchased tickets will be honored, including aviator tickets.

If your tickets are nonrefundable, the same fare rules apply, and they are not eligible for a refund.

If your tickets were refundable before the filing, they are refundable now.

(Linda Strait is president of House of Travel Inc., a full-service travel agency in Springfield.)