How it is, how it was, how it should be. Your Spite Attendants came across two rather interesting books we feel might be of interest to Aircomplane.com readers. Take a look…
First, try Flying Across America: The Airline Passenger Experience by Daniel L. Rust.
Two sections from the book’s description on Amazon.com make us ache for a more civilized time in air travel: “Americans who now endure the inconveniences of crowded airports, packed airplanes, and missed connections might not realize that flying was once an elegant, exhilarating adventure. In this colorful history, Daniel L. Rust traces the evolution of commercial air travel from the first transcontinental expeditions of the 1920s through the luxurious airline environments of the 1960s to the more hectic, fatiguing experiences of flying in the post-9/11 era.” and “Prior to the 1980s, Americans dressed for air travel in their formal best and enjoyed such luxurious onboard amenities as delicious meals and ample cabin space. What made air travel glamorous, however, also made it more expensive… Rust’s narrative brims with firsthand accounts from such celebrities as Will Rogers as well as from ordinary Americans. Enlivened by more than one hundred illustrations, including vintage brochures, posters, and photographs, Flying Across America reminds today’s airline passengers of what they have gained–and what they have lost–in the transcontinental flying experience.”
Second, and who didn’t see this coming, is How To Complain For Fun And Profit: The Best Guide Ever To Writing Complaint Letters. by Bruce Silverman.
According to the author’s description on Amazon.com, “Bruce Silverman is one of America’s best known and well respected marketing-communication executives. A broad-view strategist, he is probably the only advertising agency executive who ever served as creative director of a top five agency who went on to head one of the largest media planning and buying shops in the world.”
And here’s a brief description of the book from the same site: “When you’re ready to scream, “I’ve had it up to here and I’m not going to take it anymore,” you’re ready for How to Complain for Fun and Profit, the best guide ever to how to write complaint letters to airlines, hotels, merchants, manufacturers and more. Yes, you’ll learn how to vent your spleen. But much more importantly, Bruce Silverman will teach you how to get something back for your troubles – everything from free airline tickets, luxury hotel suites and south sea cruises to thousands of dollars in cash! Silverman ingeniously – and sometimes hilariously – shares the techniques he’s developed over the past 20 years as the ‘King of Complainers;’ you’ll never feel powerless again!”
Both books are available from Amazon.com. Direct links to them are off to the right and down near the bottom on the home page of Aircomplane.com. Enjoy.
