After a number of months at Phillips and Drew I became involved with US clients. At this stage in the early eighties US institutions were not Internationally invested. However, as I related in a previous post, they were beginning to start and soon my family would move to America and I would be servicing US institutions locally.
Any way for now one evening I was in wine bar in the City of London. Liz was there and we were meeting with my old friend Ian ‘Thomson” Thomas. He had a red line down his eyeball to mark the damage I had done to him in that fateful match . Rugby was for him in the past but we were still good mates.
His wife, Lynn, worked for Trans World Airlines (TWA) and she was an air hostess, as they were then called. Very pretty she had returned from somewhere hot and was still wearing her uniform. In those days being a member of an airline cabin crew was a very glamorous occupation. Maybe because working conditions were different such that long haul journeys included a 4 or 5 day stop over as normal for the crew!
Anyway I was probably very boring as I started asking Lynn all about her day to day life. She chose to give me some advice that was just gold. If you are checking in for a flight (there were no self check ins in those days) -remember that the check in clark has discretion to upgrade passengers. The basic info was obvious be smart etc. Lynn’s key advice was when you approach the desk first eye contact, accompanied by your best smile. Next ask the person how they are and if they have had a busy day and wait for the response. Then and only then produce your ticket and say something like ‘I am hoping to get to New York tonight am I in the right place?’ When you get on board befriend the aircrew. Don’t be the man who never smiles. Be friendly you will be surprised what happens. I parked the info.
I had told Lynn that the following week I was flying to New York in fact. I had just started a regular habit of visiting New York or Boston, later further afield, seeking out new clients. Lynn suggested I fly TWA and she asked me to let Ian know my flight number. I thought no more of it but the following week, having booked with TWA, I called Ian and let him know.
It was a Monday lunch time when I walked up to the check in desk armed with my new ‘charm offensive’. I followed instructions and the young lady beamed at me and asked me if I would like to fly First Class. Lynn had of course set the whole thing up but she had also shown me ‘the way’ for the future. The TWA Lockheed L1011 First Class cabin had one other person in it. It was a Monday afternoon. I was asked by one of the 3 cabin crew what I would like to be called. Dennis is fine I said. I sat back in a huge seat and the mighty jet began to taxi to the take off area. As we turned on to the runway I remember, as if it was now, the Captain coming on the PA. ‘Heh we are rolling’ cool!
The plane barely taken off I was served my second glass of champagne, still drinking champagne then, the first glass had been on the ground as various goodies were delivered to us, like a proper toilet bag, fully equipped and slippers! Next I had caviar on little biscuits with some chilled Vodka. The main course was a whole Chateaubriand steak with a creamy sauce. The meat was put on a table in the middle of the cabin and carved,I promise. I was asked for my choice of ‘cook’ and some fine red wine was repeatedly poured into my glass as I probably ‘took advantage of the facilities’. Next was a magnificent cheese board washed down with port. OMG time for a snooze. I awoke on final approach to New York feeling a bit ordinary in truth but I had had a taste of the front of the plane and I liked it , I liked it a lot.
Now whilst this is the end of this particular tale I had learned something. My subsequent upgrade record was very good and I may have improved the mood of more than one cabin crew member in my day, which is good. I have tons of flying stories but even to this day I make it my business to be extra friendly to cabin crew and even on Easy Jet it has had its payback.
Before I leave this section on TWA I would like to relate an experience that has stuck with me. The experience caused me to become a big fan of a certain musician and I have enjoyed his music ever since.
I was upstairs in Business class flying back to London on a TWA 747. Smoking was allowed in those days. There were only two or three other passengers in the cabin but as I had two seats to myself I did not give them too much notice at first. A man opposite lit up as soon as the plane was airborne. I could not see him properly unless I turned round which would have been rude. Any way we had our meal and I noticed or heard an American voice decline just about everything he was offered. He did however keep smoking. In the middle of the night I needed a pee and I stood up to in the darkened cabin. The man opposite was smoking of course but with his overhead light illuminating a familiar face. Dark Black glasses a teddy boy brill creamed haircut. I identified him at once Roy Orbison. I woke again several times in the night and there was Roy, awake and smoking. At Heathrow I took my carry on bag (which my son Tom Still uses) and I followed Roy who had all his worldly goods in a single black with white edging ‘duffel bag’. Black polo necked sweater black jacket. I followed expecting a welcoming committee for the great man. But no one was there to meet him. He climbed into the Black cab in front of mine on the rank and lit up. Only the lonely!! I went into the record store in Central London and bought Roy’s greatest Hits album. A very good decision.
Tales of a Life Well Lived 