AmericanAirlines, and the new design :|

AmericanAirlines new logo ...its going to take me a while to get use to this one... 

I remember reading, in AmericanAirlines magazine, one benefit to Not painting the plane (leaving it that polished silver) was it made the plane lighter, (one doesn't realize How much paint it takes to cover a plane and the weight it adds to the body). American Airlines had a classic, simple sweet design I grew up with, and liked it. 

Without fully painting the planes, American Airlines stood out a little extra from other airlines. Painting them over now, for me, makes them blend back into what most other planes look like; not stand out as much with that reflection of the bare metal.

image take from:  airlinereporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/AAlivery.jpg

Other airlines have wrapped their design around, center it nicely, or do something else to make it look complete. The flag design on the tail here, just ending flat at the base, makes it look unfinished to me.

I'm also curious, how much Delta Airlines' redesign influenced American Airlines', because it reminds me of Delta now, except the flag design on American Airlines is straightened out. Delta image taken from: http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2012/10/08/delta-adds-seattle-routes-to-shanghai.html?page=all

I understand, American Airlines spent a lot of time, energy and money into updating it's brand. Had they went around the USA, and showed the design in public groups, the final design might have came out a little bit different. Interesting to read the comments at the end of the YouTube video.

image from: http://www.inc.com/erik-sherman/what-killed-american-airlines-could-kill-you.html

There was something classic, simple sweet to the look of the previous design, and time will tell peoples' reaction to to the new one. We'll just get use to the new design I imagine, but it's going to take me a while to get use to new look of AmericanAirlines.

*2 extra points if you realized this blog was done in Helvetica font and why :)

Improvement Possible at Baggage Claim

You arrive at the airport, show your ID, get your ticket, seat, and if you are checking in a bag, attached to your luggage is a bag tag, with a matching sticker to the back of your boarding pass. The current Bag tag has a long number, that matches the suitcase to the traveler. 

Most airports I have traveled through, people get off their flight, go to baggage claim, grab their bag(s) and leave. Domestic flights, there may be a friend or relative waiting with the arriving traveler at baggage claims to help yang that 50 pounder off; International flights, lucky enough to get through customs before the bag is pulled off & in that God awful pile to the side of the carousel. Side tangent: I find it funny, sometimes annoying, that mass huddled up under the beginning of the carousel, waiting like an old woman with a card at the Bingo hall (but again, many just want to get their bag(s) and leave the airport), no checking by security.

So here is the issue: What's to stop someone else from grabbing your bag?

Jan 7th, 2013, a news report came out on a group that was stealing bags at baggage claim, and some were quick to jump on the "ya see! public transportation brings crime" nonsense, when they made their get away via the light rail here in Portland, OR. Thankfully, many others understand this is an issue occurring everywhere, regardless of what mode of transit criminals get away on.

The issue: people want their bags, but may not like waiting in a long line, for TSA to match that traditional long number sticker stuck to their ticket and their bags, proving it's theirs. Everyone also, think I can safely say, hates when their bag hasn't arrived. I believe Security Improvement Are Possible at Baggage Claim, starting with that long sticker number.

Let's say, the average flight carries one hundred people, each with 2-3 bags, (that's 200-300 potential checked-in bags per flight). The barcode on the bag tag is for workers & machines behind the scene, but I propose, changing that sticker ticket agent put onto your bag (and the back of your boarding pass) to look like the following (to the right):

If your bag is the 284th bag to be checked in for a flight, that becomes a large, clear to read number on that sticker, which is placed on your bag at check-in. By adding the date, flight number and passenger's name, even on large, overseas flights, that would help keep that "check in number" in the 3 digit range, allowing it to remain in a large font size. 

Yes, we would have to go back to TSA agents checking to ensure that bag belongs to That passenger before leaving the airport, but this Larger number (on the sticker) could make it faster for TSA Agents to match passengers to their bags, let them leave and be one more step in deterring bag thieves at the airport.

Fry your own chips

I could go to the store, buy a bag of chips; already flavored, just rip open and munch, but got into making my own. 

I bought 80 tortilla rounds today, cost me $3.08 from Walmart. Cut three rounds at a time in half, then those halves into thirds, (so each tortilla gave m6 6 chips).

Heat some oil up to 300*F. (Used Canola Oil, cause it was there, but use whatever is ya fancy). Chips in the oil, fry till they were golden brown. Took about 2-4 minutes on each batch. 


I did 18 rounds, cut and fried in sets of 3 rounds. 18 rounds x 6 (that I cut out of each round) = 108 chips). If you want to go further.

$3.08 / 80 rounds = 0.03 cents a tortilla... 6 chips (which can be cut out each round) = 0.006 cents a chip... times by 108 chips (that I made) = .69 cents for this whole batch... & I still have a ton for another time. 

So why go through all a this? Its fresh, cheap, know what I'm eating, & can flavor them how I want. 

This is just my 2 cents on the matter. Go buy your chips if ya want, but this is my option. Can be something fun with the family, or have some friends over and hang around the kitchen before a show.