Thread: Remember when, when, when....

Remember when
Non-revs carried paper tickets with red ink carbons.

I can remember back in the late 60's writing tickets for 6 hours on an 8 hour graveyard shift.
The tickets were the next day's work. All that red ink getting all over everything and the fun
of 1 diagonal stripe for 50% ID Positive Space and 2 stripes for all other Space Available tickets.
And then the black ink pads with a variety of stamps - Rule 240 - Rule 380 - Involuntary Reroute etc.
Then the Validator with its blue ink ribbon.
Good golly the ticket - check in counter was quite a mess at the end of the day and the wonders
of PT409 cleaner restoring some sense of cleanliness and order.
Those uniform white shirts didn't stay white for very long - but bleach brought satisfaction back.
The gates were even more of a mess with all the detached tickets and the carbon backs open to
rubbing on every surface. Woe be the day working at a non-jetway gate and with rainy weather
there was a Red Sea of ink.
Those were the days !
Then came the carbonless tickets and forms
Remember to press down hard you are making 7 copies of your travel.
So now "What is a ticket?" something intangible with a computer Record Locator (6 digits/letters).
You go to a counter/kiosk and punch in that RL and the machine spits out paper BP (Boarding Pass)
or if a non-rev a Seat Request. It has a bar code on it for baggage check and scanning at the gate.
The TSA scribbles some hireoglyph markings to allow security passage.
Next up voice command to a lapel pin "Beam Me Up" !
"AT LAST NO MORE PAPERWORK" !
AMEN !

"BUT WAIT - There will always be "RED TAPE" !

I like the one about the old couple checking in for a flight and the agent explaining that the kiosk would issue the BP and the confused old couple asking "How did my travel agent put my boarding pass in THAT thing?"

Originally Posted by Migflanker

Remember when
Non-revs carried paper tickets with red ink carbons.

Good ol' scrub passes. Maybe they were called that because agents like RM had to scrub everything?
We had to complete our own but only for Paris and French territories. I found a few in my kitchen drawer a few yrs ago.

Originally Posted by R.M.Anderson

I can remember back in the late 60's writing tickets for 6 hours on an 8 hour graveyard shift.
The tickets were the next day's work. All that red ink getting all over everything and the fun
of 1 diagonal stripe for 50% ID Positive Space and 2 stripes for all other Space Available tickets.
And then the black ink pads with a variety of stamps - Rule 240 - Rule 380 - Involuntary Reroute etc.
Then the Validator with its blue ink ribbon.
Good golly the ticket - check in counter was quite a mess at the end of the day and the wonders
of PT409 cleaner restoring some sense of cleanliness and order....

So in the battle of red carbon copies, the secret weapon was 409, who knew.

Remember -
Airline city ticket offices and ticket counters in hotel lobbies.
The CTOs were always situated in clusters “downtown”, ticket counters near a great bar and they all had desk top airplane models on the counters - AA, TWA, UA, Pam Am, DL, BA. -
not only convenient but the agents knew all the best places to eat.


My favorite spots for reissues
Honolulu - Ala Moana Shopping Center -
London -Piccadilly/ Victoria Station
NYC- Word Trade Center

Originally Posted by Migflanker

Remember when
Non-revs carried paper tickets with red ink carbons.

Wow, that is a blast from the past. I do remember those days.