Transport: Low Level

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About six weeks ago American Airlines got a new advertising agency—Blackett-Sample-Hummert, Inc. Shortly afterward there began to appear in newspapers and magazines large advertisements, decorated with a photograph of an exuberant girl in a bathing suit and captioned rhetorically: Is there a Low-Level Airway through Southern Sunshine to California? "Fortunately" said the advertisement, "the answer is—YES."

The main American Airlines route across the country slants off from Newark southwest through Washington and Memphis to Fort Worth, then skirts the Mexican border and enters Los Angeles from the south. American also has a line from Chicago to Los Angeles through St. Louis and Fort Worth. According to the advertisement, on these runs the average altitude is precisely 1,101 ft., and therefore is the best way to fly to Los Angeles.

To W. A. Patterson, president of United Air Lines, it seemed that Blackett-Sample-Hummert were trying to tell the U. S. flying public that it is not only more comfortable on American Airlines, but safer. It is a custom that no airline ever violates the united front against anti-flying psychology and earthly means of transportation, for if a customer is told that the route of one airline is needlessly risky, instead of taking another airline he may take a train.

Mr. Patterson of United let it rankle for a fortnight, then took a big advertisement in the Chicago Tribune and let American have it. His statement "In behalf of air transportation" was headed by a reproachful question: What are the REAL FACTS about Coast to Coast flying United's facts turned out to be slightly different from American's facts. Mr. Patterson began by pointing out that the Rocky Mountains extend from the Canadian border to the Mexican border, and no U. S. airline can get to California without flying over them. "United," he flatly counter-claimed, "flies fewer miles of mountainous terrain than the currently advertised 'Low Level Route.' Based on a normal airway width the highest point on United is lower than that on the other advertised route.* But," he added hastily, "what of it? United's route has as much sunshine and less annual precipitation, but again—what of it? . . ."

Charles A. Rheinstorm, vice president of American, answered: "It is definitely not true that we have a higher peak on our airway than United has on theirs.'' Mr. Patterson's remark about sunshine hurt Mr. Rheinstorm. "People usually concede that winter weather in the south is better than winter weather in the north, and the only people who are not willing to concede that are the United people."

Obviously this dissension could not continue long in such a tight industry as aviation. Last week President Patterson and President Smith of American had dinner together and talked things over. At the end of the evening they had come to an agreement. The likelihood was that American would stop mentioning the Low Level Route and go back to decently competitive remarks on noncombustible topics like speed, comfort and hostesses.