AIRLINES: Take the Plaque, Not the Plane

Under a yellow-and-white-striped tent at the Harrisburg (Pa.) International Airport last week, 120 guests of American Airlines, including Miss Pennsylvania, sipped champagne as a band played Happy Days Are Here Again. The occasion was American's bubbly celebration of its new service between Harrisburg and Chicago. The highlight of the festivities was the presentation of a plaque to the first passenger booked on the maiden flight. The winner: Ron Rearick, 43, of Bellevue, Wash., who accepted the award and then gave his hosts a shock that flattened the champagne. He presented surprised officials with a copy of his book, Iceman, in...