Live from DFW: A Plane Pull with @AmericanAir and US Airways
American and US Airways got together today at DFW to host a “Let Us Compete, Together” rally for employees of both airlines.
The main event was a plane pulling competition: 20 teams of 20 American Airlines and US Airways employees and guests competed to see who could pull a 50 ton Airbus A319 a total of 15 feet the fastest.
The @AmericanAir social team invited me to come out and have lunch with the Twitter team and watch the jet pull contest. They even invited me join their team and help pull the plane!
The jet pull contest is a 10 year tradition at US Airways. Each year employee teams from across the airline get together in Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Phoenix to compete and raise money for United Way.
The communications folks at both airlines thought it would be a great idea to bring employees from both companies together and have a joint plane pull to highlight the advantages of a merger. A member of the @AmericanAir team described it as “a great example of sharing traditions”.
As it turned out, it was also an opportunity to demonstrate that when working together their employees become stronger competitors: a joint team of American and US Airways ramp employees won the jet pull contest.
The Festivities
The South end of Terminal C was shut down at Gate 35 and turned into a ‘midway’. Booths were set up to allow visitors to learn about employee groups and organizations, to highlight charitable giving and philanthropic opportunities, and to give away prizes in raffles and drawings.
Outside on the tarmac, a tent was set up and employees and guests were served hamburgers and hotdogs.
The Merger Burger was tasty!
Obligatory cookie photo!
Beverage of Champions: lots of water and Red Bull on hand!
I ran into oneworld RTW award expert, and blogger, Destination David!
The Competition
Here are several members of the @AmericanAir team posing for a photo before their turn to pull the plane.
Here they are pulling the A-319. They managed to do it in a respectable 5.9 seconds!
Here’s the winning team of American and US Airways employees pulling together (I would have suspected it was rigged if I hadn’t been on a pull team myself. I can tell you that the AA/US combo team won fair and square!)
They won with 4.464 seconds!
Here’s John McDonald, the Vice President of Corporate Communications at US Airways, awarding the trophy.
The winners: a photo of the team pulling for a #newAmerican.
My hope is that after pulling a plane 15 feet, 0.284090909091 percent of an AAdvantage Mile will post to my account.
Thanks to the @AmericanAir team for inviting me to today’s event!
