Nicknames

[Montreal Ltd]

There is an amusing topic of train nicknames (LateSureLimited) on the main board, so here are some off topic airline versions. United = Untied Airlines, Air Chance, Air Chaos, PWA = Please Wait Awhile, Doubt Ever Leaves The Airport, CPAir=Can't Predict Arrival. Have fun with the names I left out.

 

[edjbox]

Northworst airlines

 

[SarahZ]

The one I always hear for Delta is Doesn't Ever Leave The Airport. I also like Departing Even Later Than Anticipated and Deliver Everyone's Luggage To Atlanta.

U.S. Scareways is my favorite nickname, though.

AA = American't

 

[railbuck]

U.S. Scareways is my favorite nickname, though.

Also known as USeless Air.

The predecessor of Brussels Airlines, SABENA: Such A Bad Experience, Never Again

 

[Bob Dylan]

The old Allegheny Airways was known as Agony Airlines! ( became US Air)

 

[Palmetto]

Mohawk for upstate New Yorkers was Slohawk.

 

[PRR 60]

US Airways predecessor: Allegheny Airlines - "Agony Air."

US Airways three-letter carrier code USA - Unfortunately Still Allegheny

The official FAA nickname for US Airways was carried over from predecessor American West (based in Phoenix) - "Cactus." Cactus disappeared with the merger with American Airlines.

Regional carrier Republic Airlines, based in Indianapolis, has the official FAA nickname "Brickyard." - get it? Indy 500?

 

[jis]

As for official ICAO nickname - British Airways is Speedbird.

Unofficial nickname for Air France is Air Chance.

 

[MARC Rider]

El Al -- Every Landing Always Late

 

[MARC Rider]

The old Allegheny Airways was known as Agony Airlines! ( became US Air)

Otherwise known as "U.S. Scare."

 

[MARC Rider]

This has been done in other forums:

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/205604/

American Airlines (AA) -- "Always Awful" "Abort! Abort!"

1. A Miracle Each Rider Is Currently Alive Now
2. Airline Meals Eaten Regularly Induces Cramps And Nausea (Remember Airline meals and how we used to complain about them?)

BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corp.):
1. Better- Off On A Camel
2. Bloody, Old And Careless
3. Better On A Camel
4. Blast Off And Crash

BWIA:
1. Baggage Wandering In Africa
2. Better Walk If you're Able
3. Born to Wait In Airports
4. But Will I Arrive?

DELTA:
1. Doesn't Even/ Ever Leave The Airport
2. Don't Even Let Them Aboard
3. Departing Even Later Than Anticipated
4. Damaged Engines Limit Take-off Ability
5. Departures Extra- Late, Tardy Arrivals
6. Directed Everybody's Luggage To Atlanta
7. Doesn't Ever Let Terrorists Aboard
8. Doesn't Experiences Like This Andrenalize?
9. Drunken Engineers Land Too Abruptly EAA:



PAN AM:
1. Plan On Arriving Nervewracked And Mad
2. Passengers Always Need A Mortician
3. Pilots Are Not A Must
4. Poor Airline Needs Any Money

This is just a sample. Some nicknames are not suitable for a family forum.

 

[Montreal Ltd]

LIAT ( Leeward Islands Air Transport) is Leave Islands Any Time. Useless Air is also US Awful. TWA is They Will Aggravate or Try Walking Across. My favourite: Pan Am is Pandemonium World Airways.

 

[edjbox]

which airlines are "Air Chaos" and "PWA"?

 

[Montreal Ltd]

Air Chaos is Air Canada, and PWA was Pacific Western Airlines aka Please Wait Awhile. It was never on time.

 

[edjbox]

Cantinental

TWA = "The Worst Airline"

(heard from others on this back in the 90s)

 

[RSG]

The official FAA nickname for US Airways was carried over from predecessor American West (based in Phoenix) - "Cactus." Cactus disappeared with the merger with American Airlines.

It was actually "America West". Also the airline where once all drinks (even ethyl) were free.

 

[dipalipatil]

TSA - Transportation Security Administration

 

[Palmetto]

ATC has some interesting names for airlines as well. Air Canada Rouge service is called out on the radio as "Rouge xxx"; Express Jet is "Acey" and on it goes.

 

[jis]

British Airways has and before that BOAC had the ATC call sign Speedbird. Pan Am was Clipper AFAIR.

 

[railiner]

Some other ATC nicknames....a medevac or air ambulance flight is called "Lifeguard"...could also apply as a prefix to an airline carrying urgent cargo, such as an organ for transplant.....

The most famous nickname...."Air Force One".....

 

[Bob Dylan]

Some other ATC nicknames....a medevac or air ambulance flight is called "Lifeguard"...could also apply as a prefix to an airline carrying urgent cargo, such as an organ for transplant.....

The most famous nickname...."Air Force One".....

Not to slight the Marines as in "Marine One" being the Presidents Chopper!
When the President isn't aboard the 747 becomes "Flight 27000" unless it's changed since I was in Washington?

Thanks for the update on the Tail Numbers, I guess 27000 is in the Ronnie Raygun Museum in California?

!

 

[the_traveler]

TSA = Thousands Standing Around

 

[Devil's Advocate]

The official FAA nickname for US Airways was carried over from predecessor American West (based in Phoenix) - "Cactus." Cactus disappeared with the merger with American Airlines.

It was actually "America West". Also the airline where once all drinks (even ethyl) were free.

Cactus is such an appropriate name. Prickly attitudes running one of the more dysfunctional US airlines. In my experience every trip on America Worst came with a free technical delay. Unfortunately there were no free cocktails during our six hour wait in PHX.

 

[CCC1007]

Some other ATC nicknames....a medevac or air ambulance flight is called "Lifeguard"...could also apply as a prefix to an airline carrying urgent cargo, such as an organ for transplant.....

The most famous nickname...."Air Force One".....

Not to slight the Marines as in "Marine One" being the Presidents Chopper!
When the President isn't aboard the 747 becomes "Flight 2700" unless it's changed since I was in Washington?

They use the tail number of the aircraft, currently 28000 and 29000.

 

[demelzareveley]

The "Happy" by ATC airlines,Capital Cargo International Airlines (Cappy).