Wives Welcome

One big thing that keeps men out of airplanes is fear. Another is their wives' fear. Last fortnight United Air Lines' West Coast manager, Stephen Augustus Stimp-son--who introduced stewardesses to the flying public--decided to try to do some-thing about wives' fear. A survey revealed that "36% of wives do not want their husbands to fly, primarily because they themselves have never flown; many have never visited an airport; most have never seen a plane newer than 1929's trimotored Ford." California papers carried United's "very special invitation to wives whose husbands like to fly--you are invited to accompany your husband on his next flight between San Francisco and Los Angeles as a guest of United Air Lines."* Last week U. A. L.'s paid travel over the 345-mile airline jumped 20% as 172 wives took guest rides. This week United Air Lines and T. W. A. are getting together to offer free trips, good for 30 days, to wives accompanying husbands on any schedule of the Chicago-Newark route.

*American Airlines last week offered complimentary rides up to April 1 from Newark to Albany, Buffalo, Boston or Washington to wives accompanying holders of air-travel cards (yearly fare contracts requiring deposits), to enable wives "to learn at first hand how entirely safe you are when you travel by air." Promptly 48 wives accepted American's invitation.

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