Laker
Laker
Laker
Once described by the crews as a means of getting from one party to another...at no expense to the individual!
On a personal level most definitely Laker except that it wouldn't be the same with FAL now residing in heaven.
Within one 24 hour period I travelled back from one party TPA/BGR/LGW just in time to jump on the midday LGW/LAX to another party, inbound to LGW on board had been Judith Chalmers, the 'Wish You were Here Team', Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart (looking worse for wear than I did) and Mike Reid, whilst, with all jumpseats occupied, I repeatedly needed to discreetly retire to a rear toilet during turbulence and landings/take-offs.
On the LGW/LAX, as knackered as I was, I found myself called upon to assist in overpowing a passengers, it took 3 or 4 of us to overpower him and when later questioned by passengers, politely explaining that I was a staff passenger etc. etc. etc. their response was that the fight had been far more interesting to watch than the movie
And as for the night shifts, not many guys can say FAL taught them to drive his Rolls Royce around the, then very narrow, LGW perimeter road whilst under the influence!
As a passenger I'd like to see MALEV back, I only did one round trip with them STN/BUD/ODS/BUD/STN. If one got a seat near to the front of economy then it was in business class config, two of the sectors were on B737's with the other two sectors being on my favoured F70's, PDQ connection on the way out with some time to occupy in BUD on the way back, not much to do if one didn't like pizza as I recall.