I was quite the celebrity this past week as I traveled to and from and around the West Coast. Bill Noonan, our experience-laden new vice president of the western region, and I flew up to San Francisco (SFO) on Wednesday night on United (one of GT’s award winners). We were flying out of the United concourse, from gate 75, and I suggested we check out the first-class lounge. As all the international flights were leaving slightly later than us, the lounge was completely empty.

We were able to chat about the industry with UAL Global Services Manager Rebecca Frazier. Rebecca is a warm, wonderful person who welcomed all the lounge guests as if they were entering her home. She also told us how valuable the placement of Global Traveler is to guests who frequently read GT in the lounge or take the lounge copies with them on their trips around the world.

Bill and I settled down with a cocktail and discussed the day’s meetings while working on proposals in the comfort of the lounge prior to our San Francisco-bound flight.

On my return east, I flew Continental Airlines‘ red-eye flight on Friday. I got to the airport at about 8:15 p.m. and passed the time before my departure at the Presidents Club Lounge. There I also had fun talks with the managers on duty, who were thrilled to meet me, as Global Traveler is a must-read for their guests. GT was prominently displayed on their shelves and was the only business-focused publication for lounge guests.

Global Traveler’s lounge placement is only a fraction of our circulation, but I feel it is important. With placements in Delta Sky Clubs, Continental President Clubs and United Red Carpet Clubs and first-class lounges — as well as a host of others — GT really reaches out to business travelers. I was treated like a real VIP, not because of me but because of the magazine.

Just so you know where you can get your GT fix while traveling, you can always find us in the following lounges: Air France, Alitalia, Asiana, Continental, Delta, EVA, Finnair, Korean Air, KLM, Kuwait Airlines, Lufthansa, Royal Suites, SAS, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Turkish Airlines, United, USAirways and Virgin. Some are placed system-wide, while others are in selected lounges. Enjoy reading GT!

Display of  Global Traveler in United’s LAX lounge.

– Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO

This entry was posted on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 10:09 am and is filed under California, Business Trips, First Class, Magazines, Airport Lounges, Staff, Airlines, Airports, Opinion, Fran's Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.