Alan Fredericks came to Travel Weekly in
1966 as a reporter. Although he was named managing editor only a
year later, he continued to cover news at the front line, and like
all reporters, he had his share of war
stories.
The oldest
stories of all centered on the ASTA Congress in Athens in 1967.
Alan recalled with amusement how one tour operator saw fit to drop
leaflets from a low-flying aircraft on delegates at the outdoor
opening session.
Since the
government had just fallen to a military coup, the crowd (and
certainly Alan) thought some fool was dropping political leaflets
and maybe risking being shot down over the crowd. It was a relief
to see it was nothing but a sales gimmick. The newly powerful
generals watched the falling leaflets stoically from the stage, as
did the king.
Judging from the retelling,
Alan also enjoyed the drama surrounding ASTAs decision to stage a
board meeting in Beirut and Jerusalem in early 1972. The key
question -- was it safe for a high-profile industry group to go? --
was resolved, and Alan accompanied the board.
But Alan was
sobered when Israeli censors insisted on reading and approving
every dispatch that went out, even reports about such mundane
matters as airline charter rules.
More dramatic,
and uncensored, was Alans report of the bombing that disrupted the
ASTA congress in Manila in 1980.
From Manila, he
reported that Philippine Minister of Tourism Jose Aspiras seemed
inappropriately jocular at a post-midnight press conference. He
suggested a round of drinks for the press, but the journalists were
grim, and Aspiras strained levity fell flat.
Alan was the first to spring into action
when world events impinged upon the travel business, never more so
than when calamities stuck, such as the 1988 downing of Pan Am 103
over Lockerbee, Scotland, and, of course, the terrorist attacks on
9/11.
At the time of
the Pan Am catastrophe, Alan had been editor in chief for 16 years
and seldom took a front-line role, but he was drawn to the story.
He interviewed Susan Wilson, president of Executravel Center in
Syracuse, N.Y., whose agency had booked 43 students on the flight
(35 were aboard). Alan quoted Wilson as saying These were our kids.
They would come into our office and plan their trips. (Jan. 2,
1989) On the 10th anniversary, he reminded his readers that it is
fitting to remember the people on that plane who never had a
chance. (Dec. 16, 1998)
After 9/11, his
columns were often intensely personal: Those of us whose loved ones
were in harms way and survived are most fortunate. ... My son was
at work in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 and got out. It
doesnt diminish the pain we feel for others. But we are grateful to
be among the lucky ones. (Nov. 21, 2001)
Out of the
hundreds of editorials and columns he wrote, it was the personal
ones that elicited the most reader response. He wrote about rushing
to make it home for his daughters 13th birthday, his grandfathers
first flight and being with his wife and mother-in-law when they
found the church in Ireland where his wifes grandmother had been
baptized. He even wrote about the family dog.
Alan deeply
appreciated and even marveled at the travel opportunities his
career had afforded him, and he shared that wonder with
readers.
I begin the most
extraordinary drive of my life, he wrote on Dec. 17, 1992,
describing his travel experience at Mont St. Michel, France. There
is nothing but the abbey, the road, the sand and the sea. The abbey
takes on massive dimensions. My hands tremble. I can barely hold
the wheel.
About Vienna, he
wrote: Young Japanese musicians standing a few hundred feet from an
800-year-old European cathedral, around the corner from a house
where Mozart lived, and playing Brubeck. I knew I would love this
town. (March 31, 1999)
Music was a
constant theme: Even more vivid [than travel photos] is the music
Ive heard, the soundtrack of my travels ... The settings for the
music have included ... perhaps most memorably, the amphitheater at
Caracalla in Rome, where Aida -- the Verdi version, not Elton Johns
-- was performed. (Oct. 19, 2000)
He wrote often of
theater, too: Of all the travel pleasures Ive had over the years,
nothing has given me more joy than my time in Londons West End. ...
I dont think I ever traveled there without sneaking away to see a
play (June 21, 2002). Anyone who tells you who the killer is
in The Mousetrap is no friend. (July 31, 1997)
And on Oct. 23, 2000, he wrote a column that not only
imparted a sense of place but a sense of time: When I was young,
there was no more thrilling sight than to arrive at Yankee Stadium
coming up from Manhattan. I would stand at the front of the train
to watch [the train] emerge from the tunnel into the daylight of
the 161st Street station with the imposing ballpark looming on my
left. ... That sight defined my life for many years, and thinking
about it still gives me a thrill.
Often, he saw in
his role as a columnist an opportunity to observe and
reassure:
The people who
own travel agencies and the people who work in them are remarkably
resilient. (May 11, 1995, after the first caps were
imposed.)
In the midst of
the turmoil ... agencies once again showed the public what they can
do in a time of crisis. (Oct. 4, 2001)
The greatest
danger is that the airlines action will foster the belief that
travel agencies are an endangered species ... retail travel
agencies remain a viable enterprise, [and] this is the time to
shout it from the rooftops. (March 25, 2002, after zero commissions.)
Would the
government require Nordstroms to [post] signs ... that say
Attention shoppers, some products featured in this department may
be available at lower prices in manufacturers outlet stores? (Oct. 24, 2000, when the DOT said airlines
should advise callers their fares may be lower on the
Web.)
Alan also shared
his personal philosophies about business. He was not a fan of
encroaching informality.
If I answered the phone, This is Alan,
most people would wonder what happened to the rest of me. I should
sound as if I came here to work, even if that isnt always the case.
(December 1988)
Im clinging to
the days when businesspeople looked like they meant business. (July 26, 2001, on casual-dress
policies.)
The business
world is in danger of losing the personal touch, not just of
handwritten notes but of phone calls. ... I fear I will soon forget
how to speak and to write in longhand. (March 4, 2002)
He attended ASTA
congresses religiously, missing only when he was ill. After the
congress in 2000, he wrote, The ASTA convention is a rite of
passage in a lifetime that has allowed me to see more of the world
and experience more extraordinary moments than I could ever have
imagined.
Through his
nearly 40 years in this business, most of Alans travels were for
business. Of the 207 [possible] countries, I have set foot, along
with the rest of me, in 36, he wrote in January 2002. I have to put down the TV remote and get
moving.
Alan was the
first to poke fun at himself. Recalling a 1991 trip to Australia,
he wrote in 2000 that, I spend part of a morning on horseback
until my horse gallops off. ... A groom finds me and, by unanimous
vote, the group agrees that I should ride in a Jeep.
Perhaps his
defining characteristic was that Alan was a deeply reflective man.
On Dec. 24, 2001, with 9/11 still fresh in mind, he
wrote, We cant take life for granted anymore. ... Most of us are
lucky. Barring some fate were not aware of, we dont have to worry
about time running out just yet. Nonetheless, this is the time to
behave as if it were. This is the time to express our love and
gratitude to the people who enrich our lives.
I will do that
privately with my family, but I want to express my gratitude to
others here. At the top of my list are
the people with whom I work. ... And right next to them are those
of you who read what we write. ... Without you, we wouldnt be
here.
To contact
the reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail to Nadine Godwin
at [email protected].
Get
More!
For more
details on this article, see:
" In Memoriam: Alan Fredericks,
1934-2005
" Tributes to Alan Fredericks