On the Right

Moscow, May 18—From time to time, like any other responsible citizen, I vouchsafe my suggestions to the nation’s airlines. This occasional act of patriotism, it occurred to me after the meal I was served aboard Eastern Airlines the other day flying from New York to Jacksonville, is overdue. My mother taught me not to put things off, so after eating that meal, or rather trying to, I dispatched there and then a little note to the president of Eastern, advising him that I had just been served the worst meal in thirty years of flying, congratulating him on this extraordinary achievement, and suggesting he might want to send a note to the world almanacs to register the day, the hour and the flight number.

Eastern is capable of being responsive in these matters. I remember a few years ago, flying to Miami, and asking the stewardess for a glass of wine with my lunch. She responded that Eastern didn’t serve wine on flights to Miami, but if I would fly their flight to Mexico, I would be given wine to drink. I told her I could think of less convoluted ways of getting wine to drink than flying to Mexico, and I dropped a note to the president of Eastern, who replied that the firm’s policy was not to serve wine on flights that lasted less than three hours. That struck me as a challenge, and for many months thereafter, flying to Miami, I would drop postcards to the president (of Eastern), describing the pleasures of the wine aboard National Airlines. Some months later, a messenger from Eastern arrived with a most enormous basket of fruit, delicacies and wines, on which was attached a note from the president, saying simply, and rather sweetly I thought, “I surrender.” It is only disappointing to me that the menus on Eastern to Miami do not list, “Wine, compliments of Mr. Buckley.”

About the Author

William F. Buckley Jr.

William F. Buckley Jr. founded National Review magazine in 1955.

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Moscow, May 18—From time to time, like any other responsible citizen, I vouchsafe my suggestions to the nation’s airlines. This occasional act of patriotism, it occurred to me after the meal I was served aboard Eastern Airlines the other day flying from New York to Jacksonville, is overdue. My mother taught me not to put things off, so after eating that meal, or rather trying to, I dispatched there and then a little note to the president of Eastern, advising him that I had just been served the worst meal in thirty years of flying, congratulating him on this extraordinary achievement, and suggesting he might want to send a note to the world almanacs to register the day, the hour and the flight number.

Eastern is capable of being responsive in these matters. I remember a few years ago, flying to Miami, and asking the stewardess for a glass of wine with my lunch. She responded that Eastern didn’t serve wine on flights to Miami, but if I would fly their flight to Mexico, I would be given wine to drink. I told her I could think of less convoluted ways of getting wine to drink than flying to Mexico, and I dropped a note to the president of Eastern, who replied that the firm’s policy was not to serve wine on flights that lasted less than three hours. That struck me as a challenge, and for many months thereafter, flying to Miami, I would drop postcards to the president (of Eastern), describing the pleasures of the wine aboard National Airlines. Some months later, a messenger from Eastern arrived with a most enormous basket of fruit, delicacies and wines, on which was attached a note from the president, saying simply, and rather sweetly I thought, “I surrender.” It is only disappointing to me that the menus on Eastern to Miami do not list, “Wine, compliments of Mr. Buckley.”