The Hindu Business Line : Common man flying

His Air Deccan has had its fair share of detractors. Then there was a fire in one of the first flights that tried to take off. Yet he gritted his teeth and kept flying, at really low rates. Then came the Airbus aircraft and the big deal he signed for more of them and suddenly people began to accept he was there to stay. Ad guys must love him. He accepts ads on the body of the aircraft, on the hand luggage bin covers, on the headrests and anywhere there is space. SUN (not the TV channel) and NDTV (the TV channel) have their names painted all over his aircraft.

And now for the coup. R.K.Laxman's common man will be the airline's mascot. What wonderfully apt imagery for someone who has promised to make everyone "simply-fly."

And for those who think the Common Man is walking away from The Times of India along with half the best staff, we must add that the Common Man cartoon that has graced the pages of the old lady of Bori Bundar will continue to reign supreme in its normal pride of place.

Yet one can be excused for thinking that The Times of India is going to get some free advertising on the Air Deccan livery. After all, everyone relates Laxman's common man to the Times Group. It's like "when you see Laxman's common man, think of us."

To be fair to the Times, it is not as though it ignored Laxman's common man (it could only be accused of ignoring the real common man in favour of the Pg. 3 people). It used him to launch new editions, on mementoes, and so on. Now all that will have to stop. They can't be seen as giving Air Deccan a free ride.

The son rises

Talking about airlines, people in Mumbai are looking forward to the Pg. 3 reply to Gopinath's Air Deccan. I am referring to Kingfisher Airlines. The lovely bird with bright plumage should be airborne by the time you read this piece. With lovely birds on board, we are told. The air hostesses are supposed to bring back the romance of flying. Well, coffee, tea or me?

No, we are just kidding. Though that was the name of a best-selling novel about air hostesses. We are told that the politically correct way to address them is `flight stewardesses,' not air hostesses. Incidentally, the date of the launch of the Kingfisher airlines was not set by corporate honchos or astrologers. It was just the birthday of Vijay Mallya's son (yes, him with the fashionably spiky hair). Now that's what we call a fantastic birthday present. Well, since we have an inkling as to how launch dates are set, we are dying to know when Jeh Wadia's airline will fly. Some are betting it will be when he gets engaged to Preity Zinta. Gossip! Never believe it. Always read it.

Midday Express

Tarique Ansari of the Midday has announced combined advertising rates with the Indian Express Mumbai. He says that Indian Express gets a lot of tender notice advertising which the Midday does not. And the Midday gets a lot of retail business that the Express does not.

Well, welcome to the new-look Midday. Skip the classifieds, skip the tender notices and you will have all of four pages to read. Now think of how the Indian Express will look with its fabled political commentary wrapped around tender notices and little retail ads. Maybe Tarique has a secret deal with DN&A. (Just kidding, of course!).

Kaan

The Radio Mirchi Kaan man of the year is undoubtedly Prasoon Joshi. His radio commercials won him rich dividends and also brought back some of the shine the "Thanda matlab coca cola" man appeared to be losing. After all, you Kaan't keep a good man down. Way to go, Prasoon!

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