In the archive I have a momento from my father's first airline flight, on American Airlines, from New York to Detroit during World War II. He saved up a couple of months pay to fly home on a short leave.
My first airline flight was on Eastern Airlines, from Detroit to Tampa. I flew down to help my grandmother drive home. I flew Eastern a few times in the late 70's. I was in Atlanta changing planes from Delta to KLM, when Eastern shut down.
I flew Continental once. It did not go well. The flight changed destinations during a stopover in Cleveland, resulting in a long wait. The return flight was messed up by weather.
I flew TWA once. My first consulting trip for the largest aging organization in the USA, to Sacramento with changes in St. Louis. TWA had already announced merger with American Airlines.
I flew Northwest a few times, it was not a good option from Lexington as they only had a couple of flights a day, and if anything went wrong it could take days to get rescheduled.
US-Air, was largely the same as Northwest from Lexington. When I moved to DC, I started using US-Air a lot more, lots of flight options from National. My bookmark for American Airlines, still says US-Air.
What long gone airlines have you flown?
When I was a wee-one we flew Pan-Am twice. I can still vividly remember how glamorous the stewardess looked. I believe they were the first airline to fly international and developed the computerized reservation systems.
ReplyDeleteI still have a flight bag a stewardess gave me as a memento. I always travel with it to this day as my toiletries bag.
Delta should hire you to design new flight uniforms
DeleteA large mainly domestic private airline here called Ansett. It went broke.
ReplyDeleteTiger Airways, bought by another company and closed down.
Virgin Australia went broke with nothing for shareholders, but was revived by an American capital group. Branson has a 5% stake.
I expect there are more.
Virgin America was sold to Alaska, the US has weird rules on foreign ownership of airlines, he had to sell majority control
DeleteFun to think about. Off the top of my head: TWA, PanAm, Northwest, Continental, BOAC, US Air, Midway... Wow.
ReplyDeleteYou have been around
DeleteI distinctly remember PanAm, and know that every time I took a Continental flight it was delayed or late.
ReplyDeleteThey used to say Delta stood for Doesn't Ever Leave The Airport, but I've had very good flights on Delta.
My answer to what airline to fly, is the one with the most flights from your home airport. Smaller cities have more challenges.
DeleteGee... TWA and Northwest, USAir and US Airways (even though they still exist as American and American really doesn't exist anymore) Olympic (or are they still going?) Alitalia (belly-up only recently). I think that's it.
ReplyDeleteAlitalia, real food
DeleteAny airline I've ever flown on is still here and operating, insofar as I know, unless Air Italia has FINALLY gone bankrupt.
ReplyDeleteMaybe airlines going bust is an American thing
DeleteMy very first flight was on TWA from St. Louis to Phoenix to visit friends (before I moved to AZ). When I worked in St. Louis for 2 years, I used TWA almost all the time. Then my job moved to Chicago and it was U S Air that I switched to. Locally I flew America West before U S Air. Having traveled for work for over 6 years, I've flown quite a lot.
ReplyDeleteAmerican West was the best thing that ever happened to USAir
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