Zrs70 From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 2872 posts, RR: 10 Posted (6 years 8 months 3 weeks 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 2006 times:
I was looking back at my old timetables. (Always so interesting).
Of note in the mid '80's:
UA had five BOS-ORD flights, all on DC-10's.
UA had 5 BDL-ORD flights, two of which were on DC-10's.
One daily BDL-BOS- (SFO) DC-10 flight.
MHT was experimental. A couple of flights to ORD via BTV or ALB. MHT used the old brick terminal (with ground level jetways).
PVD had a trio of ORD flights.
PWM's ORD service was via BTV, ALB, or BGR.
BatonOps From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 724 posts, RR: 4 Reply 1, posted (6 years 8 months 3 weeks 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 1982 times:
Didn't HVN have service to ORD with 737's? during the 80s'?
ChrisNH From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 3804 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (6 years 8 months 3 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 1930 times:
The whole thing with United back then makes for an interesting story. Historians will recall that United Airlines, back in the early 1980s, was locked in battle with the other two trunk carriers, TWA and AA. As a way to provide some differentiation, United launched their '50 States' campaign, where they became the only carrier with mainline service to all 50 States. Of course, having a presence in Hawaii was important because I'm not sure either AA or TWA was serving the 50th State in 1983.
Anyway, United had to find one city in each state it didn't serve. That meant Manchester, New Hampshire and Portland, Maine (I think Bangor came later, but not sure, and I believe that Burlington, Vermont was already being served...but again, not sure).
MHT was an experiment...a means to an end (the '50 States' campaign). But it became quite a successful station on its own. The initial flights routed through PVD/ALB/SYR/BTV from time to time, but it was quickly clear that MHT could support its own flights. Two flights turned into four, and 737s turned into 727-200s. United even had 3x daily 737-200s and 737-300s between MHT and IAD, when they had a hub there. That was in the early 1990s. I flew many, many times out of that old terminal...and from the new one when it debuted in 1994. Rarely were the flights less than half-full, and many times they were oversold (particularly coming back from ORD).
The epilog to all of this is that PWM and BGR are gone, while MHT will be fielding its 4x mainline flights as they have all along. Next month, two of those four daily flights will use 757s. So much credit is due to United for largely staying the course at MHT. These days, mainline service is yanked without a second thought. Kudos to United for seeing that MHT is a valuable station on its own, able to support flights independent of its proximity to Boston.
Avatordon From United States of America, joined May 2006, 239 posts, RR: 4 Reply 3, posted (6 years 8 months 3 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 1812 times:
There was also a BDL-LAX nonstop w/a DC-8! Those were the days!
Zrs70 From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 2872 posts, RR: 10 Reply 4, posted (6 years 8 months 3 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 1791 times:
Chris,
The PWM service pre-existed the MHT service by a few years. IIRC, Wilmigton, DE was added at the same time at MHT to complete the "First to all 50" campaign.
Tcttx From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 218 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (6 years 8 months 3 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 1781 times:
And when UA wasn't flying BDL-LAX nonstop, or BDL-BOS-LAX, UA had 727-200 BDL-MCI-LAX. And some 737-200s BDL-CLE.
FWIW, UA operated some of its BDL-ORD flights in the 70s w/ 747s!
Navairjax From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 6, posted (6 years 8 months 3 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 1766 times:
My first flight was a UA DC10 BOS-ORD in 1984. Since then I've taken that routing at least a dozen times and my only other time on a widebody was the return from that trip on a 762.
Wow that brings back memories. I remember seeing UA's planes parked outside all the time. 727's are all I saw. I actually liked that old terminal. I flew on CO and US quite frequently out of there. My sister flew to EWR nonstop on Eastern Express one year....that was cool. My parents took me for dinner at the 60's deco restaurant upstairs...way cool!
Jamake1 From United States of America, joined May 2004, 894 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (6 years 8 months 3 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 1647 times:
I believe the BTV (Burlington, VT) started in 1983 as well. I took United to BTV right after the service started. The flights were operated with 727-100 and 737-200's and were tag-ons from ORD-SYR. BTV, like MHT, was able to hold its own, and flights later became non-stop to ORD on 727-200's. Although, BTV is down to just one mainline flight per day, it is a very lucrative station for United. They carry a significant number of 1K's and Premiers into and out of BTV. It was a shame to lose mainline at PWM. What a great little town it was to layover in. I loved bringing home fresh live Maine lobsters...
Uadc8contrail From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 1782 posts, RR: 10 Reply 9, posted (6 years 8 months 3 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 1641 times:
back in the late 80s...my family and i would fly to btv from ord and it usually and i remember that the btv ord started in pwm...sometimes we didnt know if we were going to get on the btv-ord leg as non revs....how times have changed...now its basically rjs to btv vs the 722s that i remember...and usually full at that....
ChrisNH From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 3804 posts, RR: 2 Reply 10, posted (6 years 8 months 3 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1589 times:
Quoting Zrs70 (Reply 4): The PWM service pre-existed the MHT service by a few years.
Are you sure? Maybe someone with earlier OAGs can confirm. I thought MHT/PWM/BGR all came around the same time (i.e. within months of each other).
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