Question RE: Bigger Jets For Airlines Of The 80s — Civil Aviation Forum

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Question RE: Bigger Jets For Airlines Of The 80s

B727fan From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 292 posts, RR: 0
Posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 1884 times:

So here we were all gathered around on Christmas Eve, and of course politics somehow gets into our discussions. My cousin insists that we were better off in the 80s, and he used the airline industry as an example! Bigger Jets etc...as one the basis of his argument!
That made me think of a question and that is:
How were airlines profitable (those who are still around) utilizing "bigger jets" on routes that are served with small express jets these days?
Must be something in the eggnog Wink ! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all santahat

5 replies: All unread, jump to last

Swmdal From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 36 posts, RR: 0
Reply 1, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 1825 times:

Quoting B727fan (Thread starter):
How were airlines profitable (those who are still around) utilizing "bigger jets" on routes that are served with small express jets these days?

Less competition from LCC's back then is probably one factor.

It reminds me of those 1960s cigarette ads, "Which do you want, good grammar or good taste?" only it would be "Which do you want, DC-10s or low fares?"

Stratosphere From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 1622 posts, RR: 3
Reply 2, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 1707 times:

Quoting Swmdal (Reply 1):
Less competition from LCC's back then is probably one factor.

Well even coast to coast flights in the 80's used to be DC-10's or L1011's or even 767's now it is A319's and 737's for the most part.

NWA THE TRUE EVIL EMPIRE

JBo From Sweden, joined Jan 2005, 2281 posts, RR: 0
Reply 3, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 1684 times:

Back in the '80s any new competition following deregulation was still fledgling.

What we see today is partly the result of the increased competition that sprang up during the 1980s and '90s.

I'd take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day.

Ikramerica From United States of America, joined May 2005, 21043 posts, RR: 60
Reply 4, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 1593 times:

Quoting Stratosphere (Reply 2):
Quoting Swmdal (Reply 1):
Less competition from LCC's back then is probably one factor.

Well even coast to coast flights in the 80's used to be DC-10's or L1011's or even 767's now it is A319's and 737's for the most part.

but with less frequency. And load factors were low.

How did airlines make money? Most went bankrupt! Ah, the good old days.

Of all the things to worry about... the Wookie has no pants.

Highflier92660 From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 596 posts, RR: 0
Reply 5, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 1494 times:

There probably was something to be said about the comforts of air travel pre-Alfred Kahn. Cities like Cleveland, Ohio had wide body DC-10 service to the west coast and passengers from Boston to California back in the 70's never had to experience technical stops enroute for additional fuel in the winter; TWAs L-1011 could cover BOS-LAX at .83 mach without breathing hard.

Since regulation, as opposed to de-regulation, meant the airlines competed primarily in service rather than pricing, First Class passengers back then were treated to "personal sprawl space" and wined and dined with gourmet meals aboard transcontinental Boeing 747s. Today there are probably some evil airline bean counters who are devising a method of transferring all mainline jets to higher yield international service and creating all regional jet (excuse the oxymoron) domestic service using airline employees at fast food salaries. Evil bean counters mental note: do an end around the scope clause with 50 passenger jets and call to see if Embraer can come up with an ERJ-145 XXLR for the transcontinental routes.

devil

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