Jackbr From Australia, joined Dec 2009, 652 posts, RR: 0 Posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 4076 times:
In the golden-age 1960's, Western Airlines covered fairly wide ground, serving Canada and Mexico from cities in the Western United States, and to MSP. The airline invented the "flub stub", a coupon for $1 given to passengers for things such as not getting the seat requested, and even if airline personnel, ground or in the air, don't great them with a friendly smile! Although the airline was no where near as large as the likes of UA TW etc (not sure of the fleet size?), this suggests it had VERY high service standards to match that of Continental. Have any members had any experiences with Western Airlines at the time?
In addition, it had a beautiful livery at the time.
474218 From United States of America, joined Oct 2005, 6340 posts, RR: 10 Reply 1, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 4031 times:
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21498 posts, RR: 24 Reply 2, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 4029 times:
Quoting Jackbr (Thread starter): Have any members had any experiences with Western Airlines at the time?
I flew on Western quite a few times from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s. I flew on almost all major U.S. airlines during those years and I would rank Western among the 3 or 4 best for inflight service, along with TWA, Continental and Braniff.
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 2): I flew on Western quite a few times from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s. I flew on almost all major U.S. airlines during those years and I would rank Western among the 3 or 4 best for inflight service, along with TWA, Continental and Braniff.
I'm sure most people would agree with that ranking. I've heard on the other thread regarding Continental that United, and I've seperately been told, Delta were among the "worst" at the time
g4lasramper From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 170 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 3889 times:
I rode Western quite a few times in the '60s - L.188s, LAX - LAS and back, and LAX - SAC - RNO and back. Also one trip LAX - LAS on a B-720B (which then flew on to MSP) all for family visits. In the '70s it was LAS - MSP (I believe it was another 720B) then on to YWG (on a NW 727) for work in Canada. My last trip with them was in 1986, LAX - YVR on a DC-10 for a visit to the Expo, and back on a 727. Lots of happy memories associated with flying on Western.
The first VP of MX I worked for at G4 was a former Western MX exec. He said Western's fleet at its biggest was around 54 tails or so.
"A pig that doesn't fly is just a pig." - Porco Rosso
Tango-Bravo From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 3725 posts, RR: 31 Reply 5, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 3849 times:
Another advertising slogan of Western c. late 1960s was "you get three feet for your two legs" ...in coach. They also had "champagne flights" as well as a "Hunt Breakfast" on select flights...they seemed to be more creative and imaginative than their larger competitors with regard to inflight service and marketing.
Western also added what became two of their most profitable destinations to their route network in the 1960s; Hawaii (HNL) in 1969 by way of a CAB route award after ~10 years of prolonged proceedings, Alaska (KTN, JNU, ANC, ADQ and several smaller cities) starting in 1967 when Western acquired Pacific Northern Airlines. In another of Western's key city-pairs, LAX-MSP, non-stop service commenced in October 1966; the most direct routing between these cities had previously been via SLC.
An interesting "did ya' know..." about Western in the 1960s was how they acquired their first pure-jet aircraft in 1960, a pair of 707-139s...which had been built for Cubana but not delivered due to fallout from the 'la revolucion' led by Fidel Castro...and were available for immediate lease...and were leased by Western until their own 720-047Bs began arriving in 1962. Initially the 707s were used on Western's SEA-PDX-SFO-LAX corridor, their most important route at the time...in competition with United's newly-arrived DC-8-11s.
474218 From United States of America, joined Oct 2005, 6340 posts, RR: 10 Reply 6, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 3695 times:
Back in the 1960's when, I was in the Air Force, I would to fly Western Electra's, BUR-SAC. I remember when they changed to 727's the trip would take 15 minutes longer.
mayor From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 9201 posts, RR: 14 Reply 7, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 3631 times:
In the 70s and 80s, Delta ranked at or near the top in the customer satisfaction rankings and I would imagine that it would have been the same in the 60s, as Mr. Woolman was still alive and wouldn't allow DL to be "the worst".
"A committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling, to do the unnecessary"----Fred Allen
NetjetsINTL From United States of America, joined Jul 2009, 593 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 3620 times:
I remember Western being big on the U.S-Mexico
didn't a Western DC10 land on the wrong runway at MEX??? or was it some other airline??
BigGSFO From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 2755 posts, RR: 7 Reply 9, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 3609 times:
Quoting NetjetsINTL (Reply 8): didn't a Western DC10 land on the wrong runway at MEX??? or was it some other airline??
I miss Western Airlines although their eventual network would have been ripe to be acquired whether it was Delta or someone else. I also remember their London service: nonstop from Denver and Anchorage (thru service from HNL). They also ran an LAX-MIA-FLL/NAS for awhile too.
zmatt1 From United States of America, joined Jul 2002, 44 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 3593 times:
I worked for Western from 1968-1977 in SFO and PDX. Not only great for the customer but a wonderful outfit to be a part of. Some of the best days of my life.
Type-Rated From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 4355 posts, RR: 20 Reply 11, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 3503 times:
I used to see their 707's at MSP and always wanted to give them a try. But I never got the chance. I did have some relatives in MSP that used to fly them to LAX and said they were very nice to fly on.
Fly North Central Airlines..The route of the Northliners!
SANFan From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 4721 posts, RR: 15 Reply 12, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 3469 times:
I have lots of memories of "Wally's World" -- most of them good -- although I don't recall a lot of absolutely exceptional service on board. (Of course in those days there at least WAS service -- good, bad, or indifferent -- as compared to, say, today!)
WA did serve SAN very well and it is fun to remember the gradual transition at Lindbergh Field from the old pistons, to the neat Electras, and finally the 720-Bs, 707-320Bs, 727s and Fat Alberts, and of course, the DC-10s. We had Mexico City and Honolulu flights from Western and toward the end, even on-line connections to London, Miami and the Bahamas!
They were a big part of the Western US's aviation history and it was a sad day when they were absorbed by Delta.
ozark1 From United States of America, joined Mar 2006, 208 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 3090 times:
I flew as a kid on a Western Electra from Salt Lake to Butte with stops in Pocatello, Idaho Falls and West Yellowstone. It was so bumpy they gave us our snack on the ground in West Yellowstone. To me the second "indian head" livery, the white and red one that came on with the B-720 order is the most beautiful of any airline. Especially the way the letters are spread apart!
W E S T E R N
BigGSFO From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 2755 posts, RR: 7 Reply 14, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 3020 times:
Quoting Tango-Bravo (Reply 5): An interesting "did ya' know..." about Western in the 1960s was how they acquired their first pure-jet aircraft in 1960, a pair of 707-139s...which had been built for Cubana but not delivered due to fallout from the 'la revolucion' led by Fidel Castro...and were available for immediate lease...and were leased by Western until their own 720-047Bs began arriving in 1962. Initially the 707s were used on Western's SEA-PDX-SFO-LAX corridor, their most important route at the time...in competition with United's newly-arrived DC-8-11s.
After Western, Boeing sold the 2 "Cubana" 707s to Pan Am. Pan Am converted them to -139Bs with JT3D turbofans. The first one (N778PA at Pan Am) was retired by Pan Am in 1974 and then went on to operate for many other carriers, often on short-term leases. The second one (N779PA) was written off in a non-fatal landing overrun into the water at JFK in 1964.
There's a photo and detailed history of N778PA in the following page (16th photo from the top). Also several photos of Western 720Bs, Boeing's "hot-rod" then. Taking off in a 720B, especially on a short flight, was the closest thing to a rocket launch in those years. http://www.air-and-space.com/Boeing_Early_Quad_Jets.htm
DesertAir From Mexico, joined Jan 2006, 1389 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 2642 times:
Quoting NetjetsINTL (Reply 8): I remember Western being big on the U.S-Mexico
I flew on Western from LAX to MEX in the mid 80´s on one of their DC-10s. The service was great. I was sorry to see them gobbled up like PSA and AirCal. Alaska seems like the only airline from the West that has survived.
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