Jackbr From Australia, joined Dec 2009, 652 posts, RR: 0 Posted (3 years 1 month 3 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 3976 times:
With the 1960's being the golden age of air travel, transatlantic flights from the United States to Europe had to be among the most luxurious flights of the time.
Which airlines were the most popular, and which were considered the best?
Pan American, TWA, BOAC, Air France, KLM, Alitalia, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, Sabena all come to mind as some of the main players
sandroZRH From Switzerland, joined Feb 2007, 3382 posts, RR: 51 Reply 1, posted (3 years 1 month 3 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 3895 times:
Quoting Jackbr (Thread starter): Pan American, TWA, BOAC, Air France, KLM, Alitalia, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, Sabena all come to mind as some of the main players
normie999 From United Kingdom, joined May 2009, 137 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (3 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 3197 times:
Loftleiðir Icelandic Airlines deserves a mention - the original low-fares airline. Perhaps not the best, most popular or luxurious, but certainly the cheapest.
isitsafenow From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 4984 posts, RR: 26 Reply 4, posted (3 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 2957 times:
I would guess the top five in no special order would be:
Pan American
Trans World
BOAC
Air France
Lufthansa
also in the hunt would be:
Iberia
Sabena
KLM
Alitalia
SAS
Swissair
Aer Lingus
Icelandic
Air India
El Al
I would guess the lists would be at least 97 percent of Trans-Atlantic traffic in pax carried in the early 60's
safe
If two people agree on EVERYTHING, then one isn't necessary.
adriaticflight From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2004, 493 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (3 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 2914 times:
Quoting isitsafenow (Reply 4): I would guess the lists would be at least 97 percent of Trans-Atlantic traffic in pax carried in the early 60's
safe
maybe not 97%...
there were many more airlines that flew transatlantic in the 1960s
JAT - Yugoslav Airlines flew from Belgrade and Zagreb to America and Candad (as well as Cuba on charter flights) from
Aeroflot had flights
TAP started flights to New York in 1969 via Santa Maria in the Azores
Tarom had adhoc transatlantic flights in the 1960s and regular flights form 1974
Olympic started flights to New York in 1966
CSA airlines had transatlantic flights in the 1960s too.
isitsafenow From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 4984 posts, RR: 26 Reply 6, posted (3 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 2891 times:
Im sticking to 97%plus. My time mode is 63 or 64 when above carriers all had jets on the trans-Atlantic route.....except Icelandic.
They were using large turboprops.....I think Vanguards but not sure.
MILESRICH and VISCOUNT 724.....help!
safe
If two people agree on EVERYTHING, then one isn't necessary.
comorin From United States of America, joined May 2005, 4670 posts, RR: 17 Reply 8, posted (3 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 2790 times:
I believe Air India International was once voted Best Airline across the Atlantic in the 60's. It was also the world's first all-jet (B707) airline. Anybody have any details?
747400sp From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3301 posts, RR: 2 Reply 9, posted (3 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 2786 times:
Pan Am
TWA
BOAC ( I still do not like BA, but BOAC was cool)
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21460 posts, RR: 24 Reply 10, posted (3 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 2783 times:
Quoting Macsog6 (Reply 2): Pan Am was the best IMHO. Flew several of them on the 50's and 60's and always liked Pan Am better than the others.
Pan Am was average to good, but I never considered them as among the very best. I thought TWA was better than Pan Am. Swissair was excellent, also Lufthansa and Air France. If you include Canada, Canadian Pacific/CP Air had among the best inflight service of all.
Quoting Jackbr (Reply 7): Should add - Qantas flew transatlantic, however I do not know if they flew passengers between LHR and JFK
Yes QF had 5th freedom rights LHR-JFK until they dropped transatlantic service about the time the 707 was replaced by the 747 on US routes. They could also carry passenngers LHR-SFO and LHR-HNL. They operated LHR-JFK-SFO-HNL-NAN-SYD in those days, first with the L-1049G Super Constellation and then the 707. They of course couldn't carry passengers on the domestic sectors except their own international passengers who could stopover in the US and continue on another QF flight.
Quoting isitsafenow (Reply 6): My time mode is 63 or 64 when above carriers all had jets on the trans-Atlantic route.....except Icelandic.
They were using large turboprops.....I think Vanguards but not sure.
Icelandic used the Canadair CL-44, based on the Bristol Britannia with a stretched fuselage and R-R Tyne engines. It also had cockpit windows adapted from those on the Convair 880/990 as the US FAA wouldn't certifiy the aircraft with the original Britannia windows for some reason. Convair's parent company, General Dynamics, then owned Canadair. The CL-44s built for the Canadian Air Force retained the Britannia cockpit section and windows. For a while their CL-44s were the largest passenger aircraft operating scheduled transatlantic routes. The Vanguard wasn't used on the Atlantic. It would have needed one or two fuel stops.
Sponsor Message: 
From Australia, joined Dec 2009, 652 posts, 
From Switzerland, joined Feb 2007, 3382 posts, 
From Singapore, joined Jan 2010, 471 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined May 2009, 137 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 4984 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
