What Is Your Favorite Defunct Airline

TrijetsRMissed · Wed Aug 29, 2007 3:23 pm

Three come to mind for me. Pan Am, Eastern, and TWA. Each had great liveries, interesting fleets, and great service. I wish I could go back in time and enjoy the transcon service that was.

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BCAL · Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:54 pm

First choice:

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Photo © Alex Christie

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Photo © AlainDurand

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Photo © Tim Rees

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Photo © Yrjö Mäkelä

Second choice (strangely not yet mentioned in this thread, but they were probably the most popular airline at the time):

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Photo © Bob Logan - PrestwickAviationPhotography

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Photo © Bob Logan - PrestwickAviationPhotography

And fondly remembered:

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Photo © David Oates

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Photo © Baldur Sveinsson

[Edited 2007-08-29 09:57:43]

rw717 · Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:29 pm

These are my two favorites. Both fed me for awhile as a child and as an adult.

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DH106 · Wed Aug 29, 2007 11:18 pm

From the 80's - Spantax and it's smokey 990's around European airports.

BA787 · Thu Aug 30, 2007 1:35 am

Quoting YYZflyer (Reply 7):

Quoting TruemanQLD (Reply 11):
1. Australian Airlines (In proper livery etc)

You mean the orange one? In which case bigthumbsup

Quoting ShannoninAMA (Reply 24):
And My favorite defunct airline's terminal

Forgive my ignorance but is that still around? My knowledge of airports is very low Sad

Mine would probably be BCAL, TWA and Canadian. Swissair was amazing too as was Sabena.

BA787

bok269 · Thu Aug 30, 2007 2:01 am

I don't really remember any defunct carriers.

I might have flown on TWA a few times. They had a great livery and fleet.

When I was born, Pan Am was on final approach for the great big boneyard in the sky (or Mojave).

I did get stuck on a CXS 727 charter. That was a disgrace. A three hour flight from JFK-STT became an all-day affair.

DALelite · Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:40 am

the late Swissair, Crossair, Pan Am and TWA.

DALelite

Viscount724 · Thu Aug 30, 2007 11:23 am

Quoting BCAL (Reply 51):
Second choice (strangely not yet mentioned in this thread,

You missed Reply 14.

n5014k · Sat Sep 01, 2007 10:55 am

Quoting DesertAir (Reply 31):
Quoting EWRandMDW (Reply 13):
Piedmont. A wonderful carrier ruined by USAir.

PSA was an all time great airline. I loved those smileliners. Another airline ruined by US Air.

I agree completely. I still almost feel widowed by the death of Piedmont.

Others:
Western
Ozark
National (the original Florida airline)
North Central/Republic ($15 upgrades)

I miss Braniff as a spotter...not so much as a passenger.

Adam T. · Sat Sep 01, 2007 12:40 pm

Quoting EWRandMDW (Reply 13):
Piedmont. A wonderful carrier ruined by USAir.

Totally agree with you as well. I was a young boy when I flew Piedmont a couple of times between Houston and Charlotte but I do remember them vividly. Living in the Charlotte area Piedmont is still talked about and I think North Carolinians are proud of Piedmont since it was an NC based carrier.

It is definitely missed here in the Charlotte area. Sad

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I often wonder what things would have been like if USAir had not merged with Piedmont and Piedmont was still flying today. What do you guys think? I think it would definitely be on par with Continental in terms of service.

WesternA318 · Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:21 am

Quoting Adam T. (Reply 59):
I think it would definitely be on par with Continental in terms of service.

Probably because Gordon Bethune was an exec there as well, and a lot of the people he brought to CO to help turn things around came from Piedmont.

Heres a few other faves that have flown the A310:

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While not necessarily gone, a wonderful old livery though...

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austinairport · Mon Sep 03, 2007 12:18 pm

Quoting BA787 (Reply 54):
My knowledge of airports is very low

Mine too

fllcontinental · Mon Sep 03, 2007 12:31 pm

For some reason I loved flying Wardair. There was something different about it to me.

dragon-wings · Mon Sep 03, 2007 12:34 pm

National Airlines

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We flew with them a lot when my grandparents lived in Florida. I think i may still have a set of wings the flight attendance gave me.

mdodd · Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:37 pm

Hooters Air!!

They just stopped there service, not to long ago.

austinairport · Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:01 pm

Quoting Mdodd (Reply 64):
Hooters Air!!

They just stopped there service, not to long ago.

Think they stopped scheduled service believe they still do charters.

FlySSC · Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:09 am

This one :
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Photo © Kevin Deane

for everyone on the day they will die !

OK. Seriously :

PanAm, for the legacy legendary name from the good old days :

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Photo © Peter Seemann

SABENA, for their friendly staff

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Photo © Kjell Nilsson

[Edited 2007-09-03 17:20:08]

WesternA318 · Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:07 am

one more...

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alaska737 · Wed Sep 05, 2007 4:42 am

1. Reeve Aleutian
2. Markair
3. Wein Air Alaska
4. TWA
5. Western

andz · Wed Sep 05, 2007 4:52 am

Well... if BCAL is getting a mention I should say that I was lucky enough to fly on one of these.... twice!

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LH648 · Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:48 am

Actually the only airline, which I have flown and which doesn't exist anymore is Air Kazakhstan.

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Photo © Olaf Juergensmeier

Though I cannot say that I miss them Big grin

swissgabe · Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:49 am

Quoting AustinAirport (Thread starter):
Please feel free to share.

No doubt, that would be S W I S S A I R

babybus · Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:52 am

My vote goes to:

British Caledonian Airways

They really were a great way to fly. (I think that was their slogan)

allstarflyer · Thu Sep 06, 2007 6:48 am

Quoting Itsnotfinals (Reply 2):
Independence Air while they lasted. They had friendly staff and a cool brand with the announcements and hot towels on even short flights.

They treated me well (for the most part).

Quoting Itsnotfinals (Reply 2):
their paint scheme was very good too

One of the few things I couldn't stand about the airline. Whoever thought of that and whoever decided on it both need to be thrown in a time-warp prison for a year and be forced to view the worst art from every period in history.

Quoting ExFATboy (Reply 43):
And speaking of carriers ruined by US Air

One might say that Indy was ruined by US Airways via the BK courts.

WesternA318 · Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:45 pm

Quoting Babybus (Reply 72):
My vote goes to:

British Caledonian Airways

They really were a great way to fly. (I think that was their slogan)

I wish they could ALL be caledonian girls!!

Faustino927 · Fri Sep 07, 2007 1:00 am

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I worked for Pan Am as a F/A from 1979 to 1991. I sure miss it.

upperdeckfan · Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:48 am

Going to Europe from CCS on Viasa DC10's is my most missed......

Second but not worst is PANAM, my only rides on a L1011 (LAX-CCS) and on a 741 (JFK-LAX)

shuggie · Fri Sep 07, 2007 4:14 am

Quoting DH106 (Reply 53):
From the 80's - spantax and it's smokey 990's around European airports.

I flew Spantax once when I was a kid, about 1986 I think. I can't really say that I mourn their loss. I swear, the plane was held together with gaffer tape and none of the F/A's spoke english (which is odd given that it was a charter flight for a UK tour operator) Big grin

I flew with Balkan Airways a few years later and that aircraft was only held together by luck.... Silly

NWOrientDC10 · Fri Sep 07, 2007 4:49 am

Quoting A380US (Reply 16):
id have to say TWA

Quoting Isitsafenow (Reply 32):
TWA

Quoting DeltaL1011man (Reply 44):
TWA

Quoting DeltaL1011man (Reply 44):
Western

Quoting Falstaff (Reply 47):
TWA is my favorite

Quoting TrijetsRMissed (Reply 50):
TWA.

Quoting Bok269 (Reply 55):
I might have flown on TWA a few times. They had a great livery and fleet.

Quoting DALelite (Reply 56):
TWA.

Quoting N5014K (Reply 58):
Western

Quoting Alaska737 (Reply 68):
4. TWA
5. Western

TWA is my favorite defunct airline:

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However, Western Airlines comes in second. I also miss "The flying "W"":

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Photo © Bob Harrington - Bobqat Photographs

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Photo © Stefan Sjögren - Stockholm Arlanda Photography

Good Day

Russell

PGNCS · Fri Sep 07, 2007 8:49 am

Piedmont. I miss the Pacemaker.

AussieAMEgirl · Fri Sep 07, 2007 11:17 am

Definately Ansett - but as former staff my opinion is biased

JetJock22 · Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:31 am

Quoting N231YE (Reply 15):
I never flew on them, but the old classics: Pan Am and TWA

TWA was the first airline I ever flew on in the mid 80's and I loved them. The service was fantastic. My very first flight was on a TWA 727-100 or -200 from DAY-STL I believe. I remember having my first inflight meal and it was chicken nuggets. Best nuggets I ever had. I only flew TWA one other time as my family didn't fly often, but whenever my dad flew for business, it was always TWA. I am super excited about us (Jetblue) opening our new terminal and including the TWA terminal in the design. Its too bad airlines today don't offer the service you could find back then. TWA was second to none. They put American to shame and its a cryin shame what American did to them.

planeguy727 · Sun Sep 09, 2007 12:57 am

I flew on, and miss, the following:

Pan Am
TWA
Ansett
TAA (TransAustralia)
Sabena
Eastern
Braniff
New York Air
Independence Air

CanadianNorth · Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:36 am

Quoting YYZflyer (Reply 7):
Without a doubt:

Quoting TruemanQLD (Reply 11):
2. Canadian

Quoting OceansWorld (Reply 19):
Canadian Airlines International

Quoting WestJetYQQ (Reply 20):
Canadian

Quoting FlyboyOz (Reply 41):
Canadian Airlines'

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CanadianNorth

Tango-Bravo · Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:05 am

North Central (NC) is my favorite. It was a MSP-based airline that personified "Minnesota Nice" and offered inflight service that equalled or surpassed their larger counterparts. As I well recall, MSP area residents tended to have a strong preference for NC over other airlines (especially Northwest) in markets where NC had competition.

Republic (RC), which was in reality NC plus their acquisition of Southern Airways (SO) and later Hughes Airwest (RW), continued the same high standard of service set by NC, at least in what had previously been the NC network centered around MSP, MKE, ORD and DTW. By October 1980 (when RW was acquired by RC) Republic had grown to serve more cities in the U.S. than any other carrier and, iirc, had become a member of the new "Big Four" U.S. airlines in passengers carried. All of which, sadly, was short-lived as RC was absorbed by Northwest less than 8 years after the birth of RC in 1979. In a sense, RC has lived on at NW through the still-considerable DC-9 fleet of NW which still carry the same registrations dating back to the days when they flew in the colors of NC, SO, RW and RC.

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MarioSPlane · Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:39 am

Pan Am !!!

My first 747 ride ever ! Clipper Neptune's Car !

Cheers

JRDC930 · Mon Sep 10, 2007 2:11 pm

Quoting JetJock22 (Reply 81):
They put American to shame and its a crying shame what American did to them.

Here Here!, i got to fly on TWA once before they were bought up by that monster of AA, and it was great!. I would also add its a shame what AA did to them and the domestic U.S. flying experience in general. AA... crap on a shingle. I miss TWA Sad

AEROFAN · Sun Sep 23, 2007 5:29 am

Mine was PAN AM!! Great airline

LHRjc · Sun Sep 23, 2007 5:43 am

My vote goes to go. They revolutionised the LCC market in the UK and I used to love flying on them, until they were bought out by U2.

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JC

747400sp · Sun Sep 23, 2007 12:03 pm

Pan AM of course. Smile

Siege2L · Sun Sep 23, 2007 3:06 pm

Interflug - wonderful service from Berlin!!! ( for Europe )

Pan Am - You Can't Beat The Experience. ( for USA )

Smile

HorizonGirl · Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:13 am

There are a lot of defunct airlines that I loved and wish were still flying.
But I miss none of them more that Canada 3000. They were my favourite airline in Canada
when they were in the skies. They had one of the best fleets ever as I see it, and their
crew were always friendly and helpful. The customer service was outstanding.
I still miss seeing that red and gold. Sad

Devon

SkyyMaster · Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:31 am

Quoting EWRandMDW (Reply 13):
Piedmont. A wonderful carrier ruined by USAir.

Quoting DesertAir (Reply 31):
PSA was an all time great airline. I loved those smileliners. Another airline ruined by US Air.

Ditto to both.

My personal picks:

Braniff (before Harding Lawrence killed them)
TWA
Pan Am
Muse Air (flew them numerous times DAL-HOU-DAL, they were great)
National (the original)

shanderawx · Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:22 pm

The line connected with Pucci, the Bishop of Dallas (which blessed them) and the first line I ever flew, MEX-SAT:
BRANIFF!!

shanderawx · Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:25 pm

The line connected with Pucci, the Bishop of Dallas (who blessed the fleet) and the first airline I ever flew, MEX-SAT:
BRANIFF!!

burnsie28 · Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:44 pm

TW followed by Western Pacific.

PRGDLGUY · Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:46 pm

PanAm / Braniff / Western / TWA / Ozark / CP Air / B Cal

AlexPorter · Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:29 pm

Even though they were gone eight years before I was born, I'd have to say North Central because I'm from that part of the country. I wish I had the chance to fly on them to see how they were, like maybe on some classic MSP-Chicago milk run stopping all over the place...

nema · Thu Oct 04, 2007 7:09 pm

i flew Eastern, TWA and Pan Am...all sadly missed. One i didnt fly but admired was Laker.

zrs70 · Fri Oct 05, 2007 3:10 am

Another vote for New York Air. I loved the "Flying Nosh" on the short BOS-NYC flights.

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