Wow....neat thread.
Too bad you didn't title it just "Memories of defunct Airlines" because I have mixed emotions about some of them.
TWA: probably the first airline I remember flying as a kid way back when. Not even certain what aircraft type it was, but it was definetely TWA and the cabin seating was 3-3. I've always hoped it was a B707 but my parents could never confirm this. Heck, it could have been Convair-990 or B727, for that matter. But not DC-9 as their configuration was 2-3 (though, flown plenty TW DC-9-10 in later years). One one particular TWA flight, I remember being a naughty little boy.....back in those days, FA's handed out these huge vanilla lollipops (yuck) to kids. Well, I took a few licks and was disgusted by the flavor- I dropped the sticky lolipop in between my seat and the window, to only realize that an older couple were staring at my terrible deed (I still kind of feel guilty after all of these years). I fondly remember my first L10-11 trip (straight from the shop)....wow, was that a quiet aircraft to fly in. Loved this airline, through and through.
PanAm: Sighhh.....what can I say? I dug their B727-100 aircraft, despite how loud they were.
Not sure if I ever flew on their B707 or DC-8. Same situation as TW, parents just can't recall. And of course, there was their delightful B747-100. Flew on four different ones from LAX-JFK-ZRH during first visit to Europe. And plenty of B741 trips between LAX and JFK (the days when you could get jumbo jet domestic service. Another sorely missed airline.
Piedmont: I said this elsewhere....I absolutely *hated* this airline. Used it interchangeably with PA when flying MSY/CLT/MIA/JFK....not by choice. They had the dirtiest (filthy seats and floor) and loudest B732 aircraft I have ever heard. It was rather sad since I have always loved the B732. GOOD RIDDENS to Piedmont!
Air Cal: flew them twice, LAX-SJC. Lots of B732 in the fleet. Bright yellow paint scheme. Most that I remember about them was that they were cheap, cheap, cheap.
Republic: I flew them for LGA-MEM. I'll never forget flying on one of their stretch MD-80 aircraft (or maybe it was a DC-9-50) and being ONE of only SEVEN pax aboard that 120+ pax plane. We all knew what happened shortly after that (though, I'm not particularly complaining since I adore the airline that swallowed them up in the 1980s).
Eastern: Wow, so many of you guys loved this airline...sadly, I have mixed feelings. I did like their "hockey-stick" paint scheme with white or silver fuselage. But I remember them always being fashionably late for flights from NYC to MIA.
Braniff: I loved the colorful livery of their B727 and DC-8. I think I flown them three times (clearly remember two trips on their B727 from NYC to Dallas/San Antonio). I liked them.
Can't think of others at the moment but the aforementioned stick out most.
Cheers,
MIKE