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Originally Posted by Stripe
(Post 13390776)
I flew them many times out of EWR. For a twenty-something living in NYC on a shoestring they were a great value. A few memories...
What did PE in was (1) too rapid expansion, which led to unreliable operations, and (2) targeted competitive pricing by the majors. PE was pretty much a flat-price deal, while the likes of AA could offer the same prices on paper, for a full service flight, albeit with more restrictions. My very first flight on CO was paid for with a PE bump voucher.
Originally Posted by grobma
(Post 13400318)
Jeez, what memories. I flew PE out of EWR a lot in my late teens - early 20's, primarily to visit friends for the weekend. My favorite memories:
* I think the reason I love EWR Term C so much is that I remember the North Terminal so well. Dante's Inferno, indeed. * The fare collection cart. Can you imagine compared to today? Yes, they did take CCs but, obviously, no authorization possible. And it wasn't because we were in mid-air. I think that was still back in the time when CC issuers provided retailers with a monthly booklet of invalid numbers. They got one from AMEX, one from MC/VISA, one from Diners, etc. I remember having to check them when I worked at a gas station as a teenager. But then again, back then most people paid cash. * They weren't FAs. PE was the first to call them "Customer Service Representatives" * PE CSRs had a sense of humor, not unlike WN. I remember one making an announcement about not smoking in the lav. "Any customers found smoking in the lavatory while in flight will be asked to leave the plane immediately." When we were diverted to Baltimore because of fog at EWR (closest alternative airport that they served at the time), the two CSRs did a stand-up routine while we were waiting on the ground and then conducted a trivia game with peanut packs as prizes (yes, back in the day when they still served peanuts on board). Quickest 4 hour ground delay in my life. * For a trip to Syracuse, my flight was $19 but my rental car was $25/day. And a couple of trips on the Flying Nosh, too, (IIRC, they flew out of HPN to DCA or IAD). I much preferred the Nosh to People Express, but sometimes PEX fit the bill. My business travel was on the majors, but personal flights on some of the others. The rapid overexpansion became a B-school case study: somewhere out there is a computer program simulation of People Express. When I did my B-school work in the mid 90's that simulation program was part of our course work in strategic growth. I probably still have a copy somewhere, don't know whether it'll run on modern operating systems..... (I think it's still available for purchase, but I haven't bothered to google it). |
My first flight was on PE. BDL-EWR-MIA. Snow in BDL, flight cancelled, barely got on next flight. Nervous during take off, then level off and I am thinking flying is ok. After 10 minutes we start to decend and I am thinking oh no. I learned you aren't level very long on a 116 mile flight.
EWR-MIA on a 727. There was a spill while loading fuel, so F/A's started serving beverages while we were on the ground. Nice elderly woman decided to join my friend and myself in a JD & coke. She poured the whole JD into her cup, and next thing we hear is that we need to finish our drinks as we have been cleared to depart. She knocked it right down and slept the whole flight. Also remember when friends used to wait for the day when they could book their school break buf-ewr flights. |
Vague recollection of PE. Surprise destination
I have a vague recollection of a promotion on PE. For something cheap (like 10-20 bucks) you could travel to a mystery destination. You show up at the airport and they would put you on a plane. Always standby last seat available type thing. It was limited to certain days of the week as well.
If memory serves right (and it never does) Europe was also included in the promotion. You had to be a student and under 21 or something like that to take advantage. They appealed to adventure seeking college students (like me) Anybody remember that? |
I've got fond memories (really) of PeopleExpress. I used to fly them all the time when I lived in NYC and for a while in Bergen County (don't blame me, my ex thought it was a good idea to move closer to Paramus Park).
Had a job where I needed to go to LA several times a year, and sometimes did F on PE for the price of Y on UA, and got work to pay for it. Also once the ex (upon becoming such) decided to move to Boca, I did a lot of EWR-PBI trips on the cheap to see my kids every 3-4 weeks. As I recall, PEX is also the reason CO had a Denver hub (and should have kept it!) PEX had purchased Frontier (the original Frontier, not F9/Republic) so suddenly had a hub at Stapleton. PEX started selling through fares connecting to Frontier at DEN, and we took a couple through there to Sacramento and similar Frontier destinations that PEX didn't serve directly. It was weird paying for it though, I think we still had to pay part of it onboard PEX and had a regular flight coupon for the Frontier connection. Probably had more miles/points come into my original 1987 OnePass account from PEX than I did from EA. The PEX acquisition/shenanigans by Lorenzo is the only reason I started flying CO. As far as the boarding process... not so different from WN:D |
Originally Posted by MarkXS
(Post 13404264)
As I recall, PEX is also the reason CO had a Denver hub (and should have kept it!) PEX had purchased Frontier (the original Frontier, not F9/Republic) so suddenly had a hub at Stapleton. PEX started selling through fares connecting to Frontier at DEN, and we took a couple through there to Sacramento and similar Frontier destinations that PEX didn't serve directly. It was weird paying for it though, I think we still had to pay part of it onboard PEX and had a regular flight coupon for the Frontier connection.
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Wow! Great thread...My parents and I were discussing PE last night over dinnner. The first (and only) airlines I ever flew from the time I was 6 till 12 years old were Peoples Express and World Airways...We moved to New Jersey in 1984 from San Francisco and I would fly back to CA every few months to visit my Dad...My Stepfather told the story last night of how he and my mom would consistently book flights from EWR to MIA for $89RT and once got bumped on eight consecutive legs...Back then the compensation was a RT anywhere PE flew...They accounted for a whopping 16 RT tickets which they used for EWR-SFO flights for our family visits back home.
I too remember incidents of police awaiting passengers at the gate in SFO who did not pay for their flight onboard. Many times I was an unaccompanied minor and the sight of the police waiting at the gate to arrest numerous (sometimes 5 or 6 passengers) was such a surreal experience. |
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