the old Eastern Airlines Shuttle $25
 

I would have posted this under a miles and points section but there is no listing for Eastern Airlines.

When in college, 40 years ago , we would take the Eastern Airlines shuttle between LGA and Boston. They would have a constant turn around of defunct planes- DC 6’s or Electras, and you would line up and when a plane was filled, they took off. Could come any time and usually didn't have to wait more than an hour.. No baggage service or check in. During the flight the stewardesses would come around and collect your $25 .

Great idea, why don’t they do it now, maybe for fuel/inflation adjusted $50.

The $25 fare in 1973 is around $130 in 2013 dollars.

For starters our friends at the TSA won't allow folks into the sterile area without a ticket.

Maybe I'm wrong about the price. I remember flying to my own college more directly (Worcester,Mass) from NYC for $7 standby

the Shuttle mainly used Lockheed Constellations until the Electras took over circa 1968; there may have been the occasional DC-7, but I don't recall seeing many of those at DCA back in the day ... I'm still occasionally irritated that, in my mid teens, I was unable to convince my parents to let me take a couple hours on a Saturday and use my own money to take a Connie from DCA to LGA and back

those may have been old planes, but they were scarcely "defunct"

I remember flying the Eastern shuttle to DCA and back. They flew every hour and you could buy a ticket on the plane if you were running late. They also guaranteed seats, so that if you arrived in time for the 9 AM shuttle and it was full, they would send it on its way and pull up another plane and add an extra 'section' just like a train.

Era Alaska still flies Q400s between ANC-FAI and other routes without any TSA. Just walk in and board your plane like a bus. You do have to purchase tickets in advance though.

40 years ago it was 1974 and I highly doubt you rode DC-6s and Electras on the Eastern Air-Shuttle at that time. By then it was all 727s. There were never DC-6s, the Connies were long gone and the Electras were used for backup extra sections only until 1972 or 1973.

Basic answer is, less airline competition, increased congestion, and declining demand. As others have pointed out, an "inflation-adjusted" fare of 25 1973 dollars would be a hell of a lot more than $50. Between the high cost (today's walk-up BOS-LGA fare on DL or US is $420), and ATC and ground transport delays, it no longer makes much sense to fly LGA-BOS or LGA-DCA. Amtrak is now the transport volume leader in these city pairs, and Megabus, Bolt, etc. do these trips in about four hours for just a few dollars.

I think if the plane is under a certain size they don't have to do TSA. There are a few very regional airlines out there that operate small turboprops and are TSA-free. And the airports would need to be configured to have gates outside the sterile area to force passengers coming off those flights through TSA for connections.

As I understand it, it has to do with the airline maintaining control over the entire terminal. Seaport Air did this in PDX, BFI, and SAL over the past couple years. I could go from my truck to the plane in 2 minutes, if I was running late, they'd call and ask where I was. If I was extremely late, they'd ask the other passengers if they'd mind waiting for me.

LOVED IT.