Airline changes over the years?
 

I'm curious to hear your thoughts how airlines have changed over the years.

I took my first flights in 1990 as a young teen. First one was on US Air. It was long ... 5.5 hours from PIT to LAX, but fun. They kept us well watered and well fed. Even got ice cream snacks in Y!

Second flights were on Delta. My wrestling team was invited to a tournament over in Hawaii. So we went from PIT-HNL. Full meals in Y on every flight. Chicken or steak? Even on the 12:30am flight from LAX to ATL had a nice meal. Both airlines charged $1 to watch a movie.

Things started changing in the mid 90's as I got older. Flew DL mostly, but NW and TWA started getting into the mix ... whoever was cheapest for a poor college student. Movie prices went up, as expected, meals were rarer but still available. More often than not, they were replaced by a "snack" but was a still a sandwich. Except for short flights, you at least got something of substance.

Late 90's and 2000 had this scaled back. Still something on flights over 2 hours. CO seemed to have food more than any other airlines.

9/11 hits. Airlines have problems, and in-flight services drop next to nothing. Movies are still there as a cash cow (UA seems to be the only one I've flown that still doesn't charge), but you either get nothing, or food for purchase. CO still has sandwiches on 2+ hour flights. Food only only on transcons. I asked DL in an email right after 9/11 if we'd ever see food again and they said we would, but money was being allocated for security purposes. It never came back.

I'm curious as to what you more seasoned travelers have experienced. I've only flown in F once, and that was luck thanks to NW canning a flight and I got F when UA got me out of there.

What I'd like to know, as back in the day when the airline at least appeared to profitable, why airlines could offer more services and still make money, vs. now they can't?

At least to me, it seems like the "big guys" are trying to be like the LCCs, yet charge more. (I know that's changing as SW can charge more than UA, et all at times). Or at least they used to. I mean, when I've been on an LCC, my expectations have generally been low, but that's because the flights were cheap. So are the regular joes turning to companies like SW and Jet Blue because "if they're not going to get the extra service, why should they pay for it" mentality?

I'm really curious as to your experiences. :)

Thanks,

Super

What does Air Namibia have to do with domestic US flights? :confused:

IME, in-flight service varies hugely across airlines and regions. A friend of mine flew Easyjet for about 4 hours (LTN-ATH) and the BOB menu consisted of Pringles and some other silly thing like that! OTOH you could get a full First-class service (3 class config) on an Asian flight of this length....It all comes down to competition

My bad. I was meaning Southwest.

The very first flight I ever took was when I was 11 in 1979 and it was a red eye LAX-IAD 707-320B (was suppose to be a DC-10 but they were grounded because of the ORD crash). I remember we got a snack tray with meats and cheeses when we took off (my first experience with wax covered cheese - lol) and then breakfast before arrival.

HP used to have free booze on all flights back in the day. It was a big deal having the "new" overhead tv monitors down the center ceiling of some 733's for their IFE back in the late 80's.

I remember USAir after they took over PSA served breakfast on short flights, even LAX-PHX!

These are just a few of my memories.

Nowadays you're lucky to get anything "free" for food. Some IFE is inclusive, some isn't depending on the airline. Lots of things have changed since I started flying thats for sure. I cant imagine someone that's been flying for 30+ years, the changes they have seen and such.

Yeah, I remember getting pancakes and eggs on a DL flight from ATL-PIT. PIT CVG still got you a nice muffin and fruit. Not bad considering the flight was barely an hour.

I also remember on that first USAir flight they even in Y they were offering OJ or wine as a preflight drink.

I remember getting coloring books and crayons from the FAs on EWR-LGW flights as a little kid, haven't seen those in a while. Probably because I look too old to be given a coloring book, not because no airlines have them anymore. ;)

When I started flying on my usual airlines, food and drinks were free, even in economy, although you had to pay to watch the movie.

Now the movies (a dozen or more channels) are free in economy. The food and drinks are also still free. I don't accept the free colouring books and games any more, though; I think I've grown out of them.

Oh, one other difference? These airlines used to be state-subsidised. Now they stand on their own two commercial feet, even through 11.09.01 and SARS.

Ah, Globaliser, you are therefore doubtless speaking about airlines in the Free World rather than in the USA :)

The first flight I remember taking (really my second flight) was in 1974, when I was 4. It was on Eastern AVP-ATL-MCO, and the FA gave me a set of wings and a little plastic airplane. I kept those souvenirs for years, but I think my mom eventually threw them out. I also used to collect airline playing cards. The last set I have was from a Pan-Am flight I took in 1986.

Oh yea! I forgot about the inflight playing cards some carriers handed out. Never got any of my own but I do remember them passing them out if you wanted them on the first AA flight of mine.

Do airlines even have wings to hand out to kids anymore?

I've seen Wings and Coloring books handed out within the past year on CO.

I took my first flight back in the late '50s. I was a very small child, but clearly remember the roar of the propellers, curtains on the windows, and an open overhead rack with cloth netting, as opposed to enclosed bins.

In 1968, I remember that people still dressed up to fly, even in coach. Took a trip to Europe as a teenager with my parents, and I remember shopping for the sports jacket and tie I would wear for the flight.

In the 80s (which is probably the last time I truly enjoyed an in-flight experience), I remember flying transcon red-eyes in emptry 747s. We'd all select an empty row, put up the arm rests and stretch out. Ahhhh!

My first F experience was in the mid-80s on a TWA transcon, in a L1011 (I miss those planes). I was handed a menu with at least half-a-dozen entrees. I ordered lamb chops. The FA asked me, "How would you like them cooked"? It turns out they had a true galley in the downstairs hold. I also remember a wonderful ice cream sundae cart -- hot butterscotch or hot chocolate toppings, along with your choice of whipped cream, nuts and all sorts of other goodies. Hmmmm!

In the early 80s, I remember IFE that consisted of a _projected_ motion picture. The film was kept on a continuous strip and circulated throughout the entire aircraft. You could stand at the back of a wide body and see all the screens, each one about 20 seconds behind the screen in front of it.

However, IMHO, the biggest change is the dramatic degradation of passenger courtesy and consideration. I can't track exactly when the shift started to occur, but I definitely do not recall the rudeness, selfishness and obnoxiousness which characterizes so many pax today in the 80s.

I remember getting the wings.

The cards rocked. I know I had a few DL decks, and I think a USAir one. Does anybody give those out anymore?

Gee, am I really this old? Back in the 70's, Continental had a bar/lounge area on the DC-10s in COACH!One thing I don't miss is those earphones that were just hollow tubes.

They used to hand out playing cards, post cards and even small packs of cigarettes. Travel agents would often hand out an airline flight bag. I think I still have an old Pan Am one. The only playing cards I saved were from the Concorde. They are beautiful.