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Noel

In my 36 year airline career I went through multiple name changes and 4 mergers. In 1979 I was hired by Allegheny Airline in Cleveland. The name was changed to US Air. We then merged with Pacific Southwest Airlines and then Piedmont. The name was then changed to US Airways. Next came the merger with America West, and finally the merger with American in 2015. I retired in January of 2016. 

It's ironic that one of the main goals of airline deregulation was to foster competition and eliminate oligopolies, yet look at all the mergers over the past 15 years or so.

One big thing it did accomplish was to bring down the cost of flying, but I'm not sure that was actually a good thing.  As airlines fiercely compete with each other, they are forced to lower ticket prices which eats into their profits, so they have to compensate somehow.  They compensate by cramming more and more people into their planes and lowering the quality of their service.  Airline staff are frustrated as they are generally underpaid and managed by greedy executives who only care about lowering costs and maximizing profits.

Consider the awful experience that flying has now become what with the crowded airports, frequent delays and cancellations, obnoxious passengers, poor service aboard the aircraft, and the cattle car style accommodations.  Flying is no longer fun, at least for me.  I stopped flying years ago and will never fly again unless I have to in order to travel overseas.

So much for deregulation.  Low prices ain't always a good thing.

Dave

54 minutes ago, mwilk said:

In my 36 year airline career I went through multiple name changes and 4 mergers. In 1979 I was hired by Allegheny Airline in Cleveland. The name was changed to US Air. We then merged with Pacific Southwest Airlines and then Piedmont. The name was then changed to US Airways. Next came the merger with America West, and finally the merger with American in 2015. I retired in January of 2016. 

I've always liked your avatar picture (the Allegheny logo) because it reminds me of all the times I would see it as a kid at the airport.  There were lots of airlines back then that had cool logos and colors.  I always liked Eastern with the green and the stripes.  I had no idea what happened to all of them.  I was a kid and there were a bunch of airlines.  I got sidetracked growing up a bit and suddenly there were only a few airlines.

EDIT: just tried to look up the logo I remember and can't find it.  I was sure it was Eastern with green stripes but maybe not.

Edited July 13, 20223 yr by sightseer

The same thing happened to the railroads.  There used to be a plethora of them.  Out here in the west there are only two left, BNFS and Union Pacific.  And passenger service as dumped int the lap of the government.  In my day you get to almost any city and town in the country on a train.  Very few have rail service left.  Just an abandoned depot down by the tracks.

I like riding Amtrack, but they are notoriously late.  I always tell anyone who is going to travel on Amtrack not to try and make same day connections.  I always stay in a hotel overnight when I have to change rains in Chicago or Los Angeles or Seattle.  The US should look at Europe and Asia for examples in efficient high speed rail service...but they won't.

Noel

1 hour ago, birdguy said:

And passenger service as dumped int the lap of the government.  In my day you get to almost any city and town in the country on a train.  Very few have rail service left.  Just an abandoned depot down by the tracks.

Noel, aside from the big cities, nearly all other Amtrak stations are located in very inconvenient places. For example, the stop in Gainesville, Florida is actually in the village of Waldo, some 13 miles east of Gainesville. There is no bus service at all, and few taxis will make the trip. Even sillier is that the train then travels through Gainesville towards its terminal destination: Tampa!!!  🙄

Keep in mind that Gainesville is home to one of the largest University campuses in the state!

3 hours ago, sightseer said:

I've always liked your avatar picture (the Allegheny logo) because it reminds me of all the times I would see it as a kid at the airport.  There were lots of airlines back then that had cool logos and colors.  I always liked Eastern with the green and the stripes.  I had no idea what happened to all of them.  I was a kid and there were a bunch of airlines.  I got sidetracked growing up a bit and suddenly there were only a few airlines.

EDIT: just tried to look up the logo I remember and can't find it.  I was sure it was Eastern with green stripes but maybe not.

Is it possible that it was Air Florida?

 

4 hours ago, birdguy said:

I like riding Amtrack, but they are notoriously late.  I always tell anyone who is going to travel on Amtrack not to try and make same day connections.  I always stay in a hotel overnight when I have to change rains in Chicago or Los Angeles or Seattle.  The US should look at Europe and Asia for examples in efficient high speed rail service...but they won't.

Well, other than on the NE corridor Amtrak is dependent on running on freight tracks and in these days of "precision railroading" that seems to be a bit dodgy.

 

As far  as airlines merged out of recognition, being from Wisconsin I remember North Central as being omni-present BITD.  Of course we also had the Hiawatha's on the Milwaukee Road and the "North Shore" down to Chicago.  The North Shore was a favorite of boots from the Navy's Great Lakes who found Milwaukee more welcoming than Chicago.

 

scott s.

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Paul, three or four years ago Betty and I rode Amtrack from Seattle to Chicago.  After leaving Milwuakee I saw the old observation car from the Hiawatha sitting the yard somewhere.

We were 7 hours late getting into Chicago but I learned long ago never try to make same day connections on Amtrack.  When we are connecting trains in Chicago we always stay in a hotel overnight.

I don't mind running late on Amtrak.  I like being on a train and sometimes you get an extra meal in the dining car.

Noel

My dad and I would often take Amtrak into DC to walk around and see some of the Smithsonian buildings.  We both loved trains and it was one of our things that we did together.  Mom and I would go to the beach. Dad and I would ride trains or bikes or play tennis and go to the Smithsonian.

@mwilk  Thanks but I'd never heard of Air Florida before you mentioned it.  It must just be me misremembering.  The weird part is that I am sure I saw somebody offering a repaint in that livery - an MD-80 I think...maybe. could be 727.  I'm really not that good at identifying planes... or cars.

Edited July 14, 20223 yr by sightseer

12 hours ago, mwilk said:

In my 36 year airline career I went through multiple name changes and 4 mergers. In 1979 I was hired by Allegheny Airline in Cleveland. The name was changed to US Air. We then merged with Pacific Southwest Airlines and then Piedmont. The name was then changed to US Airways. Next came the merger with America West, and finally the merger with American in 2015. I retired in January of 2016. 

Hey Mike: I remember  Mohawk Airlines from upstate Ny. They were the  first to fly BAC-111's while others were flying piston, and turboprop planes.on those routes.  Bob Peach was in charge of the airline he built with remnants of a small airline. Mohawk ran into financial trouble, and were taken over by  Allegheny.  Bob passed away under circumstances i cannot describe here due to content. A neat airline in its time.

Hi Noel: One airline i remember also was Northeast Airlines.The tv, ads, and radio jingles were played a lot in the NY area for the winter getaway down to Florida. The airline merged with Delta due to financial issues..Just caught the graph about Northeast in the story. Paul: Read the story before you write as i smack myself  LOL!!!!!!!

Edited July 14, 20223 yr by Paul Deluca

12 hours ago, birdguy said:

The US should look at Europe and Asia for examples in efficient high speed rail service...but they won't.

Noel

In addition to that, the rail terminals in some European cities are as nice or nicer than some of the airport terminals in the US. They’re not hangouts for vagrants, drunks and drug users. 
 

I’ve taken trains from Paris, Milan, Florence, Rome and Naples and they were really nice places with plenty of restaurants and places to relax. Plus they’re really well organized and easy to find your way around. Not to mention the prices are fair and the trains are fast. When took a train this last Christmas from Milan to Rome it only took a few hours. Granted a plane would have been faster once in the air, but the fact that you need to get to the airport and hour and a half early, then wait to deboard and get your luggage, the time spent doing all that negates the time savings.

When I go to Europe for Christmas this year we’re going to be taking a train from Prague to Vienna and I expect it to be as nice as the other terminals as well.

Speaking of trains, one of my 'bucket list' items will never be fulfilled: The Orient Express from its origin point to its final destination.

Fr Bill I have two such bucket list items.  The Orient Express and the Trans Siberian.

Noel