Despite all the importance that schedules, prices etc. play, there also is soft spot in probably all us us a.netters for certain airlines, not all based on "cold" facts. The same is true for disliking airlines. I am not talking about aspects such as "I like airline ABC, because I used to fly it to my girl friend" or such, that is too subjective for this post.
But factors that are inherent to the airline itself. I even noticed that I liked different airlines during different parts of my life. I was a true "Air France"-fan for some time, but remember very clearly, how a shabby instant Nescafe, half full in an ugly plastic cup, served by a grumpy lady did it for me regarding an airline that stresses style and class so much. Also, Dragon Air used to be high on my favourite airline list, because they for some time seemed to be the only clean and modern local airline that would bring you out of China, however, this love has also long faded. Now, I like SWISS because they are just a very reliable and thorough product with a certain "touch", but also others.

For me the 'magical airline experience' and subsequent emotional attachment was always Cathay Pacific just because it was the first flight I could remember being on when I was a boy in the 80s. Still always turn my head when I see their 777s or A330s flying over head, we a few chances every day in Sydney.

ANA comes a close second. Virgin American when it first existed was cool as well.

As a former Ozark Air Lines brat in the 70s and 80s, not only did the airline put food on our table, it was the means by which I got to see much of the world. Bearing in mind that in the 70s mass travel was in it's infancy for a good chunk of the population, my family's association with the carrier was and still is emotional for me. When TWA acquired Ozark, much of that feeling transferred to TWA but Ozark will always be my emotional airline touchstone.

I also have some emotional attachment to a few defunct airlines I was able to fly on, as well as some aircraft types no longer in service. I can't say I have any strong feelings for any current airline. I have a certain loyalty to Delta as that is where the majority of my FF points reside so I do tend to check DL first for my travels. But there is no real emotion for the airline on my part.

Forget a.netters, the general public takes a liking to something and does the same thing over and over again. They even make exuses when “their” company screws up.

If you ever want to have a fun conversation, ask someone where they food shop in your town...and then tell them you shop at the competing store. The conversation will get defensive very quickly.

Back to my a.net heart...TWA.

Watching them slowly die really hurt.

I knew they were terminal when they cancelled the last of Europe out of JFK and announced STL FRA. I just thought “theyre done...they just dont know it yet.”

I knew AA would destroy them...even if their was no 9/11.

Always hated the AA brutal conquer/destroy of every airline they ever bought. Beyond that, AA has neutral feelings for me

I think most Australians would admit an attachment to Qantas. I concede my own. What can I say? Its the Flying National Penis.

Even though I've never flown Singapore, I have a lot of respect for them simply on reputation.

I have fondness for Cathay, particularly their great lounges at HK airport.

I have affection for Delta and JetBlue in the US (JetBlue especially with the whole market-disrupting and "let's not treat passengers like crap" attitude). Delta is clearly the nicest of the big US3.

Etihad, I had affection for them when they had their super-glamorous days with the A380 and 787 product reveals but now they've become somewhat disappointing. Hogan was creative and innovative but clearly he needs a somewhat tighter budgetary leash. Not to mention the "buying other airlines" strategy didn't work out so well.

And of course Air France is the sexiest European airline, at least when we're talking Business and First.

Emirates? Oh an Emirates A380 on the upper deck is pretty close to my idea of heaven. Of course I tend to pickle myself rather substantially in the on-board bar.

Japan Airlines? I had the best flight of my life with them, thanks to frequent flyer points and 10 hours of bliss in First (oh dear god it was better than Emirates First). So I do hope they continue to thrive and succeed. Go JAL!

I probably have one to Air New Zealand. Mostly because they carry one of the national symbols of my country, they took me on my first overseas trips, and they serve L&P on board

It's a shame then that the cold hard reality is I haven't flown them on long haul for over 10 years, because why would I choose a 10-abreast 77W stopping in the US when I could choose a much more comfortable A380 with a generally more hospitable mid way stopover.

British Airways. As a Yank with strong English ties, I always associate it with the ancestral homeland (even though I never lived there, I’ve been several times and have relatives over there whom I keep in touch with). Additionally, I really got interested in aviation through transatlantic flights — as a kid I always was intrigued that you could leave your surroundings and fly 3,000 miles across the world — and I think BA’s 747-400s look majestic with that Union Jack on the tail and the Speedmarque up front.

I have two strong attachments. Being from London British Airways is certainly one, I remember flying on their 747-400s back in 2005 on the LHR to MAA route and it would always be nice to show off that you were flying on British Airways which is a well respected airline among locals at MAA.

Another attachment is to Emirates. Back in 2000 when I was only a toddler Emirates were my first airline that I flew with. Again on the London to Chennai route albeit via Dubai. Their Dubai hub also allows my to spend a few days at Dubai on a stopover. Although back then Emirates were nowhere near the beast that they are now.

Here in Brazil, most of the Brazilians (even those who aren't connected to aviation) have strong emotional ties to VARIG. It was our flag carrier, they had a wonderful service and were recognized around the world.

You mean united.com - untied.com ?

When I was a kid, my dad used to go on business trips from LAX to the east coast every other week. This was pre-9/11, so I remember spending countless evenings in terminal 3 (airside) either sending him off or watching his airplane arrive. He exclusively took TWA, so I now have many fond memories of that red, black and white 757-200 being pushed back or pulling up to the gate, despite never having even been inside of one.

Mine was delta and song. Even though i worked for airtran in TPA. I used to get laughed at by my co workers because i was always talking about song and delta. I was fortunate that i got a station agreement to fly songs last flight out of TPA. Though DL ended our station agreement for non rev. My supervisor called me into the office with the news i thought i was in trouble for something. Those lime green 757s were awesome.

Kiwi Intl also has a place in my heart as it was my 1st flight from TPA flying back to MDW AFTER I MOVED TO florida from Chicagoland.

Northwest will always have a special place in my heart. It was the first airline I ever flew, and visiting the flight deck while boarding made me fall in love with aviation. I still remember sitting in the window seat on that first flight and seeing all the red tails as we landed in MSP. My stepdad flew them constantly for work, I remember requiring a detailed report of every plane he was on when he got back. It was a sad day when the merger was announced. I have a love for DL now, but NW will always be #1.

Like a few others, I have couple. The first one is Air Canada. I have a soft spot for them since most memorable flights have all been on AC. The first flights I can remember ever being on as a child was AC on a DC-9 (YYZ-YQB-YYZ). I distinctly remember being in awe when we pulled up next to an AC A340-300 at the old YYZ T2 on our return. I was simply glued to the window as it was the biggest plane I ever saw at the time and I think that is what sparked my love for planes. AC also took me on my first widebody flight as well back in 2011 when we flew YYC-PUJ direct. It was about a 7 hour flight and I loved every second of it!

My second is Cathay Pacific. I've never flown on them, but I've seen their planes while spotting at YYZ (I think that's what sparked my interest in them but I can't remember for sure), I've read "Beyond Lion Rock" multiple times, and I just have a ton of respect for the airline and its employees. I also watched that ITVV Cathay Pacific 747-400 cockpit DVD which gave me my first impression about how professional their pilots are. Despite their recent issues, I think it's a super classy operation and I wish more airlines were like them. I've long dreamed about moving to Hong Kong and flying for them. Living with a roommate and being taught by a flight instructor whom both used to live in Hong Kong certainly didn't help that. They both had so many stories about living there and missed it. Now that I'm finishing up flight training, that dream doesn't seem too far away!

Mainly I have a place for my heart for China Southern, Northwest, Delta and Alaska. CZ was my first international flight at age 1 on their 777 (I have no memory of, but ever since they are almost go-to since their service is pretty darn good and they are dominant in the region my family is from), but my second international trip I had flown NW on A333 and B757, and I remember how awesome it was. Sadly NW merged into DL and I'm still pretty loyal to them, given that many of my NW WorldPerks transferred into the new program, and they do a nice job compared to the other US3. Alaska is another dominant player near where I live, and thus they're always in my heart, and plus, why not a turboprop?

Qantas would be the airline I feel the most connected to, my first flight (DRW-PER), first international (SYD-AKL), first intercontinental (SYD-BKK) and first long haul (BKK-LHR) flights where all with them. Combined with the minor sense of pride you get when you see the national animal at airports across the world. I also appreciate that they continue to operate several of my favourite aircraft such as the 717, 747 & Fokker 100.

I also appreciate Aer Lingus with good memories flying them when I was about 5 or 6 on LHR-DUB runs.

Singapore is my favourite airline by product and despite having only flown them twice I did experience my first A380 with them.

Being Dutch I naturally got this with KLM, eventhough I've never actually flown them. Only once flown KLM Cityhopper, but never on the mainline. Still, they're the pride of the country when it comes to aviation. An airline of world class that everyone knows for being Dutch. It's something we achieved. We, the Dutch.

However when picking a flight I mostly vote with my wallet, which means I'm flying other airlines which I'm not attached to, but do offer the best deal. As much as I like KLM, they're usually not the cheapest.

Well, as the sentimental chap that I am, my preference goes to the once-proud names of vanished UK airlines like Monarch, BEA, BOAC, Cunard, Dan Air, Britannia... Ohhh, the times..!!!

For me that would be KLM. I always feel at home onboard and like the no nonsense approach. And of course when abroad spotting the blue bird gives me a warm feeling. They might not be SQ or CX but I'll pick them over those any day of the week simply because the crew are working hard and still have the time to show a genuine interest.

I've got a special affinity for the entire Virgin brand, always appreciated the spirit of "flying in the face of ordinary". I don't fly between the US and UK very frequently, but I'll make it a point to fly with VS whenever possible - I wasn't happy to see VX go, to say in the least. Outside of that, I'll tend to fly with the LH Group when traveling internationally, Delta/JetBlue/Alaska within the US, and Jet Airways to/from India - but those mostly come down to convenience/personal preference rather than a particular attachment.

For me, my likes go to a couple of oldies - Eastern Airlines, as it was the first time I flew on an airplane. It was 757 in the silver hockey-stock color.

Second is Northwest. Well, actually Northwest was a love-hate relationship. When they first merged with Republic, they were on the hate list. Then, they started getting their act together, so they were on the love list. Still remember the days flying the DC-10s to Europe...not the prettiest or newest planes, but got the job done. Just like Northwest as a whole...not fancy, just got the job done (of course, with some hiccups on the way, but I digress).

For me, my likes go to a couple of oldies - Eastern Airlines, as it was the first time I flew on an airplane. It was 757 in the silver hockey-stock color.

Second is Northwest. Well, actually Northwest was a love-hate relationship. When they first merged with Republic, they were on the hate list. Then, they started getting their act together, so they were on the love list. Still remember the days flying the DC-10s to Europe...not the prettiest or newest planes, but got the job done. Just like Northwest as a whole...not fancy, just got the job done (of course, with some hiccups on the way, but I digress).

tcaeyx wrote:

When I was a kid, my dad used to go on business trips from LAX to the east coast every other week. This was pre-9/11, so I remember spending countless evenings in terminal 3 (airside) either sending him off or watching his airplane arrive. He exclusively took TWA, so I now have many fond memories of that red, black and white 757-200 being pushed back or pulling up to the gate, despite never having even been inside of one.

I also have fond memories of TWA, especially pre-9/11 when me and my family were allowed to spend some time at the terminal while waiting for my mom or dad to board a TWA flight out of STL back in 2000/01. I have remembered seeing TW aircraft in both the old 80s and the final mid-90s TWA livery despite not having an interest in airplanes at the time; I have never flown a TW aircraft when TWA was still around but remembered flying in one of their TW 757s back in 03 when me and my family were flying back from a month's trip to Vietnam on AA.

Speaking of AA, I do have some emotional attachment to them; it is currently my primary carrier, as my dad frequently flies with them and I also have a frequent flier program with them as well; while normally I don't have any complaints with AA, there are some ups and downs when flying with them: one of which their seating in some of their aircraft was somewhat cramped, based on hip room, but legroom was fine; another one, which was more serious, was that while flying home from me and my family's Florida trip this past summer, there was a bad weather delay at DFW and we had a ground stop at MCO for several hours; the delay was severe enough to miss my connecting flight back home until the next afternoon; I did consider flying WN on my trip to ABQ from MCI since then, but gave AA another try and restored my confidence in flying with them again; despite arriving ABQ one hour late on my connecting flight from DFW (also due to weather), my first leg to DFW has super-friendly, WN-style flight attendants, in which made it one of the best AA flights I've ever taken.

I was booked on a WN flight a day later during my ABQ trip (STL-EWR-OAK-STL); it was not by choice, as one of my relatives from the NYC area booked my family the flight for a visit with my brother attending college in NYC and in California, a visit with my sister attending college at UC-Berkeley and a wedding ceremony to attend south of San Jose. While this was not my first experience flying WN (my first one was to NYC during Spring Break 2014), those recent trips made me more emotionally attached to WN b/c of their friendly flight attendants, checked bags flying free, and excellent customer service. In heart, WN is my secondary carrier because while it doesn't fly to my hometown, it is my go-to airline for leisure travels out of STL for the good value of money.

Some other airlines that I've flown once, or have never flown before but would like to one day, are: AS, BA, CX, DL, EK, EY, NZ, QF, QR, and SQ, all in which I had emotional attachments with.

I have an emotional attachment to Delta. From infancy, I was a frequent flier to DAB, and once AA dismantled the RDU hub, my family switched to USAir so we would usually fly LGA-CLT-DAB back in the 90s. I remember always passing the Delta terminal at LGA first so as a kid I'd always ask if we could fly Delta. It was something about that widget that just caught my eye. The first trip on Delta that I can remember (there were others) was during Christmas Break in 1995. We flew LGA-ATL-DAB round trip to visit my grandparents who lived in Port Orange (10 mins from DAB). Then US pulled out of DAB altogether so all of our DAB trips were pretty much on DL, which was consistently the only airline to reliably fly where I wanted to go. So my attachment goes back to DL every time because I could always rely on them to get me to/from DAB to see my grandparents. As I got older and started flying alone, I always chose Delta even if it was from MCO (moved to the DAB area when I was 9), and then when I moved back to NY I almost always flew DL to DAB to visit my parents and continue the tradition of visiting family in the DAB area. It pretty much continued that way until 2016 when B6 launched JFK-DAB, which is something I lobbied hard for. Very hard. That takes me into that emotional attachment. My last flight on DL to DAB was in September of 2015, which was the last time I went there while my mother was alive. My first B6 flight to DAB was actually for my mother's funeral, so there's emotional attachment there as it sort of brought in a "new age" of travel for me so-to-speak. I managed 4 trips in 2016, 3 in 2017, and 1 in 2018 for a total of 8 trips on B6's JFK-DAB route. So it's sort of an emotional turn of events to hear of their withdrawal from DAB. I'll be traveling there in 2 weeks on DL for the first time in 3 years. Sorry for rambling, but this seemed like a great thread to explain why I'm so neurotic on here.

airtrantpa wrote:

Kiwi Intl also has a place in my heart as it was my 1st flight from TPA flying back to MDW AFTER I MOVED TO florida from Chicagoland.

Second that. My first and final flight on a 727 from KATL to KEWR. Incredible service, wonderful people, and a total focus on customer satisfaction. Such a shame they didn't last long.

I have never understood the human tendency to get emotional over paper entities.

I do understand if someone flies an airline a lot and gets to know some of the people who work for the airline. Companies are made of their people and it's possible to like the people who make up any company, as you would anybody else. But most people who get tribal about companies have no personal experience with or connection to the people who work for them; their fandom seems rooted in arbitrary things like whether or not they like the company logo. In terms of airlines, it can be about things like baggage fee policies, boarding procedure or some out of context quote from the CEO (who again, most people will never meet. He could be a totally nice guy or a jerk in real life; you don't know from a press quote.)

To me, those are reasons to *fly* an airline or not, but they're no reason at all to get emotional about them one way or another and either defend or attack them in conversation or online.

Even the in-flight experience is largely the result of accountants trying to determine what's most effective in balancing passenger satisfaction with cost. It's a cold, analytical process. You can like the experience or not, and you can choose to fly an airline or not based on those things. But where is the "emotional attachment" coming from? You are emotionally attached to a giant cost analysis spreadsheet.

I guess my overall point is that people, especially here, go way overboard in their emotions about corporate entities that they have no real attachment to. (Flying an airline a few times doesn't attach you to them; you're just a number to them, and similarly, you could have easily chosen any other airline and felt the same way.) I think it's understandable to say you like a particular airline's livery, or miss one that no longer exists, or that you like the flying experience of a particular airline. But it's a little weird to be a "fan" of one of these companies, who have done nothing for you that they haven't done for countless others, and who will change everything you like about them the instant those things are no longer profitable. It's not like they're going to repay your devotion by refusing service to your enemies, or something. You're nothing to them. So I just wonder why they're anything to you.

When I was a teenager (say 13-17), I used to get Air France schedules and fantasied big time over their exotic and mysterious Asian flights. I had never flown anywhere at the time and in fact I did not think I would ever have the means to set foot on any airplane. But I was literally dreaming over Air France’s Asia network. A flight might go something like Paris-Athens-Tehran-Bombay-Bangkok-Siem Reap (Angkor). All these destinations were fascinating to me - the itinerary looked like it had been designed by Marco Polo. AF also had a weekly flight to Shanghai at a time when China was completely closed and no other western airline flew there (this was after De Gaulle’s trip to China, where he was well received but where Mao nonetheless made sure some Pekinese would call him “a dog”).
Time passed, I graduated and I finally made my first flight: AF Paris to New-York in first class. I was spoiled forever. The window seat in the nose of the 747 (3A) was totally red and comfortable like a lazy boy recliner. The flight attendant gave me a four-page menu the size of magazine. It was printed on expensive velum paper and the cover was the reproduction of an original artwork (I started collecting those but I lost interest after I had twenty or so and I threw them away – I regret it to this day).
Then came Concorde. I was in my forties by then and I don’t think anything ever scared me like my first takeoff from New-York in that aircraft. The noise was unreal during takeoff, as if ten sports cars were in the cabin roaring their engines without mufflers. The runway was extremely bumpy - it seemed full of pot holes, in fact, and also awfully short. Then, after just a few seconds in the air, the pilot would reduce power brutally while banking sharply on the left. The plane became completely silent, as if all engines had died simultaneously. I was in seat 4A by the tiny window and, as we banked left, I saw Jamaica Bay come up towards way too fast for comfort. I was certain we were crashing and I became instantaneously drenched in sweat from head to toe. After maybe ten seconds, the plane regained a flat attitude while the pilot restored full power. At that point, the noise level increased (to a very reasonable level in the front cabin) and we gained altitude rapidly while flying along Jones Beach. As I discovered later, this scary experience was in fact normal routine for Concorde takeoffs from New York. Eventually, I came to enjoy the thrill. This was at a time when you could visit the cockpit, which I did systematically (I was usually the only passenger interested in doing so). The pilots were incredibly nice and always gave me a lot of explanations on the plane and our flight. I usually stayed in the cockpit for 20 or 30 minutes (always after lunch). The pilots would send me back to my seat after the "bascule" (shifting the fuel from the rear to the front of the aircraft) in preparation for the start of our descent from 60,000 feet. I also met numerous celebrities on the plane, but this is another story.
I am retired now and I fly coach more often than business-first these days. For all the memories, I remain extremely fond of Air France and I still prefer them when I can find a flight with an A330 (I like the two seats in the 2-4-2 arrangement). I also like the coach section on the top deck of the A380, which has a similar arrangement on AF. With other airlines, I love the 767, which is usually very comfortable for coach transatlantic (I flew one a year ago on UA, GVA to IAD). But I will never again squeeze myself in these horribly narrow 787 coach seats if I can help it. This is just too much of a fall...

For me it was PSA-Pacific Southwest Airlines and their smile liners. They gave us 500 Frequent Flyer Miles for the fun of it. They captured well the California spirit. I recall the humor of US Air trying to serve food on the short hop inter California flights after the PSA takeover.

When I was a young child growing up in Bakersfield, we didn't have a "real" airport. A couple of flights now and then and that was it. I was lucky if I saw three in one year.

But my grandmother would fly out from Arkansas where she lived, and to take a non-stop flight, she was driven to and flew out of TUL and into LAX. We would drive the two hours down into a different universe so near and yet so far - the legendary LAX. And the little airliner-geek-boy would literally go into a hypnotic state of utter fascination, seeing the planes and airlines he could only read about in Bakersfield: Pan Am, my favorite, as that blue globe on a 747 was, from the first moment I saw it, my #1 forever and ever. And it still is. The equally striking TWA planes and terminal carpet red (my favorite color!) stand out. I was never lucky enough to fly on Pan Am; however, I flew TWA in 1974 and saw real white gloves and a real menu handed to an 8-year old boy - and we were just in coach!!

But also seeing Hughes Air West, PSA, Air Cal, Western, Continental, Delta, 727's, DC-10's, 747's, L1011's - I could never get enough. And after deregulation started taking some of the names, a piece of my heart would break, knowing that this once proud name was disappearing. I miss what it symbolized: an airline with its own history, its own fleet, and its own proud employees.

My most sentimental connection is PSA. I take comfort in the story of knowing that, as the deals were finalizing in USAir's take-over of San Diego's hometown airline PSA, employees of PSA handed over their operations manuals to a relatively small Texas carrier name "Southwest". Southwest followed PSA's quick turn-around times and simplicity of operations, and the rest is history. So every time I see the name "Southwest", I always add the "Pacific" part in my mind.

Quoting PSAatSAN4Ever (Reply # 29), "as the deals were finalizing in USAir's take-over of San Diego's hometown airline PSA, employees of PSA handed over their operations manuals to a relatively small Texas carrier name "Southwest". Southwest followed PSA's quick turn-around times and simplicity of operations . . . "

Your story doesn't make much sense.

PSA was merged into USAir in 1988.
Southwest began flight operation in 1971.

Why would PSA employees hand over their operations manuals to Southwest employees. After 17 years, Southwest's quick turn-around times and simplicity of operations was well established and they had their own FAA-approved operation manuals. Also, by 1988, Southwest wasn't such a small Texas carrier anymore; their network extended from California to the Great Lakes.

Could you explain your comment?

e38

Mine was always Midwest Express (and later Midwest, of course). I took my first flight on them when I was only a few months old, and my family routinely flew them several times a year to visit my grandparents in Washington DC. They were small enough that we ran into some of the same crews on more than one occasion, and I vividly remember my brother and I often getting an extra package of cookies as we walked off the plane. I'm pretty sure they helped start my appreciation for Douglas T-tails, too.

Delta and Northwest are up there too, mainly because we flew DL to the Southeast every year for Thanksgiving with family. I only remember flying NW a handful of times, but I always loved the variety of planes they sent to OMA, from RJ-85s to 727s to DC-9s and more.

Mine was always Midwest Express (and later Midwest, of course). I took my first flight on them when I was only a few months old, and my family routinely flew them several times a year to visit my grandparents in Washington DC. They were small enough that we ran into some of the same crews on more than one occasion, and I vividly remember my brother and I often getting an extra package of cookies as we walked off the plane. I'm pretty sure they helped start my appreciation for Douglas T-tails, too.

Delta and Northwest are up there too, mainly because we flew DL to the Southeast every year for Thanksgiving with family. I only remember flying NW a handful of times, but I always loved the variety of planes they sent to OMA in the late '90s and early 2000s, from RJ-85s to 727s to DC-9s and more.

e38 wrote:

Quoting PSAatSAN4Ever (Reply # 29), "as the deals were finalizing in USAir's take-over of San Diego's hometown airline PSA, employees of PSA handed over their operations manuals to a relatively small Texas carrier name "Southwest". Southwest followed PSA's quick turn-around times and simplicity of operations . . . "

Your story doesn't make much sense.

PSA was merged into USAir in 1988.
Southwest began flight operation in 1971.

Why would PSA employees hand over their operations manuals to Southwest employees. After 17 years, Southwest's quick turn-around times and simplicity of operations was well established and they had their own FAA-approved operation manuals. Also, by 1988, Southwest wasn't such a small Texas carrier anymore; their network extended from California to the Great Lakes.

Could you explain your comment?

e38

I am sorry for the confusion - I didn't explain fully.

Think of Southwest Airlines in the mid-1980's. They were a relatively small niche airline, quite successful, but trying to avoid the "merger mania" that was sweeping through the airline business at the time. AirCal bought by AA, Western bought by Delta, North Central & Southern combining to make Republic (swallowing up Hughes Air West a bit later), and USAir bought PSA just to be one of the big boys.

USAir's acquisition of PSA was a disaster - instead of Californians being able to jump on a plane at a moment's notice from one end to another, now the LAX-SFO flight was a tag from a trans-continental USAir flight that inevitably was delayed. Same with AA and AirCal - and later Reno Air. Every time one of the big carriers (except United) tried to make their USA system work intra-California, delay upon delay upon delay lowered enthusiasm and customers left in droves.

And that's where Southwest Airlines succeeded. Taking PSA's manuals and adapting them to California and later the whole of the U.S. allowed them to grow in the powerhouse they are today. Is it perfect? Heck no. Did it gather them a VERY loyal following in California? Heck yeah!

And that's what I meant to state. My apologies for not being clear.

PSAatSAN4Ever, thank you for the explanation. Now it makes sense.

e38

Pan Am of course!

As for existing airlines, I began traveling extensively for business in the early 2000's and American was our most frequent choice. It soon became apparent why as their scheduling was convenient, and before you knew it, upgrades came along with increasing status in AAdvantage. I got to fly on Cathay (a favorite overseas airline of mine) which was fantastic, and I earned more AAdvantage miles as a result. I developed quite a strong loyalty to AA as I felt they had treated me well. Sadly, since the merger, I see AA's product being whittled down bit by bit, and while they've always eagerly followed DL's race to the bottom as far as their FF program, they don't follow DL when they take certain steps to enhance the passenger experience. I mentioned loyalty; AA is losing it I'm afraid. Oh, and as far as the upgrade list, I rarely crack the "top ten" anymore.

Definitely have a soft spot, just not for a single airline.

When flying TATL, I will ALWAYS try book on one of the legacies that were around when I was a kid: LH, AZ, BA, KLM, AC, AF. Because those were the Jumbos outside when I was a 6 year old, pressing my nose to the plate glass window (bonus points if I flew on it as a child!).

When flying domestically or to the US: I,m drawn to whatever airline has the most interesting mix of aircraft. Or, put another way, I avoid airlines where it's 737 all the way. Not because I dislike the 737, but because I find a mix more interesting.

e38 wrote:

PSAatSAN4Ever, thank you for the explanation. Now it makes sense.

e38

No, thank you - I pride myself as very thorough and fact-based, in that case I wrote less than I thought I had, and it needed correction. Thank you for pointing it out so politely - good manners are always appreciated!

http://www.departedflights.com/

My friend Greg runs this site, and it's a fun place to get lost it in! It also has a Facebook page as well. The sole Southwest guide he as on there (ironic, as he is a f/a for WN!!) is from 1986, before the acquisition. There is virtually no intra-California traffic there, and the route network is truly "southwest". PSA was never going to be a really big airline; however, it did show another airline the way.

Honestly EasyJet. They remind me of family holidays going to Turkey as we'd never fly anyone else, I also loved the show airline; so whilst this is very much an unpopular opinion, I'll always have a soft spot for EasyJet.

e38 wrote:

Think of Southwest Airlines in the mid-1980's. They were a relatively small niche airline, quite successful, but trying to avoid the "merger mania" that was sweeping through the airline business at the time. AirCal bought by AA, Western bought by Delta, North Central & Southern combining to make Republic (swallowing up Hughes Air West a bit later), and USAir bought PSA just to be one of the big boys.

Being polite here as well: your NC+SO merger example took place in 1979 and Hughes Airwest (one word) was acquired in 1980. Not quite the "mid-1980's" time-frame you quote.

OCD me forces me to point that out.

Moe

Northwest. They announced the merger with Delta shortly after my mother died. She was a frequent NW flier for work and she loved the red tails. Red also happens to be my favorite color.

-Rowen

aeromoe wrote:

e38 wrote:

Think of Southwest Airlines in the mid-1980's. They were a relatively small niche airline, quite successful, but trying to avoid the "merger mania" that was sweeping through the airline business at the time. AirCal bought by AA, Western bought by Delta, North Central & Southern combining to make Republic (swallowing up Hughes Air West a bit later), and USAir bought PSA just to be one of the big boys.

Being polite here as well: your NC+SO merger example took place in 1979 and Hughes Airwest (one word) was acquired in 1980. Not quite the "mid-1980's" time-frame you quote.

OCD me forces me to point that out.

Moe

Thanks again, Moe - that one always strikes me as a merger of survival, not growth, though. Though successful individually, deregulation meant they couldn't survive on their own, necessitating their merger, and that was definitely different from being gobbled up! But definitely pre-mania.