Airline De-Regulation, explain, pre and post.

[Nonstop2AUH]

Surely someone's posted it on here before, but here's some video from the (regulated) dawn of the jet age

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Looks like a nice experience front and back doesn't it? Today it's just basic transportation unless you have the bucks (or miles) for business or first. But this is what the economics require. Most consumers want to pay as little as possible for their transportation, and that requires the airlines to cut costs (and therefore service levels) if they hope to make any sort of profit. Then, there is a small number of people who will pay up for better service and amenities, and for them there is premium cabin. This ends up being very expensive because in many cases, it is subsidizing the cheap fares behind the curtain.

PS Out of curiousity I decided to see what $99 round trip to London in the early '80s would be in today's dollars, and it came to a bit more than $200.
BA currently has a sale fare of $149 o/w advertised at
http://www.britishairways.com/travel/lc ... blic/en_us
So yes, it's more expensive today but not as much more as it would appear.

[FlyingColors]

See this one!

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[Nonstop2AUH]

In the '60s, this is what they thought things at Braniff would be like by 1975.

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Of course, it wasn't quite like that, but right up until deregulation and fare-based competition took hold, it was a classy experience. My late grandfather never flew without a suit and tie, because people of that era felt that flying was something you dressed for, like a business meeting or going out to dinner.

Here's what TWA was offering in the way of differentiation on its transcon services in the mid '70s, brought to you by Mr. Peter Sellars:

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and

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International-quality service on domestic flights! Today there's no way they could provide some of these things with the current price structure.

[mirrodie]

You know, I finally sat down and read the wikipedia rendition of what its all about. THank you for all the answers. I never really understtod what it was like before and after.

It really seems like a lose- lose proposition. I mean the airlines went from virtually guaranteed margins to near break even margins and it seems that the only real gain was an average 9% drop in fares over the years.

That is the gist I am getting.


So how did such legislation come to pass? It really just does not seem to make sense.

[moose135]

So how did such legislation come to pass? It really just does not seem to make sense.

Back in college (I know, don't say it - "But that was back before airplanes Moose") I did a paper on the pro & cons of deregulation for a basic economics class I took. If I can find it (I have all sorts of crap in the attic!) I'll have to see what I wrote. For the record, I was on the anti-deregulation side.

[FlyingColors]

In the '60s, this is what they thought things at Braniff would be like by 1975.

vBm59i4PlDU

Of course, it wasn't quite like that, but right up until deregulation and fare-based competition took hold, it was a classy experience. My late grandfather never flew without a suit and tie, because people of that era felt that flying was something you dressed for, like a business meeting or going out to dinner.

Here's what TWA was offering in the way of differentiation on its transcon services in the mid '70s, brought to you by Mr. Peter Sellars:

9RnhwK8Id3Y

and

oLy2DkJ8xn8

International-quality service on domestic flights! Today there's no way they could provide some of these things with the current price structure.

That's some good stuff too.

[Alex T]

I was not raised during regulation but I flew in the after math of it, 90's. I mostly flew TWA, and i recall always, always getting food, and service on most flights.

I always dress up when I fly on any airline, yes even Southwest Airlines. After all Flying SHOULD be a class, you are involved with the public, and working crews and folks, dont you WANT to give a good impression of yourself to others, by dressing up? Not be seen wearing shorts and sandals? I don't think so. I don't care what airline you are.

I myself own QUITE a bit of these airline ads myself, i collected them from National Geoghraphic books, I gave Tom a TWA ad one. and will give my other friend an Eastern Airlines one too.

Regulation was a fine time for service, but it had high prices.

I DO miss when flying had style, class, you felt proud to ride on an airline, and i always bragged when I was flying on TWA, like "hey check this out, *shows them a ticket with TWA in red stamped on it* it was like showing a million dollars to me.

Now, I will become an employee of an airline, Southwest Airlines. This airline did not help the change of regulation i understand but by no way was the result or fault of it. I do wish folks still dressed up, have pride in who you are, and how you represent yourself, doing it in shorts and sandals doesn't do it for me.

Hope someone could understand it from a young ones viewpoint.

Alex