Best time period for airlines?
 

The direction the airlines, including the RJ's, are headed today is upsetting many of us pilots. The QOL, pay, benefits and all the other haggles are taking it's toll and many are leaving aviation forever because of this. In your opinion, or even presented facts, what would you say was the best time period to be working for the airlines and would you like to bring that time period back to todays airlines? 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, etc? Do you think that time period could serve as a good model for today's scum bag CEO's to learn from?

Me personally, I would bring back the 70s. The standards seemed to be much higher then across the board for customer service, FA's, FO's, FE's and Captains. Pay, benefits, QOL all seemed so much better in that time period. From what I gather, the 70s was the most fun pilots ever had in the industry. The 80s didn't seem so bad either with the exception of Eastern and Braniff. Ok, your turn! Let's hear it! :D

deregulation was the real killer. my dad flew for united from '59 to '94 and he seems to always tell stories of the 60's and 70's the most. The good ole days are gone for good, IMHO:cool:

The day I get a job flying for a major/legacy is the beginning of the greatest time period......simple as that

As it will for myself, but I am speaking more of the corporate model/structure and a time period when employees were treated right and customer service was impecible.

Hands down, dereg. screwed up everything! If not for that, Pan Am might still be in business and I could be flying for them in the right seat with my dad. :D

I was at UAL from 1967 through 2003 and the 70s were not all that good for many people.

We furloughed guys in the early 70s, brought a number of them back (1976 or 1977?) for a few months and furloughed them again. A total of 800 or so on furlough as I recall. No expansion and very few retirements.

I was THE junior F/O in NY and said the heck with it after a few years and bid sideways on the DC-10 so I could at least have a schedule.

On the other hand, it certainly hasn't been great at ual since 9/11 either.

Tommorow is pretty good for me.. My trip got bought by training for IOE so I get to sit at home and get paid!

Doesnt get much better than that!

Retired 2003? What aircraft were you flying between 93 and 03? My father is a 737 captain at UAL. Maybe you know him?

Best Times
 

I think the best times for the airlines are still ahead. Today we have more options than ever before. Computers have made bookings easier and more competitive. RJ's are bringing jet service to more cities. LCC's and ULCC's are making air travel cheaper everyday. What once was stuffy suit and tie business now is sweats and a bag of Doritos. In ten years customers will be able to fly anywhere at the drop of a hat for the price of dinner for four. What a golden age! Amtrak and Greyhound are doomed.

Skyhigh

In the past regionals were flown by seasoned professionals. Now they are piloted by recent flight school grads. In the next decade high school kids who were destined for a convenience store to earn pocket change will be flying our nations airliners. What a wondrous world we live in.

Best times
 

I'm a little worried that a few years down the road I'll look back and say "these" were the good old days.
fbh

Those are strong words there but I share your fear. I hope it doesn't get much worse. :eek:

Me too blastboy, me too.

Hey! Maybe they should bring back.....Oh, forget it!! I'm living in my fantasy land again. The glory days will never come back. I'll just face the music and move on. I sure do miss the industry I knew as a kid; flying airplanes and getting paid good money for it. Ignorance was bliss! :D

My Grandpa got hired by TWA in 1953 upon his return from Korea. He flew from 1953 until his retirement in December of 1984 - about 6 months before Icahn bought the airline. Not sure if it was the "best" time - but living in Kansas City (TWA's headquarters at the time) it seemed pretty glamorous. The transition from props to jets was a huge and exciting transition, the airlines were regulated, pay was great - just seems like he hit the timeline jackpot.

Heyday
 

Every career and industry has its hey day and natural life cycle. In the 1950's the airlines were new and pilots were closer to astronauts than bus drivers. I am sure that Blacksmiths watched in dispair as their careers faded away too with the coming of the industrial age.

Though every one of us here wish things were diffrent there is no doubt the good times for pilots are gone and we havent even found bottom yet.

SkyHigh

Thanks for shring this, Stinson! This is the kind of story I was hoping for. :)


I'm terrified to ask what age we're headed for but I have a twisted gut feeling that I already know the answer to this. Haven't seen you here is a while, sky. Good to see ya! :)

Wheel of Fortune
 

Well, maybe. Age permitting, the bottom of a cycle is the best time to get aboard and the top is the best time to cash in your chips and walk away. Your story indicates that you probably did the right thing by going into construction when you did, but the wheel continues to spin. No matter what becomes of the airline pilot profession, there will be those who say "I knew that would happen.":cool: But they really didn't. And there will be those who kick themselves for having made the "wrong" decision.:o But they really shouldn't. Research, choose, work, and then accept. Repeat as necessary.:)

As everyone knows, the airline industry is very cyclical and affected by factors outside its control. Price of oil, new technological innovations, new business models, domestic and international economics, terrorist attacks, fickle flying public all conspire to produce an industry that is almost difficult to predict. People who choose a job in an airline are assuming no more or less a risk than those choosing to work anywhere else. We each do what is best at that point in time of our life, based on the facts that are known to us at that time. It is akin to buying one’s first house. Do some research, evaluate your own skills, abilities, education and training, look for the best possible job out there. If it happens to be at a major airline, and that is what you’d like to do, then by all means accept the job. However, no job is a fait accompli. As human beings, we try to better ourselves and look for validation.

The original question asked for the best times. I think the answer is necessarily subjective. And as I understand it, many people on the forums are in their 20s, so not alive to personally experience flying the great birds of the 70s. Of course I like the good old days of people dressing up before boarding an airplane, where one is served real food on real china by employees who seem happy to be there. Packing myself into an aluminum tin can (well, ok, composite now) with hundreds of people, many of whom wearing sandals and shorts, smell bad, talk loudly or carrying backpacks is not my idea of glamour. (I hope my CAL flight tomorrow won’t have these people!! :)).

I still remember some of my flights in the early 80's with many of the people dressed well for the flight. To this day, I still wear a tie with a nice blazer, especially when I'm non-reving on UAL. I'm not sure about the food in the 80s but I remember my dads' stories from the 70s when "real food" was served by genuinely happy employees. Certainly was a glamorous job then. >sigh< Maybe a retro airline will pop up soon that will bring back all the greatness of flying and the service that once came with it. We can only hope. :)

Cycle
 

If one were to step back and survey the industry from the early 1980's until now it is obvious that it is on an overall downhill slide. It is still cycling but overall the main direction is obvious to anyone who cares to look.

SkyHigh

Its already here.

Its called NetJets.

The only problem is that all us plebs can't afford the ride. Well, its not a problem to them. To them its a highly desireable feature.

If all of us plebs weren't wanting to fly cross country for $100 (and these idiots running the show would realize that businesses have to make money to stay in business) we wouldn't be in this situation.

Time to take the power back guys and gals. Lots of contracts are coming up and it's time to get back what you gave up the last few years while a few guys at the top gutted the place and gave themselves and their cronies a healthy parachute.