Legacy-Flyer

Legacy airlines, as the name suggests, began with the advent of commercial aviation. In particular in Europe, these airlines became their country`s National carriers, while the United States supported PanAm turning it quasi into its National carriers, without the explicit governmental support.

Deregulation and the onset of increasingly popular low-cost flying, brought hard times to all legacy carriers and they have increasingly been struggling, going out of business, or aligning themselves with other airlines, in order to survive.

The long tradition of a legacy airline is also its appeal. It reminds us of the “good old days” in aviation, when there was only one class of (First Class) service, and getting on an airplane was the adventure of a lifetime. Some even went to buy a new hat or outfit for their upcoming air travel.

The Jet Set Age made flying more popular than ever, and aviation became associated with immense wealth, high fashion and stardom.

Will we ever be able to recapture some of that appeal?