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Walter T. Varney founded Varney Speed Lines in 1934, and the company became Continental Airlines in 1937. Its mergers with Texas International Airlines in 1982 and Frontier Airlines, New York Air, and People Express Airlines in 1987 made Continental…

Founded in 1926, the company that became Northwest Orient Airlines began operating extensive transpacific routes almost immediately after the conclusion of World War II. Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, the airline also built up…

The aircraft hijacked on September 11, 2001 included two United planes. Flight 175 struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center, and Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania as its passengers successfully attempted to prevent the terrorists from…

This Southwest advertisement from 2002 shows that the narrative low-cost carriers created, depicting their services as direct responses to the legacy carriers, has continued into the twentieth century. When this advertisement aired, most legacy…

Midway Airlines began operations as a low-cost carrier in 1979. The airline based its approach on use of Chicago’s older Midway Airport, which most airlines had replaced with the newer O’Hare Airport. Midway directed the money saved by using…

Although Southwest Airlines first flew in 1971, it did not come into its own until after deregulation in 1978. Southwest felt that the legacy carriers had stuffy images and framed themselves as a more spirited alternative. The first flight…

Because of the new emphasis placed on cheap fares and reduced services after deregulation, the legacy airlines risked alienating customers who had willingly paid higher prices for niceties. Some therefore sought to publicize options for passengers…

Transcontinental & Western Air began operating services between New York, St. Louis, and Los Angeles in 1925 and became Trans World Airlines in 1950 after successfully fighting to join Pan Am as America’s second international airline. Trans World…

American Airlines started domestic operations in 1934 and expanded significantly after World War II, when it purchased American Export Airlines and assumed its European routes. American became an early leader in business travel because of its…

United Airlines, initially founded as an air mail service, added a great deal of passenger service after World War II. For many years, United did not operate outside the United States, and therefore sought to take advantage of growing leisure…