Friday, October 23, 2015

#FlashbackFriday - 8 Classic U.S. Airline Route Maps

This week's #FlashbackFriday comes from the wonderful archives of AirwaysNews.com, founded by Editor-in-Chief Chris Sloan, who has been an airline enthusiast since he was five years old. Over the years, he amassed an extensive collection of aviation memorabilia and photos and decided to share it with the world in February 2003 via the Airchive website. Below are eight great U.S. airlines' route maps, ranging from 1939 to 1979, from the AirwaysNews.com photo archive

 - Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com
Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com

1.  Continental Airlines

Continental was founded in 1934 as El Paso-based Varney Speedlines, becoming Denver-based Continental in 1937. It eventually moved its hub and headquarters to Los Angeles in Continental in the 1950s and then Houston in the 1980s followed the merger with Texas International. Continental introduced four Boeing 707-100s to Los Angeles, Denver, Kansas City and Chicago in 1959. The carrier's Golden Jets had the most luxurious interior in the sky. This route map is from April 26, 1959. More »

 - Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com
Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com

2.  Mohawk Airlines

By 1969, all piston-engined aircraft had been retired from its fleet and Mohawk flew mainly BAC 1-11 and Fairchild Hiller FH-227 aircraft.By 1971, labor issues and several strikes caused Mohawk to enter merger discussions with Allegheny Airlines, and the merger was completed in 1972. This is a route map from February 1, 1970. More »

 - Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com
Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com

3.  Braniff

Braniff morphed from a low-profile U.S. domestic carrier with a strong Latin American route structure into a high-profile innovative carrier when it introduced its "Flying Colors" branding in 1965. Under CEO Harding Lawrence, Braniff rapidly expanded under deregulation, even flying to Europe and Asia, and hundreds of new U.S. market routes. This is a Braniff timetable from January 4, 1960. More »

 - Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com
Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com

4.  Pan Am

Pan Am was flying high when it launched Boeing 707 jet service on October 26, 1958, with a flight from New York to Paris. This was the carrier's route map as of March 1, 1959. In January 1959, Pan Am flew 65 flights a week east from New York's Idlewild Airport to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and beyond. More »

 - Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com
Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com

5.  Eastern Airlines

Eastern Airlines, founded in 1926, was at one time the largest carrier in the free world in terms of passenger count. With services concentrated along the U.S. East coast and eventually adding service to London and Latin America. This is a route map from January 1, 1948. More »

 - Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com
Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com

6.  Air Cal

Before the U.S. airline industry deregulated in 1978, carriers that wanted to avoid government oversight by the Civil Aviation Board could fly intrastate, and Air Cal, based out of John Wayne Airport and founded in 1967, did just that. it started flying Lockheed L-188 Electras from John Wayne to San Francisco. This is a route map from March 1979. More »

 - Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com
Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com

7.  National Airlines

In 1968, National introduced its Sun King logo and Instant Florida campaign. The Instant Florida campaign introduced new uniforms and Florida-themed catering, along with bright new interiors. Also in 1968, National retired the last of its Electras becoming the nation's first all-jet airline. This is a route map from January 3, 1968. More »

 - Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com
Photo courtesy of AirwaysNews.com

8.  Northwest Airlines

Northwest Airlines was founded on September 1, 1926, and flew mail for the U.S. Post Office. The carrier put its its first Douglas DC-3 into service in 1939 and hired its first stewardess to work on it. It operated five daily flights from Chicago to Minneapolis, with three continuing west to Seattle through North Dakota and Montana.​This is a route map from August 1, 1939. More »

Top International Airports

Here's a list of the top (and some of my favorite) international airports for which I created a Quick Link Guide.   You'll easily access the airport's flight status, parking/maps, security checkpoints, airlines, amenities and Wi-Fi info.

Baggage carousel at Dubai International's Terminal 3. - Photo courtesy of Dubai International Airport
Baggage carousel at Dubai International's Terminal 3. Photo courtesy of Dubai International Airport

1.  Dubai International Airport (DXB)

HKG - rogerwp / Flickr
rogerwp / Flickr

2.  Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)

The departures lobby at London Heathrow Terminal 5. - Photo by Benet J. Wilson
The departures lobby at London Heathrow Terminal 5. Photo by Benet J. Wilson

3.  London Heathrow Airport (LHR)

Paris -Charles de Gaulle Airport - thombo2 / Flickr
thombo2 / Flickr

4.  Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)

Singapore Changi Airport - Arlene Fleming
Singapore Changi Airport. Arlene Fleming

5.  Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)

Signage at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. - Photo by Benét J. Wilson
Signage at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Photo by Benét J. Wilson

6.  Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS)

Waiting area at Incheon International Airport - Photo by Benet J. Wilson
Waiting area at Incheon International Airport. Photo by Benet J. Wilson

7.  Incheon International Airport (ICN)

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) - Arlene Fleming
Arlene Fleming

8.  Frankfurt Airport (FRA)

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) -

9.  Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK)

airport-384562_640.jpg -

10.  Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST)

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11.  Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) -

12.  Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL)

London—Gatwick Airport (LGW) - adactio / Flickr
adactio / Flickr

13.  London Gatwick Airport (LGW)

Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) - Arlene Fleming
Arlene Fleming

14.  Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD)

Doha International Airport (DOH) -

15.  Doha International Airport (DOH)

Munich Airport (MUC) - Image courtesy of Munich Airport
Image courtesy of Munich Airport

16.  Munich Airport (MUC)

Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) - Hyougushi / Flickr
Tokyo International Airport. Hyougushi / Flickr

17.  Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT)

Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) -

18.  Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)

New York—John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) -

19.  New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

Rome—Leonardo da Vinci- Fiumicino International Airport (FCO) - Mediatejack / Flickr
Mediatejack / Flickr

20.  Rome Leonardo da Vinci- Fiumicino International Airport (FCO)

Main terminal at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport - Photo by Benet J. Wilson
Main terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson. Photo by Benet J. Wilson

1.  Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic, and  has been since 1998.  It serves 150 US and over 75 international destinations... More »

Beaudevin Wine Bar at Chicago O'Hare Airport - Photo courtesy of HMSHost
Beaudevin Wine Bar at Chicago O'Hare. Photo courtesy of HMSHost

2.  Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)

 Chicago O'Hare International Airport is one of the world's busiest airports with the most runways and serving over 200 domestic and international destinations... More »

LAX Airport - herotype0 / Flickr
herotype0 / Flickr

3.  Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

Terminal D, DFW Airport - Photo by Benet J. Wilson
Terminal D, DFW Airport. Photo by Benet J. Wilson

4.  Dallas/Ft Worth International Airport (DFW)

Denver International Airport - Photo by Benet J. Wilson
Denver International Airport. Photo by Benet J. Wilson

5.  Denver International Airport (DEN)

Las Vegas Airport - Cubbie-n-Vegas / Flickr
Cubbie-n-Vegas / Flickr

6.  McCarran International Airport (LAS)

IAH Airport -

7.  George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)

Sky Harbor Pet Park - Photo by Benet J. Wilson
Sky Harbor Pet Park. Photo by Benet J. Wilson

8.  Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)

 - Photo courtesy of Minute Suites
A Minute Suites room at Philadelphia International Airport. Photo courtesy of Minute Suites

9.  Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)

Baggage claim at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. - Photo by Benet J. Wilson
Baggage claim at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Photo by Benet J. Wilson

10.  Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (MSP)

Toronto Airport -

11.  Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) -

12.  Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) -

13.  San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) - redjar / Flickr
redjar / Flickr

14.  Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)

John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) -

15.  John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

The Carybé Murals in Miami's South Terminal H. - Photo courtesy of Miami International Airport
The Carybé Murals in Miami's South Terminal H. Photo courtesy of Miami International Airport

16.  Miami International Airport (MIA)

 - Photo courtesy of the the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
A runway at JFK Airport. Photo courtesy of the the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

17.  LaGuardia Airport (LGA)

lga

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) - dmytrok / Flickr
dmytrok / Flickr

18.  Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)

Power outlet seats at Boston Logan - Photo by Benet J. Wilson
Power outlet seats at Boston Logan. Photo by Benet J. Wilson

19.  Logan International Airport (BOS)

Salt Lake City Airport -

20.  Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)

Food at Seattle-Tacoma Airport - Image courtesy of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Image courtesy of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

21.  Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

BA flight at Washington Dulles International Airport - Photo by Benet J. Wilson
BA flight at Washington Dulles International Airport. Photo by Benet J. Wilson

22.  Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)

The U.S. Arrivals Hall at Vancouver International Airport - Photo by Larry Goldstein/Courtesy of Vancouver Airport Authority
The U.S. Arrivals Hall at Vancouver International Airport. Photo by Larry Goldstein/Courtesy of Vancouver Airport Authority

23.  Vancouver International Airport (YVR)

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24.  Long Beach Airport/Daugherty Field (LGB)