The Transformation of Continental Airlines in the 1950s

The Denver Service Case, which the CAB had initiated in 1952, would determine not only which airlines could fly from Denver to Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco in competition with United, but different points as well, including non-cease rights from Chicago to the West Coast. Referred to because the ABC Service (American-Braniff-Continental), Continental leased two DC-6s from American as part of its contribution to the interchange. Six brought his bride home to Denver where the local society mavens were thrilled to have a Broadway star of their midst, married to the president of certainly one of their two hometown airlines – mouse click on airline.thaibounty.com – (the other was local service carrier, Frontier). The man chargeable for the airline’s metamorphosis was a giant guy from Stockton, California, named Robert (Bob) Forman Six. At that dinner, Bob Six met Ethel Merman, the star of the present. Bob Six was a perfectionist who demanded professionalism and the very best commonplace of service from his staff. By the point 1959 ended, Continental had actually develop into the gold standard against which different carriers had to compete.

In line with American Aviation magazine, passengers boarding one in every of the new DC-7Bs at Chicago-Midway would “walk on a gold carpet bordered by gold stanchions and use steps of anodized gold beneath a canopy of blue fiberglass.” Arriving passengers would see carpet-lined baggage carts attended by ramp crews wearing white child gloves. The crews of every provider operated the DC-6 over their respective phase. With the CAB’s approval, on May 20, 1951, the primary single-airplane service between Houston and Los Angeles was provided with a DC-6 operating over the routes of Braniff (Houston – San Antonio), Continental (San Antonio – El Paso), and American (El Paso – Los Angeles). When Bob Six placed his order for 707s, he knew that he would be capable to beat United Air Strains inaugurating jet service in the Chicago – Los Angeles, Chicago – Denver, and Denver – Los Angeles markets because United had ordered Douglas DC-8s, which would not be out there till September. Bob Six had a fascination with present business. But Bob Six noticed the potential in adding Pioneer’s routes to Continental’s system.

But Continental was about to get much more consideration as Bob Six’s want to make his airline a major player within the U.S. On June 8, 1959, Continental grew to become the third U.S. 5 of the massive propliners can be delivered in 1957. In what should have seemed an unusual move to observers, the DC-7Bs could be outfitted in an all-Coach configuration. The cabins of these Continental Club Coaches shall be compartmentalized and have stag smoker lounges in addition to spacious five-seat lounges. The cabin interiors will be fabulously finished and upholstered in comfortable, warm colours. The service shall be extended to Kansas City early in July 1957. All flights will likely be operated with the world’s best and quickest airliner, the Douglas DC-7B, outfitted with RCA Electronic Weather Avoidance Radar for the consolation of the passengers. He knew that his primary device for successful prospects was to supply them the perfect service they’d ever obtained. Finally, for an aircraft to operate the non-cease service between Chicago and Los Angeles, the company chosen Boeing’s 707, the primary of the US-constructed turbojet airliners to take to the sky – an aircraft type that most in the trade thought Continental was too small to operate. The airline had gotten into financial bother when it replaced its DC-three fleet with bigger Martin 2-0-2s. The CAB refused to increase the subsidy it paid to Pioneer for serving small cities just because the company had bought bigger airplanes.

With its 1950 promoting slogan, “Fly the Blue Skyway”, the company’s scheduled flights landed at 28 airports, most of them serving small and medium-sized cities. Instead of flying lengthy-haul routes between main cities with 4-engine airliners like its contemporaries, Continental’s DC-three ‘Gooney Birds’ hopped their manner throughout Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, serving locations like La Junta, Dodge City, Hobbs and Huge Spring. On April 1, 1955, the effective date of the Pioneer merger, Continental added 15 airports to its network together with a bunch of DC-three Gooney Birds. Pioneer then scrambled to find DC-3s once once more to change the Martins. American and TWA, each of which had additionally ordered the 707 (National Airlines had actually operated the first domestic jet service, nevertheless it was with a 707 leased from Pan American). Chicago, and about 30% of the primary Class passengers traveling between Kansas City and L.A. The primary aircraft sort ordered for the brand new routes was the Douglas DC-7B. Beginning in the fall of 1956, Continental’s marketing workforce began to promote the brand new ‘Gold Carpet Service’ that passengers could be receiving aboard Continental’s DC-7B ‘Club Coach’ flights. The idea was to treat Coach passengers better than they had ever been handled earlier than so that they would fill up the new planes and the company would generate profits on a excessive quantity of low fares.