Back in 1903, the world took notice of the Wright brothers' famous flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. That short flight ushered in a feverish drive to get "up in the air" with companies and aviators around the world.
In 1916, the Boeing Company was founded in Seattle. The last 100 years has ushered in an incredible array of flying machines. And while Boeing is the world's biggest aerospace company, it's not the only one. Airbus, Cessna, Bombardier, Embraer, Sukhoi and the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China all make passenger planes.
Still, Boeing is the most recognizable brand when it comes to jet aircraft. Even though they build the airplanes, they are purchased by airlines who configure them according to their own need. In fact, Boeing used to own United Airlines. But antitrust regulators busted up that arrangement in 1934. By then, Boeing had started to produce the model 247. This twin-engined airliner could accommodate 10 passengers from coast to coast in 20 hours, including refueling stops.
How did we fly through the air back then? What's different today?
The first jet I flew to Alaska was a Western Airlines 727 in 1978. The one-way ticket was $179 from Portland to Anchorage. Today, 38 years later, you can purchase a one-way ticket on Alaska Airlines for $156. This flight, also nonstop, is on a Boeing 737. Alaska flies several variations of the 737 on the nonstop, but Flight 134 is a 737-900.
In December, JetBlue had a sale for its summertime Anchorage-Portland nonstops for $68 each way. That sale is gone, but starting May 12, both Alaska Airlines and JetBlue are selling one-way, nonstop tickets from Anchorage to Portland for $98 each way.
For the most part, fares have come down dramatically. When I arrived in Anchorage in 1978, I checked the fare to New York City. I stopped in at a local travel agency and the agent found a "joint fare" between Western Airlines and Eastern Airlines. The least expensive rate was $750 round-trip. Today, the least expensive rate, traveling on Feb. 16, is $546 round-trip on Alaska, Delta or United. Back in June 1978, airlines still had to file their fares in advance with the Civil Aeronautics Board. That changed later in 1978 when the airlines were deregulated — now fares change all the time. As it is, Anchorage enjoys the best airfares in the entire state because so many airlines compete for passengers. In other communities like Kodiak, Nome or Barrow, fares are much higher.
To get my ticket to Anchorage, I went to a travel agency near my college campus in Eugene, Oregon. One of my classmates was a travel agent and she made the reservation and wrote out the ticket. She had to press hard, since she was making several copies: one for the airline and one for the agency's records. She even ripped out a couple of the coupons in the "four-segment" ticket, since it was just a one-way, nonstop flight.
On a trip to Hawaii in 1981, I lost my ticket. So, instead of looking up the record in a computer and printing out a new copy, I had to buy a new ticket and file a lost ticket application. I eventually got my money back, less the $25 fee.
Although today's base fares are low, you'll spend a fortune if you have to change your ticket: up to $200. Traveling with a pet costs much more. Unaccompanied minor fees have increased. Almost all fares are nonrefundable. In spite of low oil prices, international airlines still love the "fuel surcharge." On Feb. 24, you can fly from Anchorage to London for $1,580 round-trip on Alaska Airlines and British Airways. British charges a $458 fuel surcharge. Then there's an "air passenger duty" for $101 and a "passenger service charge" levied by the U.K. government for $60.
Earlier this week I traveled to Seattle and didn't talk to a single person while making my reservation. Everything was done online. Alaska Airlines has my credit card number, my frequent-flier number and my "known traveler" number so I can get PreCheck status at the TSA checkpoint.
Speaking of the security checkpoint, it stands out as one of the sore points of today's passenger experience at the airport. As much as I dislike the TSA, my most recent experience at both Anchorage and Sea-Tac was painless. With the Global Entry card, which includes TSA PreCheck privileges, it took less than five minutes to get through the checkpoint.
In 1987, traveling over-the-top in a Sabena Belgian Airways DC-10, the courteous cabin crew was passing out free cigarettes to passengers. Everyone was smoking on the Tokyo-Anchorage-Brussels flight. The DC-10s were manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, which merged with Boeing in 1997. During the 1980s and 1990s, before the collapse of the former Soviet Union, Alaskans enjoyed nonstop service to several points in Asia, including Seoul, Tokyo and Taipei. From Anchorage, travelers could fly nonstop to Paris (Air France), London (British Airways), Frankfurt (Lufthansa), Zurich (Swissair), Brussels (Sabena) and Amsterdam (KLM).
These days, the cigarettes are gone, along with most of the international nonstop flights.
Today, there are inbound charter flights from Asia to Fairbanks, but no flights are available for Alaskans to board. There are weekly flights in the summer from Anchorage to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Russia with Yakutia Airlines. Going the other way to Europe, Condor and Icelandair fly during the summer to Frankfurt and Reykjavik, respectively.
Showing movies in-flight is not a new development. Back in the "old days," there would be a big screen at the front of the cabin, or little screens would pop down in the aisle to watch the movie. The funky headphones would plug into the seat. Actually, there still are a couple of old 757s flying with the in-aisle TV screens.
Today's in-flight entertainment systems are much more robust. On Delta and JetBlue, there are individual screens in the back of the seats with movies, TV shows, music videos and games. On Alaska, you can rent one of their handheld tablets, which are preloaded with gobs of movies and shows. You also can tap into the onboard Wi-Fi. Still, between Anchorage and the Lower 48, service is spotty. Once you get to Seattle, the coverage is more uniform, although Gogo (used by Alaska and Delta) still is inconsistent. JetBlue's "Fly-fi" is much faster and uses a satellite-based system. in-flight Wi-Fi on international flights is expensive and inconsistent. Still, it's a miracle that you now can communicate while flying through the air on almost any flight.
Seats on planes have gotten smaller and there is less personal space. Still, airlines flying from Anchorage to the Lower 48 offer about 31-32 inches between seats. Ultra low-cost operators (like Spirit or Frontier) trim that to 28 inches, which is particularly brutal on tall travelers. Airlines like Alaska, Delta and JetBlue are responding by offering upgrades to roomier seats for a fee. Alaska will be rolling out a premium coach product. Delta offers Comfort +, which includes a little more room. JetBlue offers EMS, or even more space. JetBlue doesn't offer first class on its summertime flights.
Both Condor (operating a Boeing 767) and Icelandair (Boeing 757) have economy seats with more room and increased baggage allowance, available for an additional fee.
Speaking of bags, I remember traveling from Jackson, Mississippi, to Anchorage in 1983 with 11 checked bags on Northwest Airlines. The only extra fee I paid was a big tip for the Skycap. That would be impossible today, when bag fees start with the first bag on most airlines. Alaska's Club 49 is an exception, offering two free checked bags on flights to or from Alaska. But once you're in the Lower 48, it's a different story. If you're an MVP, you can get two free checked bags. If you use your Alaska Airlines Visa card, you can get one free checked bag.
Delta offers two free checked bags to Alaska residents on round-trip tickets originating in Alaska.
When traveling north from Portland to Anchorage in 1978, the Western Airlines flight attendants offered free "JFJ" Champagne, along with a warmed-up dish. "Chicken or steak?" the flight attendant kept asking as she worked her way back to my seat. The meal was a little TV-dinner tray with the meat, some soggy vegetables, a roll and some lettuce, topped with a light dusting of shredded carrots. These days, unless you're in first class, you're unlikely to feast on such a bountiful offering. My favorite snack on Alaska Airlines is the fruit-and-cheese plate for $7.50. Alaska has brought Seattle chef Tom Douglas on board to develop some new, tasty dishes. I tried the barbecue sandwich and the Greek scramble. Both were pretty good. Have your credit card ready, since your cash is no good on the plane.
As Boeing enters its second century, it's natural to wonder what's in store for travelers. I haven't been on a 787 yet, with the bigger windows and spacious interior. There are, of course, extraordinary improvements under the hood: lightweight carbon-fiber construction, improved navigation and controls for the flight deck and increased fuel efficiency.
Many of the creature comforts we read about are for those in first or business class: lie-flat seats, sumptuous meals, bigger screens on the TV and plenty of legroom. Rival Airbus builds in showers and a bar on the legendary A380 for Emirates.
Boeing has a cool TV ad called "Just Wait" featuring supersonic planes, space elevators, communities on Mars and other futuristic developments. But looking back on the first 100 years, it's not hard to imagine another incredible century for air travel.