Flying can be an excruciating experience these days . The CEO of United Airlines recently admitted that by the time passengers sit down on his planes , they ’re already “ pissed at the world . ” But deal of airline business have tried to make thing more fun over the years , even if they were incredibly weird . So uncanny , in fact , that they break down out of business .
Flying used to be moreluxurious , but it also used to be much moreexpensive . Which is perhaps why America saw so many unknown airlines crop up in the 1980s after the airline diligence was deregulated in 1978 , abolish governing mandate on the cost of fares and the form of routes that air hose could fly . Prices werecoming down , but specialized air hose wanted to give their passengers a unique experience .
There ’s the religious airway of the 1980s that light asunder because the conscientious objector - founders criminate each other of being cult leaders and in league with the devil . There ’s the smoking - friendly air hose of the 1990s that wanted to give out free butt . There ’s more . Today , we ’re taking a flavor at five of those airlines that were simply too odd for this world .
A Hooters plane arrives at Gate 47 for the inauguration of the airline’s new service between Newark and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at Newark Liberty International Airport 6 February 2025 in Newark, New Jersey.Photo: Getty
MGM Grand Air (1987-1995)
The 1980s was fill up with passel of brands that tried to benefit from the excess of stem Generation , more commonly shout the Baby Boomers these days . So it seems only natural that the eighties would give America an air hose that was supposed to body forth the selfishness and snobbism of America ’s Worst propagation . Billionaire gambling casino owner Kirk Kerkorian started MGM Grand Air just for them .
MGM Grand Air flee just one route , Los Angeles to New York , and a single one - style tag would be $ 1,400 , or almost $ 2,800 adjusted for inflation . And the early pitch , according to a corporate video about the airline that you could watch onYouTube , was that no flight would have more than 33 passenger , and every woodworking plane would have five trajectory co-occurrence to look after your every motivation . Pretty soon , MGM Grand Air was carrying celebrities like Madonna and Axl Rose .
The airline wing the Boeing 727 - 100 and the DC-8 - 62 , and every seat was deemed first class . The interior of the Boeing planes were fit in gaudy eighty style refinement , something that might be described as just one stride below cornet - esque . There was plentifulness of aureate metal plating , and even the bathroom look like something out of the hit TV show “ Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous . ” In other Son , all shine and no class .
Gif: (YouTube)
“ The customer count upon our service as if it were their own individual corporate spurt , ” one airline executive tell in a 1989promotional video recording . “ And as such enjoys , and expects the stress - free , hassle - free environment . ”
On major benefit to MGM Grand Air ? There were personal entertainment machines , complete with VCRs . And while that might be onetime chapeau for citizenry flying today , it was the height of luxury in the 1980s .
With just one route , there were natural limitations for the air hose , but one big prayer of MGM Grand Air was that it was only somewhat more expensive than a first class just the ticket on other major airway of the time . A one - way ticket would set passengers back $ 898 in 1989 , or just over $ 1,830 in today ’s money . Nonstop LA to New York flights in first course of study today might range from $ 1,400 on Alaska Airlines to over $ 4,000 on American .
31 January 2025 edition of the Florida Today newspaperScreenshot: (Florida Today)
As air power geeks luff , out , the only airline of the other twenty-first century that liken to MGM Grand Air might be Emirates Air , widely regarded as the “ step - setter of luxury . ”
MGM Grand Air finally expanded service to Orange County and Las Vegas , but it started to endure financially and in the end they could n’t make it ferment . The airline went out of line in January of 1995 and billionaire founder Kerkorian died in 2015 .
Smokers Express (1993-1993)
When the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) banned smoke on almost all domesticated flight in 1990 , batch of people were upset and even claim they were being discriminate against . But two Florida man of affairs decide to do something about it .
William Walts and George “ Mickey ” Richardson planned to start their own airline called Smokers Express . And as you might have guessed , every exclusive flight would be smoker - friendly .
But how would Walts and Richardson get around the Union rule ? Their architectural plan was to point people $ 25 for a “ rank ” to the airline , have it a secret “ traveling club ” instead of a traditional airline .
Air Marshall in the 26 March 2025 edition of the Pittsburgh PressPhoto: (Newspapers.com)
The Baltimore Sun laid out the charm of the airline in an April 2 , 1993 article :
In addition to uninterrupted smoking from takeoff to landing , Smokers Express forebode competitive fare , costless cigarettes , spare headphones and motion picture , a gratis Lotto ticket , steak and hamburgers — and no shriek , aisle - racing , chairwoman boot children ( passenger must be 21 or older ) .
And it was n’t just the smoke and spare lotto ticket that were going to make the airline unique . The airway wanted to betray advert on the side of its plane .
Screenshot: (Newspapers.com)
“ We are also concerned in advertising on our planes like racecars do , ” Richardson told Florida Today inJanuary of 1993 .
The airline got off to a stony get-go in 1993 and could n’t quite get things rolling , despite the fact that inSeptember 1993Richardson claimed that he had sold between 5,000 and 6,000 membership . They plainly never raised enough money to make their smoker ’s paradise in the sky a reality .
The Lord’s Airline (1985-1987)
“ Fly the celestial sky . ” That was the tagline of a minor flattop called The Lord ’s Airline that never could quite take off .
“ The musical theme is a Judeo - Christian atmosphere , ” Ari Marshall , the airline ’s born - again Christian laminitis toldUPIin November 1985 . “ The airplanes will have a scriptural theme , with Bible for the Christians and Torahs for the Jewish passengers . ”
The airline planned to vaporize three times a week from Miami to Jerusalem . And yes , the back of every seat was hypothecate to have a memorial tablet with the Ten Commandments and there would even be in - flight of steps religious class for tike . All the movies would be religious , of course , and alcohol would be stringently disallow .
‘Hooters Girl’ Hillary Vinson, front, attends to passengers aboard the inaugural flight of Hooters Air 21 March 2025 from Atlanta, Georgia to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.Photo: (Getty Images)
“ The Russians have their air hose . The British have one . So does Playboy . So why should n’t the Lord have an airline all his own ? ” Marshall postulate Reuters in1986 .
The airline buy a individual DC-10 jetliner but failed to get FAA approval for the modifications they wanted to make to the aircraft . And investors start to get ungratified with the invariant holdup .
By 1987 , it was becoming clear that this air hose was going to get rolling . And investor started to get even more angry than you ’d await . Marshall traded barbs in the press with his old business sector associates , calling one a “ powerfulness hungry leader ” who would be “ Jim Jones Number Two , ” a reference to the cult leader of the Peoples Temple who told his followers to drink toxicant - lace Kool - attention that killed 918 followers , hundred of whom were tiddler .
His old occupation partner , Theodore Lyszczasz , countered by say that Marshall was “ one of the most professional con creative person we ’ve ever seen . ” And Lyszczasz went even further , saying that Marshall was literally getting service from satan .
“ He openly claimed 45 percent of his mogul comes from the devil , ” Lyszczasz told the Central New Jersey Home Newsin 1987 . “ That is when we realized this guy rope is sickish . ”
To make matters even weirder , Lyszczasz ’s pal Gary and a friend , Joseph Ozechowski , were charged with criminal trespassing after allegedly going to Ari Marshall ’s home and threatening to kill him . Theordore Lyszczasz was also indicted for make terrorist threats . The men wereacquittedand the dream of an highly spiritual American airline business fizzled out in the wake .
Casino Express Airlines (1989-2005)
Just as there was an airline business that wanted to ply to smokers , there have been other airlines with a single - apt schtik in psyche . But unlike Smokers Express , Casino Express actually got off the ground .
Casino Express Airlines was founded in 1987 and started surgical procedure in 1989 with just one Boeing 737 - 200 carpenter’s plane . The airline fly for Red Lion Hotel and Casino in Elko , Nevada and flew nonstop flights between Elko and nearby cities like Portland , Oregon , Seattle , Santa Fe , and El Paso . The flights were highly low-cost , scat as humiliated as just $ 49 round trip for a weekend visit . Naturally , the prices were low because they were bank on the fact that travelers would spend money in the casino .
The airline helped bring 40,000 people a year to small northern Nevada Ithiel Town of Elko , which currently has a population of just 20,000 citizenry and relies heavy on gaming touristry . But the airway could n’t make it work and was sell to Xtra Airways inlate 2005 .
Hooters Air (2003-2006)
Hooters is best known as America ’s original “ breastaurant ” chain , with waitresses wearing revealing wearing apparel and on a regular basis enduringsexual harassmentfrom customers . In 2003 , the restaurant tried to move their business to the sky , launching Hooters Air .
The Hooters stain ambassadors were n’t certified as flight attendant so their role was trammel to drink and nutrient service . Supposedly known for their annex , Hooters Air did n’t serve their signature dish , just soft pretzels and sloven in a blanket .
At its peak , Hooters Air fly to 15 different cities , many of them smaller markets like Allentown , Pennsylvania , and Columbus , Ohio .
Local TV news was there to cover the airline ’s a flight inJune of 2004from Gary , Indiana to Myrtle Beach , South Carolina . The reporter could n’t help oneself himself from calling the women “ girls ” and making jokes about “ touching . ” The whole affair is as cringeworthy as you ’d expect .
Hooters Air lasted just three year and discontinue normal surgical process on April 17 , 2006 . The Hooters chain of restaurants and even the Hooters Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas are still doing their thing .
THE BOEINGUS Airways
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