Only time I flew Eastern was around the end of their Strike in the 80s flew from BWI-ATL-MCO-ATL-BWI because not all Eastern flights were operating when I flew them EA wet leased Aircraft and Crew from Continental the BWI-ATL-BWI Flight was Continental DC-9 and Continental Crew the ATL-MCO-ATL was Eastern 757
I read somewhere that Texas Air was planning to transfer some Eastern L-1011s to Continental but ended up not occurring Bette Nash the worlds oldest FA was a former Eastern Employee (Eastern Eastern Shuttle Trump Shuttle USAir And She’s now with AA)
Interesting fact, the first 757 delivered to eastern is now at Honeywell and used for their engine flight testing. The really neat part is the employee that signed to take delivery of the 757 at eastern now worked for Honeywell and signed to take delivery of the same plane. He said it was neat to receive the same plane twice in his career
My father worked for Eastern (in the Great Silver Fleet years) and I worked for Eastern in the '70's and '80's. This is a one of the more accurate accounts of what happened. Thank you for stating the fact that Frank Lorenzo transferred assets to Continental, which made Eastern's situation worse. And thank you for recognizing that the real reason for Eastern's demise was poor (sometimes intentionally poor) management. It has been so popular to blame everything that went wrong on the unions. I was not a union employee, but I observed what was really going on. Much of the issue began with Frank Borman. He took credit for Eastern's success in the early '70's, which actually was the result of the end of a recession. In addition, his management team kept 2 sets of books; one set went to the creditors, and the other (more dire) version was presented to the employees. When this was discovered, the unions no longer trusted management. In addition, American Airlines actually offered more to purchase Eastern than Texas Air (Frank Lorenzo), but this was refused by Borman, most likely due to his feelings of animosity towards the unions. Unfortunately, he also sold those of us who were supporting him down the river for what was basically a personal conflict. We were all quite apprehensive when Frank Lorenzo took over, due to his reputation. At the time, I was initially hopeful that a change might restore employee/management relations. I was certainly wrong about that!
I'm so glad you resonated with this video. Eastern was such a great airline and it's a shame that it was brought to an end by a number of factors, especially within upper management.
@@jimlubinski4731 were either of them CIA? Eastern was certainly CIA affiliated and the company despise unions so it doesn’t surprise me their management and industrial relations were so bad
@@billwalker7556 - You sir, are an idiot. I didn’t work at Eastern, and wasn’t on the airline or union side of the aviation industry when this went down, but Jim is 110% correct - Borman’s incompetence set the stage, and Lorenzo deliberately scuttled Eastern to benefit his scab carrier Continental.
Good video but way too kind to Frank Lorenzo. Bankruptcy court removed Eastern from Lorenzo's control in 1991 due to neglect and mismanagement. He's now 80 and spending his millions made from the sacrifices of airline employees. What a guy!
I still remember his name and I was just a kid. There were suicides I think. My dad had to retire early and lost a lot of money. I struggled in life with an injury and my parents barely got by in retirement and couldn’t afford to even help me get a used car so I could work. I was homeless a long time and went on gov assistance… A friend ended up giving me a car which gives me something to live out of having returned home to FL to heal. Lorenzo was much-hated but we’ve all moved on now.
On my way to Puerto Rico as a kid, I had this pretty, helpful flight attendant "pinning my wings' on my shirt. Then they took me to the L 10-11's flight deck!!! Talk about me winning the lottery!! Was very sad that it went under but furious as to why. It will always be my favorite Airline.
I loved traveling on Eastern Airlines!! I remember going from St. Croix USVI to San Juan, PR in a medium size jet and it only took 15 minutes that's how fast it traveled! One of my aunt's still has an umbrella that says Eastern Airlines.
After reading the title of this video, I immediately said "Frank Lorenzo". I worked at ORD during the strike, and saw those poor workers every single day, rain, sun and snow. He was hated throughout the industry. It was a great airline, and the L-1011 in the Eastern Airline livery was spectacular.
@@StevieWonder737 Well, it had too much cash on hand, and stock was undervalued, so Lorenzo raided it. But it suffered under Borman’s lousy leadership, which put them in this position for raiding. Turns out astronauts aren’t any better at business than the ordinary man. But, it wasn’t noticeably lousier than the other mid-eighties airlines, in terms of service or flying experience, than the other airlines struggling with deregulation.
I was on an Eastern Airlines jet flying to Bermuda in the mid-70s in a terrible storm. I remember the captain coming on the PA system, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, we will be experiencing a lot of rough turbulence, as the storm in Bermuda has just become a tropical depression. Please buckle your seat belts tightly." It was the wildest plane ride of my life. Crazy up-and-down currents and yawing like I have never experienced before in an aircraft. When we touched down in Bermuda, the passengers cheered and clapped. I just remember my sweet father having such a look of relief on his face that we were on terra firma. Great airline. I sure miss it. And yet again, another spectacular video from you, Andrew!
Holy smokes, that sure sounds like one heck of a roller-coaster ride! Bad turbulence is really scary, and the pilots always seem to use that superb training to pull off the best landings. Thanks for sharing your story and I'm so glad you enjoyed the video :3
In 1979 we flew as Germans on Eastern 4 weeks throughout the States, into the Caribbean and to Mexico. We were 25 years old and we had the best experience of our life. That was an unrestricted ticket that you could buy in Germany and on which you just had to book the flights in advance. And you may not believe the price, only 369 dollars. We will never forget and we will always remember how we loved flying Eastern.
That must've been one "magical" experience! Those pins are probably considered vintage, so hold onto that. Wonder if anyone still has any of those gift bags with toys that they used to give out. 😄
@@andrewsaviation7792 Growing up in the 1960s and '70s, we flew to Florida (Orlando (probably MCO) and Tampa (TPA)) multiple times on EA, and the trips were always connected through ATL. After EA went under, we flew Dl, and then TZ came along. I have fond memories of flying Eastern.
@@andrewsaviation7792 I do but not from Eastern. I worked for Delta and have the plastic wings I gave out mostly to kids but some adults also wanted them. I have linen tablecloths and linen napkins embossed with Delta's logo on them. A full set of China embossed with a gold rim and the around plates saucers and cups used for meal service also with the Delta logo on them. I have glassware with the Delta logo etched on them that were used to serve beverages. I have several sets of silverware with the Delta logo stamped on them.
Frank Lorenzo was the main reason for Eastern's downfall. When his Texas International bought Continental, he took the airline into bankruptcy, abrogating all the union contracts, then offered the employees their jobs back at half the pay. Then in a leveraged buyout, he bought Eastern. When he refused to negotiate in good faith with Eastern's unions, he started transferring assets of Eastern to now non-union Continental, including aircraft and routes. This made it hard for Eastern to compete. Pilots and fleet service had been working without contracts for years, both before and after Lorenzo took over. The pilots went on strike and the airline ceased operations. Lorenzo was forced to divest itself of both airlines and was banned from ever owning another airline. Eastern was great airline!
I worked for Eastern in the early-mid 80's out of LGA & EWR. Most of our flights were at near capacity. The shuttle was bread & butter. We were obligated to buy stock shares from each paycheck!! I saw many employees at both airports work hard every day. I couldn't understand how we could be in such dire financial straits.. The daily/weekly updates on our company's situation pissed me off. The boots on the ground were doing their utmost to make EAL successful, unfortunately the IGNORANT 3 ran EAL right into the ground. Frank Borman may have graduated from the USMA and been an astronaut but he was no friggin business mind much less a competent aviation executive. (he could fly a plane but he sure as hell couldn't run an airline), the other Frank...Frank Lorenzo... He gutted Continental, once a proud airline that prior to deregulation, flew the western part of the US, Hawaii & further west. He gutted the senior employees, broke the Unions. He skimmed his money from the top & let the airline go to hell. The 3rd Ignoramus...Charlie Bryant! The head of the IAM (International Aircraft Machinists Union).. He believed EAL was his. That He, Charlie Bryant held such sway with the employees, lenders and aviation analysts that he was some sort of guru. Borman & Bryant had such huge egos that they felt saving face was far more important then saving the airline.. Thousands upon thousands of lives were harshly impacted. Many lost everything they had worked so hard to accrue. As for the 3 Jackwagons... Golden Parachutes for the 2 Franks & a huge Union package for Bryant... EAL was a GREAT Airline!!!
You forgot Jack Bavis, the ALPA MEC chair at EAL. He got a sweet deal from ALPA national and then was appointed to the NTSB. He landed on his feet but his membership was crushed.
I was a F/A with EAL from 1967-1976. Those were the days, my friend. I loved my job. In the beginning, you couldn't be married, so most only flew 2-3 years until they got married. You had to retire from working the skies at 31. You were required to have personal appearance checks periodically - weight, make-up, hair (had to be off your neck & clean), nails, & uniforms. If there was a problem, you were put on leave until the issue was corrected. And we were trained to be gracious. Then Womens Lib hit. Many of my F/A friends jumped on board - saying the pilots didn't have to have P/A checks. I disagreed, feeling we were the walking advertisement for Eastern & it shouldn't be an issue - to look our best. I believed it also added some respect to our position. Obviously my opinion was in the minority. Now most US F/As look like they've just rolled out of bed & had a couple of Whoppers on the way to the airport.
The only thing I don't like about this video is the lack of emphasis on just how much Lorenzo destroyed this airline after he aquired it. I know it was already headed downwards, but with Lorenzo, it definitely had no chance of recovery. Apparently, he's still running things behind the scenes. Some say he is behind the scenes of names like Spirit and Frontier.
I worked at EAL from 1969 to 1989. As the Director of Customer Services in EAL HQ in the late 80's I was responsible for creating operating plans for the airline should bankruptcy or a strike occur. I concur with the view that both the unions and management contributed to the demise of our beloved airline. Where I differ is in believing that Frank Lorenzo was the cause. Frank was a symptom as he sought to take advantage of a financially strapped airline. While bleeding off EAL assets to CO speeded up the end game, the "patient" was already fatally ill when FRank entered the arena. Anyway, that is just my perspective - from someone who was there at the time.
Thanks for sharing this. Your point on Frank Lorenzo is likely correct in many ways. Obviously many factors contributed to the demise of Eastern, and Lorenzo was maybe the one who dealt the final blow to the airline. Would Lorenzo have done what he did if Eastern wasn't in the wrong place at the wrong time? Maybe not.
@@andrewsaviation7792 Folks I knew with many years of experience at EAL greater than mine also highlighted the debt incurred as Captn. Eddie scrambled to get jet delivery positions after his initial decision not to order jets and continue with the Super Constellations (Connies).
@@kenburch Yes, that absolutely put Eastern in a crunch. Captain Eddie at the time didn't like the idea of jets, so Eastern was falling behind in "luxury" compared to other airlines. The way to fix that was to get jets ASAP, and last minute delivery slots are expensive. Eastern appeared to recover from the delay however, but it probably wasn't something the staff would have liked to deal with.
Eastern was my favorite airline. Growing up, I wanted to be an Eastern flight attendant. The whole mess was happening with the strike when I became old enough to apply. Eastern was my first flight attendant interview. I wasn't selected and my heart broke but looking back, I'm glad I didn't. I went on the have a great career as a flight attendant and I'm still flying.
I was a flight attendant for Eastern for17 years. All they did was cut our salaries. I never made it passed 10 year raise all I knew was pay cuts. It was Frank Borman who sold us to Continental. They strip us of everything until we were a shell. After that I went to United Airlines. I just retired in September. Glad I got a second chance.
I am glad you got another chance I too went to United and they too stripped mechanic of their pay and retirement and I didn’t know if I can ever retire
@@christopherhennessey8991 Pilots’ pensions were partially covered by the US fed government after Eastern’s bankruptcy. I believe this impacted even those who retired prior to 1989.
They had red-eye specials from LAX to EWR via IAH. Loved the a300. They called it the Moonlight Special. Once again, great stuff and I've subscribed. Cheers
My dad was a regular business traveler and flew out of GSP in the early to mid 80’s. Normally the Eastern planes he flew were 727s. But one clear blue sky day when we went to pick my dad up, there was a brand new 757-painted on the tail. It was the tallest plane I’d ever seen up close AND I wondered why the huge engines had Rolls Royce logos! That was probably the beginning of my obsession for air flight. I was probably 12 when I first saw this plane!!
I once had a conversation with a striking pilot picketing at Newark, when I asked him what he was going to do when his strike pushed Eastern out of business. He just scoffed at me, but six months later, he was out of a job.
Growing up in Atlanta, my Dad and later my older brother worked @ Eastern. My first plane ride was on a DC9 from ATL to DAB in 1990. ATL was full of Delta and Eastern planes then.
@@andrewsaviation7792 that is correct at one time Delta had all of Concourse A (as they do today) Delta had 1/2 of B and Eastern had 1/2 of B and Concourse C was ALL Eastern (and Eastern Metro Express but that's another separate story) at the time D concourse was everyone else. What is now T concourse was simply called THE INTERNATIONAL CONCOURSE. This was before E and F were built and BTW I was there on the concourse the first day Concourse E opened.
Why did it fail? (In spite of the plural term “airlines” all airline companies are considered as a single corporation not several. The pronoun “it” is correct.) Thanks
Andrew, what you're missing is the sheer intransigence and incompetence of the head of the EA IAM (machinists' union), Charlie Bryan, under both Frank Borman and Frank Lorenzo. The IAM needed to remove him and they did not. When it came to Lorenzo, it was irresistible force versus immovable object. And the rest became history.
I don’t think Boreman and Lorenzo are covered in any glory here either, from inept to crooked. Eastern’s affiliation with the company didn’t help either
Eastern and Pan Am were my two favorite airlines. The first time I flew in a jetliner was with Pan Am back in 1967 for my first visit to New York and Eastern took me to my new home, Boston in 1980. Both airlines were great and I was sad to see them go.
Exactly ... all part of Lorenzo’s business model. The resilience of the labor unions and Judge Lifland upended his evil scheme. Lorenzo is part inspiration (along with Ivan Boesky) for Gordon Gekko, the ‘greed is good’ character from Wall Street.
I flew Eastern OMA-MCI-DCA and back in the summer of 1985 when I was 13. Quite memorable. Frank Lorenzo and Carl Icahn were airline killers. Sorry, had to get that in there.
Carl Icahn really did kill TWA by selling off assets and brokering at reduced fares millions of dollars of tickets via entities he controlled via barter and consolidator agreements. He ripped and stripped it long before the Ch. 11 and sale to AA. I know some of this story from working with TWA folks at another company before and after all was said and done. Eastern was a hot mess long before Lorenzo, going back to Captain Eddie days. A long history of poor labor relations, theft and general mismanagement. In fact, Lorenzo's biggest mistake was buying EA. My perspective is one from working as a mid-level ad manager for New York Air so yes, I did work for him, but in a small G.O. you were part of nearly everything. The story is far more complicated than 'Lorenzo bad, old EA good'. Texas Air almost succeeded in buying TWA before Icahn, and they would have been better off because the New York Air team would have been managing them--and we could and did make money.
You gotta do TWA, PAN-AM, Valujet Airlines, and Air Florida! as well as any other retro airlines that have merged with the big carriers today! So far so good on this series!
Worked for Eastern on the line. And was later bought into bay 51 bay 52 heavy Miami working L1011 A300 and DC10 airframes. Felt Lorenzo had no people skills and still is a snake.
as a retired united airlines mechanic, i,ve actually flown on and liked eastern airlines even though i hated frank lorenzo who use to work at united for awhile (don,t quoat me on that)so it was a really sad day that jan,1991 when eastern shut down for good.Even pilots,mechanic,s ground crews at the other airlines felt sad and supported all those now displaced eastern enployee,s back then.Boy thinking back then whate happened and only 3 major airlines left, its difficult because those days were great working for airline industry unlike today 2023.
In my opinion Jimmy Carter's airline deregulation act of 1978 really hurt the old airlines. For example, anyone could startup a new airline and fly wherever they wanted. In the past airlines had been forced to fly routes and told how much their fares would be. A new startup was also free of 50 years of union contracts. Is it any wonder it was so hard for them to compete? Also, a corporate raider like Frank De Lorenzo was the last thing they needed.
Eastern was the last major Airline to go all jet. I was a Steward ( flight attendant) in the 70's for Eastern and actually flew on the Electra ( huge prop jet with First Class in the back). We got Franked by both of these men!
You still call yourself stewardess? I think that's cool. I remember flying when that was what y'all were called and then it suddenly changed but my dad still would say stewardess and steward.
I used to work at Busch Gardens back around 1990. I remember some guest would have pins on their shirts with "Lorenzo" and a circle with a line crossing out his name. I used to give them a thumbs up.
I was on one of the last flights before shutdown. PDX/SEA/ATL/RIC The flight out of Portland was a redeye getting in to Atlanta early in the morning connecting up to Richmond. That night at midnight they folded. Damn I was lucky. I really miss them to this day
Newark Airport to Ft Myers every summer from 1971 to 1979 to see my grandparents until they moved to Phoenix then two years later we moved to Phoenix. Most years it was Eastern but I also remember flying National Airlines a couple of times. Perhaps you can tell their story. Thanks
You left out the huge animosity between Frank Borman and Charlie Bryan. They let their egos get in the way & agreed to sell to Frank Lorenzo to spite each other. Many airline writers felt that Borman was the wrong hire for the job from day one--that Eastern hired him because of his celebrity rather than his business acumen. Aaron Bernstein's book, "Grounded" is a great resource on this subject. Unbelievable--what bad management can do to a large company!
My dad was a captain and retired early after the strike. I used to fly alone as a kid to visit my grandparents down in Miami. I guess I moved home to FL to recapture some of those good vibes from my youth, but those times are long gone. I have to create something new… somehow.
EASTERN, was my airline, after I came to USA in 1959, I flew them more than ANY AIRLINE got to know many cockpit & cabin crew, Especially going to KINGSTON JAMAICA DEC -JAN stayed with my mom , would you believe the SAME crew 12 years , they used B727-200 on that route spring was BWI, as POE, other times was ATL, flew everything they had EXCEPT the LOCKEED L188 ELECTRA, , when , BORMAN, the ex austranaught , bough the A300 first generation, whayncrap, they were flying PIGS, they did NOTHING they were expected to do. NOTHING !, I actually walked the picket. Line in EWR, a few asked if I worked there, but could have , when EAL DIED I purposely DID NOT go to CONTINENTAL, because of FRANK LORENZO, ( airline builder ), yeah ! Cheers 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Yes brief on the details indeed. As an airline CSA now since 1994 I know (and I think you do too) that the demise of Eastern is somewhat more complicated than an 8 minute RUclips video.I note that you did not mention what was a big complication if you will at the time was the selling of Eastern's CRS (Computer Reservation System). If I remember correctly it was System One. (I think at the time AA used/owned Sabre and TWA used/owned Worldspan/PARS) Ahhh it was SYSTEM ONE, I just found an article in the archvives. www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1989-04-07-8901180577-story.html Having said all of this, I did enjoy your "brief" video.
Yes, "brief" would definitely be an understatement. There were so many factors contributing to Eastern's demise that a video talking about Eastern's entire history would be extremely long. Hopefully I got the big picture covered :)
@@andrewsaviation7792 can you do a longer more in depth version of this? Maybe a podcast/discussion as well? You could include the CIA using Eastern for drug running from Bolivia and the coverup of the flight 980 crash, it must have contributed/been a symptom of it’s demise.
My! Such good comments that are, well written in correct English grammar! I commend the folks. As to this documentary on the famous Eastern Airlines Company...it's well done. Facts of the company's rise and fall and, limited comeback seem to lead most of its downfall to one man. When it was taken over by Lorenzo, I had thought that some of the problems could've been traced to NASA astronaut, Frank Borman who ran the company for awhile. Well...anyway, for my personal experiences, here they are: My very first flight on a plane was May 31, 1964. From Indianapolis to Atlanta on an Eastern 4 engine turboprop. I was 13...just 3 months away from being 14. Summer vacation in Indy just started, I believe, on the 28th of May. An uncle of mine was up for his annual visit to see the Indy 500 of 1964. I had plans to visit relatives in Georgia and Florida. Exciting was that first air voyage of mine. Next memorable time of flying Eastern was when I flew down to Atlanta from Indy to give my soon- to- be wife (June, 1976) and engagement ring. That happened on December 31 in the evening. The stewardess were so nice to me...especially when I showed the ring to a couple of them. There is a few other times I remember flying on Eastern. All good, too. It was so sad to see and read of them going out of business in the early 1990's. I ALSO look forward to a documentary on Piedmont Airlines. Back almost 30 years ago I worked at an independent high-end audio stereo store for a man who was a pilot with Piedmont. (Wonder whatever happened to the man who was nearing his late 40's at that time?) He was not successful in the side "moonlighting career" in stereo sales but, a good pilot.
My mistake. I mentioned in the comment I just did (12-16-2020) about working at an independent stereo store...it was nearly 40 years ago, not 30. Also...literally all those days I was by my self. Fun but lonely. Very little business happened there. No actual promoting the business was done by the owner, nor me. It was a "tax write-off" for him. He paid me fair, too.
In the 70's and 80"s it seemed like I was always on an Eastern flight. to somewhere. Debt kills everything in the end. Money out exceeds money in. Frank Lorenzo is a pariah in the airline industry.
I worked for Eastern from 1957 to 1989, taking an early retirement before they stop flying! I was pleasantly surprised by your assessment of its failure! However, Eastern made some financial mistakes plus their relationship with the unions that headed to bankruptcy! Eastern was the first victim of the new tendency of owners to eliminate unions, file for bankruptcy and come back with minimum wage employees and sub-contract for services or outsource. We were just at the wrong place during deregulation of the airlines!☹️🇵🇷
Eastern was one of the big kids on the block back in the day. I remember The Atlanta Braves, Falcons and Hawks use to fly Eastern when they traveled on away games. “America’s favorite way to fly”
We flew Eastern a few times in the early Eighties to Orlando. They provided very good service and very friendly staff. Their vacation department was very helpful planning our first family vacation to Disney World. It was disappointing when they stopped operating. To me Southwest airlines is the new Eastern airlines with good service and friendly staff.
Lorenzo is reported to have said, "First, I will own this airline. Then, I will run it into the ground". It took him a while, but that's exactly what he did. Lorenzo remains free, though how he acquired Eastern & Continental is now illegal. He will likely get away with all of it, though many think he shouldn't.
My folks lived in Washington, D.C. and I went to college in Boston. I loved Eastern Airlines because I could take one shuttle flight from D.C. to New York and the second shuttle flight from New York to Boston. The round-trip fare was $50.00. Those were the days (early 1970s)! 😆
Yeah, it's hard to believe that the 1990s were 20-30 years ago. Thankfully other airlines picked up where they left off on many of their old popular routes.
i flew on eastern in 1984 to bermuda the first of 5 times flying on the 757 when it was brand new service was good but food was god awful well still is no matter what carrier i flown with delta,united
I worked in CMH during the strike. Called a scab everyday all day. One thing worth pointing out, was the wet-lease program. We used continental aircraft for eastern flights.
My grandpa worked for Eastern until the very end! He has scrapbooks of photos of him on strike and a china cabinet full of genuine eastern china, silver utensils/kettles, pamphlets, books, etc. Very interesting hearing his side of the story. Even growing up.
It's easy to blame it all on Lorenzo. The Unions were destroying the company and Texas Air was primarily interested in acquiring System One computer. Naturally, the assets were being moved to Continental, a solvent and growing concern. When the unions struck, Eastern management was given the choice by Lorenzo to liquidate or rebuild. They chose the latter. Assets were moved back from Continental in the efforts to resurrect the airline. A number of factors, including soaring fuel costs and recession finally gave the unions their wish. Borman had been hated as well. The old timers would say, "Same hate, different Frank." I know this comment will stir up some hate from those who were duped by the unions. Always does.
In 1973, our family flew to Disney World on an Eastern 727. I recall our hitting some turbulence during beverage service, and the flight attendants loss control of one of the carts and it rolled the length of the plane! 😂 Fortunately, no one was injured.
EASTERN was many years the big guy in the Caribbean *SJU*. They should have ordered the L1011-500 instead of the DC10 as they had a big L1011 fleet and already the experience. I remember "El Interamericano" service to all of Latin America. My original OnePass frequent traveler number is still active! From EA to CO and finally at UA !!
I was a big Eastern fan and customer back in the day. They had affordable 1st Class that I could actually afford then. I flew often from Ft Myers, FL., to Columbus Ohio. I flew to LA, CA also on occasions on Eastern. It was a great "people airline" back then. I'm glad it's making a small comeback. 🙂🙂
First class on a now defunct airline sounds awesome! From what the old ads show, that first class was something to talk about. Maybe we'll eventually get to see something similar with the new Eastern if things go their way 😄
Back in those days flying was a luxury.. We flew the Eastern L-1011 to Disney World in 1979 & 1980 respectfully very awesome trips and flights, they served us lunch & dinner at no cost everything was included. We also flew Western & TWA too & the L-1011 were spectacular as well as the 10s, seats were larger, Fight Attendants were nicer and service was way better back then. Nothing like this crap we see today. If you want an once of luxury you'll have to pay for a first class or business class seat for hundreds or thousands of $$$ to even rent a private jet. Even coach back then was the equivalent of first class as the airlines flew the L-1011s and DC-10s on short hops which was the best. Unfortunately flying now is a means of getting you from point A to B by convenience not luxury.
Would love to see JetBlue buy the Eastern name ,and see them operate as Eastern Airlines,along with purchasing some wide body jets.Would be amazing to see the two-tone blue hockey stick painted back on their planes ,flying the extensive network they have now.
So this is why there are still aircraft flying around with Eastern's livery. I thought perhaps the airline still existed in some obscure form but it seems the trademark was sold. Interesting stuff.
@@andrewsaviation7792 The closest to June 1967, I have an EA timetable from Jan. 1968 & MSP had a total of 3 daily flights on EA, with all of them going to ORD & ending up in MIA or FLL after multiple stops. All 3 flights used B727 equipment. I wouldn't be surprised if the services were about the same in this 6 month period.
Loved flying Eastern 727 aircraft , really hope to see that livery around America real soon , will def get my families Business , it was big in BNA along with AA and Braniff and Delta back in 70’s
Eastern was a victim of deregulation in 1979. They were never able to overcome the influx of new carriers in the late 80s, and didn’t adapt to new era of competition. Frank Lorenzo was the reason for Eastern, Texas international, Frontier, people Express, and continental to fail. Only continental survived. Frontier was restarted in the late 90s as a separate entity. continental ended up merging with United. They were a victim of deregulation which they didn’t adapt to.
I used to fly Eastern’s shuttle from D.C. to N.Y.C quite a bit. I think the fare was $29 each way. A lot cheaper than driving considering the price of gas and the tolls, not to mention the time. Oh, and the reduction of sky rocketing blood pressure from dealing with the traffic on I-95 was so worth it too.
I’ve seen the news accounts and lack of investigation of Eastern Flight 980 from Paraguay to La Paz, Bolivia in 1985, the flight that crashed into a mountain quite off course. However, private investigators found drugs were being smuggled, animal skins as well, on Eastern flights. Two men even found the black box years later that previous official investigators had declared missing from the time of the crash. Sleazy dealings will kill a business as well.
Comment your Eastern experiences and leave your suggestions about which airlines you'd like to see next!
North Central would be a great story.
Only time I flew Eastern was around the end of their Strike in the 80s flew from BWI-ATL-MCO-ATL-BWI because not all Eastern flights were operating when I flew them EA wet leased Aircraft and Crew from Continental the BWI-ATL-BWI Flight was Continental DC-9 and Continental Crew the ATL-MCO-ATL was Eastern 757
I read somewhere that Texas Air was planning to transfer some Eastern L-1011s to Continental but ended up not occurring Bette Nash the worlds oldest FA was a former Eastern Employee (Eastern Eastern Shuttle Trump Shuttle USAir And She’s now with AA)
What were the largest planes you flew for EA?
Just found your channel, and would love to see a feature on Northwest. My dad worked for them as a gate/ticket agent for decades.
Interesting fact, the first 757 delivered to eastern is now at Honeywell and used for their engine flight testing. The really neat part is the employee that signed to take delivery of the 757 at eastern now worked for Honeywell and signed to take delivery of the same plane. He said it was neat to receive the same plane twice in his career
I think I've seen that plane at PHX.
@@straycat1081 You can usually see it parked on the Northside of the airport by the Honeywell building.
My father worked for Eastern (in the Great Silver Fleet years) and I worked for Eastern in the '70's and '80's. This is a one of the more accurate accounts of what happened. Thank you for stating the fact that Frank Lorenzo transferred assets to Continental, which made Eastern's situation worse. And thank you for recognizing that the real reason for Eastern's demise was poor (sometimes intentionally poor) management. It has been so popular to blame everything that went wrong on the unions. I was not a union employee, but I observed what was really going on. Much of the issue began with Frank Borman. He took credit for Eastern's success in the early '70's, which actually was the result of the end of a recession. In addition, his management team kept 2 sets of books; one set went to the creditors, and the other (more dire) version was presented to the employees. When this was discovered, the unions no longer trusted management. In addition, American Airlines actually offered more to purchase Eastern than Texas Air (Frank Lorenzo), but this was refused by Borman, most likely due to his feelings of animosity towards the unions. Unfortunately, he also sold those of us who were supporting him down the river for what was basically a personal conflict. We were all quite apprehensive when Frank Lorenzo took over, due to his reputation. At the time, I was initially hopeful that a change might restore employee/management relations. I was certainly wrong about that!
I'm so glad you resonated with this video. Eastern was such a great airline and it's a shame that it was brought to an end by a number of factors, especially within upper management.
@Rocky Hunter Incredibly poor management was the cause. The two Franks did the whole thing in, and I was not a union employee.
@@jimlubinski4731 were either of them CIA? Eastern was certainly CIA affiliated and the company despise unions so it doesn’t surprise me their management and industrial relations were so bad
union did nothing for the employees.
don't blame management. unions are trash and they all need to be thrown out.
@@billwalker7556 - You sir, are an idiot. I didn’t work at Eastern, and wasn’t on the airline or union side of the aviation industry when this went down, but Jim is 110% correct - Borman’s incompetence set the stage, and Lorenzo deliberately scuttled Eastern to benefit his scab carrier Continental.
Good video but way too kind to Frank Lorenzo. Bankruptcy court removed Eastern from Lorenzo's control in 1991 due to neglect and mismanagement. He's now 80 and spending his millions made from the sacrifices of airline employees. What a guy!
That’s the good old American way
Lorenzo is trash.
I hope he's happy.
I still remember his name and I was just a kid. There were suicides I think. My dad had to retire early and lost a lot of money. I struggled in life with an injury and my parents barely got by in retirement and couldn’t afford to even help me get a used car so I could work. I was homeless a long time and went on gov assistance… A friend ended up giving me a car which gives me something to live out of having returned home to FL to heal. Lorenzo was much-hated but we’ve all moved on now.
@@YvonneTheArtistIndeed, Continental CEO Al Feldman shot himself in his office after he realized all hope was lost on resisting Lorenzo.
On my way to Puerto Rico as a kid, I had this pretty, helpful flight attendant "pinning my wings' on my shirt. Then they took me to the L 10-11's flight deck!!! Talk about me winning the lottery!! Was very sad that it went under but furious as to why. It will always be my favorite Airline.
Me too the best airline in the 60s and 70s 👍
I loved traveling on Eastern Airlines!! I remember going from St. Croix USVI to San Juan, PR in a medium size jet and it only took 15 minutes that's how fast it traveled! One of my aunt's still has an umbrella that says Eastern Airlines.
Dammed Arabs ruined America course they think opposit
St. Croix is almost visible from San Jaun so of course it was quick.
After reading the title of this video, I immediately said "Frank Lorenzo". I worked at ORD during the strike, and saw those poor workers every single day, rain, sun and snow. He was hated throughout the industry.
It was a great airline, and the L-1011 in the Eastern Airline livery was spectacular.
From what I've read and heard, Lorenzo seemed like quite a douchehat.
You are so right .I live in Miami, and prior to shut down I flew Eastern the majority of the time.
The Tristar was quite the plane.
It was a crap airline. The airplanes and the airline were in dismal shape long before Lorenzo touched it.
@@StevieWonder737 Well, it had too much cash on hand, and stock was undervalued, so Lorenzo raided it. But it suffered under Borman’s lousy leadership, which put them in this position for raiding. Turns out astronauts aren’t any better at business than the ordinary man. But, it wasn’t noticeably lousier than the other mid-eighties airlines, in terms of service or flying experience, than the other airlines struggling with deregulation.
I was on an Eastern Airlines jet flying to Bermuda in the mid-70s in a terrible storm. I remember the captain coming on the PA system, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, we will be experiencing a lot of rough turbulence, as the storm in Bermuda has just become a tropical depression. Please buckle your seat belts tightly." It was the wildest plane ride of my life. Crazy up-and-down currents and yawing like I have never experienced before in an aircraft. When we touched down in Bermuda, the passengers cheered and clapped. I just remember my sweet father having such a look of relief on his face that we were on terra firma. Great airline. I sure miss it. And yet again, another spectacular video from you, Andrew!
Holy smokes, that sure sounds like one heck of a roller-coaster ride! Bad turbulence is really scary, and the pilots always seem to use that superb training to pull off the best landings. Thanks for sharing your story and I'm so glad you enjoyed the video :3
In 1979 we flew as Germans on Eastern 4 weeks throughout the States, into the Caribbean and to Mexico. We were 25 years old and we had the best experience of our life. That was an unrestricted ticket that you could buy in Germany and on which you just had to book the flights in advance. And you may not believe the price, only 369 dollars. We will never forget and we will always remember how we loved flying Eastern.
I was one of the kids who flew to Disney in the seventies. I still have the eastern wings pin the stewardess gave me.
That must've been one "magical" experience! Those pins are probably considered vintage, so hold onto that. Wonder if anyone still has any of those gift bags with toys that they used to give out. 😄
@James Donohue I can remember flying from NY to MIA in the early 1980's. What a great Airline! RIP Eastern AL.
@@andrewsaviation7792
Growing up in the 1960s and '70s, we flew to Florida (Orlando (probably MCO) and Tampa (TPA)) multiple times on EA, and the trips were always connected through ATL. After EA went under, we flew Dl, and then TZ came along. I have fond memories of flying Eastern.
Eastern was the official airline of Walt Disney World at one time.
@@andrewsaviation7792 I do but not from Eastern. I worked for Delta and have the plastic wings I gave out mostly to kids but some adults also wanted them. I have linen tablecloths and linen napkins embossed with Delta's logo on them. A full set of China embossed with a gold rim and the around plates saucers and cups used for meal service also with the Delta logo on them. I have glassware with the Delta logo etched on them that were used to serve beverages. I have several sets of silverware with the Delta logo stamped on them.
Frank Lorenzo was the main reason for Eastern's downfall. When his Texas International bought Continental, he took the airline into bankruptcy, abrogating all the union contracts, then offered the employees their jobs back at half the pay. Then in a leveraged buyout, he bought Eastern. When he refused to negotiate in good faith with Eastern's unions, he started transferring assets of Eastern to now non-union Continental, including aircraft and routes. This made it hard for Eastern to compete. Pilots and fleet service had been working without contracts for years, both before and after Lorenzo took over. The pilots went on strike and the airline ceased operations. Lorenzo was forced to divest itself of both airlines and was banned from ever owning another airline. Eastern was great airline!
and Eastern's lucrative Computer Reservation System SYSTEM ONE
@@FABAGENT that too!
I worked for Eastern as a Skycap & Flight Attendant from 1974 to 1989 F/A from 1976 based in SJU and MIA.😎
I worked for Eastern in the early-mid 80's out of LGA & EWR. Most of our flights were at near capacity. The shuttle was bread & butter. We were obligated to buy stock shares from each paycheck!! I saw many employees at both airports work hard every day. I couldn't understand how we could be in such dire financial straits.. The daily/weekly updates on our company's situation pissed me off. The boots on the ground were doing their utmost to make EAL successful, unfortunately the IGNORANT 3 ran EAL right into the ground. Frank Borman may have graduated from the USMA and been an astronaut but he was no friggin business mind much less a competent aviation executive. (he could fly a plane but he sure as hell couldn't run an airline), the other Frank...Frank Lorenzo... He gutted Continental, once a proud airline that prior to deregulation, flew the western part of the US, Hawaii & further west. He gutted the senior employees, broke the Unions. He skimmed his money from the top & let the airline go to hell. The 3rd Ignoramus...Charlie Bryant! The head of the IAM (International Aircraft Machinists Union).. He believed EAL was his. That He, Charlie Bryant held such sway with the employees, lenders and aviation analysts that he was some sort of guru. Borman & Bryant had such huge egos that they felt saving face was far more important then saving the airline.. Thousands upon thousands of lives were harshly impacted. Many lost everything they had worked so hard to accrue. As for the 3 Jackwagons... Golden Parachutes for the 2 Franks & a huge Union package for Bryant... EAL was a GREAT Airline!!!
So True .
Boreman was CIA
You forgot Jack Bavis, the ALPA MEC chair at EAL. He got a sweet deal from ALPA national and then was appointed to the NTSB. He landed on his feet but his membership was crushed.
I was a F/A with EAL from 1967-1976.
Those were the days, my friend. I loved my job.
In the beginning, you couldn't be married, so most only flew 2-3 years until they got married.
You had to retire from working the skies at 31.
You were required to have personal appearance checks periodically - weight, make-up, hair (had to be off your neck & clean), nails, & uniforms. If there was a problem, you were put on leave until the issue was corrected.
And we were trained to be gracious.
Then Womens Lib hit. Many of my F/A friends jumped on board - saying the pilots didn't have to have P/A checks.
I disagreed, feeling we were the walking advertisement for Eastern & it shouldn't be an issue - to look our best. I believed it also added some respect to our position.
Obviously my opinion was in the minority.
Now most US F/As look like they've just rolled out of bed & had a couple of Whoppers on the way to the airport.
The only thing I don't like about this video is the lack of emphasis on just how much Lorenzo destroyed this airline after he aquired it. I know it was already headed downwards, but with Lorenzo, it definitely had no chance of recovery. Apparently, he's still running things behind the scenes. Some say he is behind the scenes of names like Spirit and Frontier.
@James Donohue thats funny you mention that, cause I heard the same thing also, but then I also heard l, from some, that he is very much alive.
Are spirit and frontier CIA affiliated too? Wouldn’t surprise me if he’s a company man, definitely the type
I worked at EAL from 1969 to 1989. As the Director of Customer Services in EAL HQ in the late 80's I was responsible for creating operating plans for the airline should bankruptcy or a strike occur. I concur with the view that both the unions and management contributed to the demise of our beloved airline. Where I differ is in believing that Frank Lorenzo was the cause. Frank was a symptom as he sought to take advantage of a financially strapped airline. While bleeding off EAL assets to CO speeded up the end game, the "patient" was already fatally ill when FRank entered the arena. Anyway, that is just my perspective - from someone who was there at the time.
Thanks for sharing this. Your point on Frank Lorenzo is likely correct in many ways. Obviously many factors contributed to the demise of Eastern, and Lorenzo was maybe the one who dealt the final blow to the airline. Would Lorenzo have done what he did if Eastern wasn't in the wrong place at the wrong time? Maybe not.
@@andrewsaviation7792 Folks I knew with many years of experience at EAL greater than mine also highlighted the debt incurred as Captn. Eddie scrambled to get jet delivery positions after his initial decision not to order jets and continue with the Super Constellations (Connies).
@@kenburch Yes, that absolutely put Eastern in a crunch. Captain Eddie at the time didn't like the idea of jets, so Eastern was falling behind in "luxury" compared to other airlines. The way to fix that was to get jets ASAP, and last minute delivery slots are expensive. Eastern appeared to recover from the delay however, but it probably wasn't something the staff would have liked to deal with.
What about this "Frank"...Borman?
@@andrewsaviation7792 If Frank Lorenzo had succeeded in buying TWA in 1985--which almost happened--both histories would have been very different.
Eastern was my favorite airline. Growing up, I wanted to be an Eastern flight attendant. The whole mess was happening with the strike when I became old enough to apply. Eastern was my first flight attendant interview. I wasn't selected and my heart broke but looking back, I'm glad I didn't. I went on the have a great career as a flight attendant and I'm still flying.
My first flight ever was on an Eastern L1011 JFK-MCO in February 1975.
I flew on many Lockheed L-1011's back in the day EA/DL and TW. :) Great aircraft.
I flew Eastern several times and enjoyed. My father worked for a competitor airline but Eastern was a team player and offered available seats to us.
All of the legacy carriers honored each others' stuff.
I was a flight attendant for Eastern for17 years. All they did was cut our salaries. I never made it passed 10 year raise all I knew was pay cuts. It was Frank Borman who sold us to Continental. They strip us of everything until we were a shell. After that I went to United Airlines. I just retired in September. Glad I got a second chance.
I am glad you got another chance I too went to United and they too stripped mechanic of their pay and retirement and I didn’t know if I can ever retire
Thanks for summing up everything that happened. I always wondered what went on to ruin a giant legacy carrier like Eastern.
No problem! Glad you learned something new today 😄
Pretty good synopsis. I was a pilot for them from 1964 to 1989
Did you enjoy being a pilot for them
Hope you left at the right time where you were able to salvage your pension.
@@christopherhennessey8991 Pilots’ pensions were partially covered by the US fed government after Eastern’s bankruptcy. I believe this impacted even those who retired prior to 1989.
@@beetlespacexdragon7815 I’m glad they were able to obtain some part of their pensions.
What Airport base?
They had red-eye specials from LAX to EWR via IAH. Loved the a300. They called it the Moonlight Special. Once again, great stuff and I've subscribed. Cheers
My dad was a regular business traveler and flew out of GSP in the early to mid 80’s. Normally the Eastern planes he flew were 727s. But one clear blue sky day when we went to pick my dad up, there was a brand new 757-painted on the tail. It was the tallest plane I’d ever seen up close AND I wondered why the huge engines had Rolls Royce logos! That was probably the beginning of my obsession for air flight. I was probably 12 when I first saw this plane!!
Loved to read your avgeek origin story! The 757 is truly amazing too!
I once had a conversation with a striking pilot picketing at Newark, when I asked him what he was going to do when his strike pushed Eastern out of business. He just scoffed at me, but six months later, he was out of a job.
The pilot strike, in sympathy with the machinist's union strike around 1988-89, was the final nail in the coffin.
It was kind of a collective suicide for the company, but employees couldn't take it anymore.
Growing up in Atlanta, my Dad and later my older brother worked @ Eastern. My first plane ride was on a DC9 from ATL to DAB in 1990. ATL was full of Delta and Eastern planes then.
Love that origin story. Crazy to think that Eastern once had a huge market share in Atlanta considering what the airport is like nowadays!
@@andrewsaviation7792 that is correct at one time Delta had all of Concourse A (as they do today) Delta had 1/2 of B and Eastern had 1/2 of B and Concourse C was ALL Eastern (and Eastern Metro Express but that's another separate story) at the time D concourse was everyone else. What is now T concourse was simply called THE INTERNATIONAL CONCOURSE. This was before E and F were built and BTW I was there on the concourse the first day Concourse E opened.
Just got hired by them! Going to training next week, I can't wait.
Congratulations! Good luck at your new job!
@@andrewsaviation7792 I've lost count now is this Eastern 3 or 4? Reminds of Braniff I, II and III
reminds me rather and oh lets not forget the various reincarnations of Pan Am
@@FABAGENT I think this is Eastern III. At least the latest one is sticking around, a lot of airline revivals don't last for very long.
Why did it fail? (In spite of the plural term “airlines” all airline companies are considered as a single corporation not several. The pronoun “it” is correct.) Thanks
Andrew, what you're missing is the sheer intransigence and incompetence of the head of the EA IAM (machinists' union), Charlie Bryan, under both Frank Borman and Frank Lorenzo. The IAM needed to remove him and they did not. When it came to Lorenzo, it was irresistible force versus immovable object. And the rest became history.
I don’t think Boreman and Lorenzo are covered in any glory here either, from inept to crooked. Eastern’s affiliation with the company didn’t help either
Eastern and Pan Am were my two favorite airlines. The first time I flew in a jetliner was with Pan Am back in 1967 for my first visit to New York and Eastern took me to my new home, Boston in 1980. Both airlines were great and I was sad to see them go.
Flew eastern all thru 70s. My fav all time
I loved this airline, they were the first to premier the B727 & B757...
Why did Eastern fail???? Ask Frank Lorenzo
Exactly ... all part of Lorenzo’s business model. The resilience of the labor unions and Judge Lifland upended his evil scheme. Lorenzo is part inspiration (along with Ivan Boesky) for Gordon Gekko, the ‘greed is good’ character from Wall Street.
In the 70s & early 89s they were my favorite airlines and I loved the 1011's. Both need to be brought back!
I flew Eastern OMA-MCI-DCA and back in the summer of 1985 when I was 13. Quite memorable. Frank Lorenzo and Carl Icahn were airline killers. Sorry, had to get that in there.
Carl Icahn really did kill TWA by selling off assets and brokering at reduced fares millions of dollars of tickets via entities he controlled via barter and consolidator agreements. He ripped and stripped it long before the Ch. 11 and sale to AA. I know some of this story from working with TWA folks at another company before and after all was said and done.
Eastern was a hot mess long before Lorenzo, going back to Captain Eddie days. A long history of poor labor relations, theft and general mismanagement. In fact, Lorenzo's biggest mistake was buying EA. My perspective is one from working as a mid-level ad manager for New York Air so yes, I did work for him, but in a small G.O. you were part of nearly everything. The story is far more complicated than 'Lorenzo bad, old EA good'. Texas Air almost succeeded in buying TWA before Icahn, and they would have been better off because the New York Air team would have been managing them--and we could and did make money.
My first flight was on an Eastern turboprop (?) from JAX to DCA in June, 1966, when I was 12. Yikes, I’m old!
It was a L188 or Lockheed Electra,EA used them for short and medium haul runs.
You gotta do TWA, PAN-AM, Valujet Airlines, and Air Florida! as well as any other retro airlines that have merged with the big carriers today! So far so good on this series!
Thank you for the suggestions! You'll definitely see one of those airlines that have merged into the big carriers very soon ;)
Add America West.
Worked for Eastern on the line.
And was later bought into bay 51 bay 52 heavy Miami working L1011 A300 and DC10 airframes.
Felt Lorenzo had no people skills and still is a snake.
as a retired united airlines mechanic, i,ve actually flown on and liked eastern airlines even though i hated frank lorenzo who use to work at united for awhile (don,t quoat me on that)so it was a really sad day that jan,1991 when eastern shut down for good.Even pilots,mechanic,s ground crews at the other airlines felt sad and supported all those now displaced eastern enployee,s back then.Boy thinking back then whate happened and only 3 major airlines left, its difficult because those days were great working for airline industry unlike today 2023.
All three have been through bankrupcy
In my opinion Jimmy Carter's airline deregulation act of 1978 really hurt the old airlines. For example, anyone could startup a new airline and fly wherever they wanted. In the past airlines had been forced to fly routes and told how much their fares would be. A new startup was also free of 50 years of union contracts. Is it any wonder it was so hard for them to compete? Also, a corporate raider like Frank De Lorenzo was the last thing they needed.
My first flight was withbmy family in 1970 on an Eastern Airlines B727-100 from Tampa to Boston... First Class ✈🤩
Eastern was the last major Airline to go all jet. I was a Steward ( flight attendant) in the 70's for Eastern and actually flew on the Electra ( huge prop jet with First Class in the back). We got Franked by both of these men!
I loved Eastern from Newark NJ(?) to Orlando in the 70’s, maybe early 80s as well
Frank Lorenzo reminds me of the late Hunter Harrison, a Railroad CEO that was universally despised across the Railroad industry.
One of the worlds great airline, gone like panam, twa. Sad.
Im telling my age but i do remember the little plastic tri star plane and the eastern wings pendants as a very young traveler
Nice! Wish I was old enough to remember those.
Loved Eastern. Used them in the US and to the Caribbean 1981 to 1985. Sad that they are gone.
I was one of the Stewardesses that worked those flight. I always carried a ton of kids books and wings.
You still call yourself stewardess? I think that's cool. I remember flying when that was what y'all were called and then it suddenly changed but my dad still would say stewardess and steward.
I used to work at Busch Gardens back around 1990. I remember some guest would have pins on their shirts with "Lorenzo" and a circle with a line crossing out his name. I used to give them a thumbs up.
Your videos are truly amazing.....thank you....:)
I'm so happy they resonated with you. Hearing that truly makes my day :D
I don’t know if you do requests but you should make a video like this about Pedimont Airlines
I absolutely do! I already have Piedmont on the list matter of fact. :)
I was on one of the last flights before shutdown. PDX/SEA/ATL/RIC The flight out of Portland was a redeye getting in to Atlanta early in the morning connecting up to Richmond. That night at midnight they folded. Damn I was lucky. I really miss them to this day
I would love to see on of these videos for Northwest Airlines!
Newark Airport to Ft Myers every summer from 1971 to 1979 to see my grandparents until they moved to Phoenix then two years later we moved to Phoenix. Most years it was Eastern but I also remember flying National Airlines a couple of times. Perhaps you can tell their story. Thanks
Flew on an Eastern L1011 from Atlanta to LA in 1984 great trip great plane!!!
1978 1979 Eastern Airlines in Miami. Shook the hand of Frank Borman. What a great year of hard work and memories.
He could fly a plane but couldn’t run an airline. The CIA and snow went to his head
You left out the huge animosity between Frank Borman and Charlie Bryan. They let their egos get in the way & agreed to sell to Frank Lorenzo to spite each other. Many airline writers felt that Borman was the wrong hire for the job from day one--that Eastern hired him because of his celebrity rather than his business acumen. Aaron Bernstein's book, "Grounded" is a great resource on this subject. Unbelievable--what bad management can do to a large company!
Jack "The Hack" Bavis was a co-conspirator
Great video! Worked for EAL for 20 years before they had to fold. It is still my family!
😊
My dad was a captain and retired early after the strike. I used to fly alone as a kid to visit my grandparents down in Miami. I guess I moved home to FL to recapture some of those good vibes from my youth, but those times are long gone. I have to create something new… somehow.
EASTERN, was my airline, after I came to USA in 1959, I flew them more than ANY AIRLINE got to know many cockpit & cabin crew, Especially going to KINGSTON JAMAICA DEC -JAN stayed with my mom , would you believe the SAME crew 12 years , they used B727-200 on that route spring was BWI, as POE, other times was ATL, flew everything they had EXCEPT the LOCKEED L188 ELECTRA, , when , BORMAN, the ex austranaught , bough the A300 first generation, whayncrap, they were flying PIGS, they did NOTHING they were expected to do. NOTHING !, I actually walked the picket. Line in EWR, a few asked if I worked there, but could have , when EAL DIED I purposely DID NOT go to CONTINENTAL, because of FRANK LORENZO, ( airline builder ), yeah ! Cheers 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Great story, thanks for sharing!
Yes brief on the details indeed. As an airline CSA now since 1994 I know (and I think you do too) that the demise of Eastern is somewhat more complicated than an 8 minute RUclips video.I note that you did not mention what was a big complication if you will at the time was the selling of Eastern's CRS (Computer Reservation System). If I remember correctly it was System One. (I think at the time AA used/owned Sabre and TWA used/owned Worldspan/PARS) Ahhh it was SYSTEM ONE, I just found an article in the archvives. www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1989-04-07-8901180577-story.html Having said all of this, I did enjoy your "brief" video.
Yes, "brief" would definitely be an understatement. There were so many factors contributing to Eastern's demise that a video talking about Eastern's entire history would be extremely long. Hopefully I got the big picture covered :)
@@andrewsaviation7792 can you do a longer more in depth version of this? Maybe a podcast/discussion as well? You could include the CIA using Eastern for drug running from Bolivia and the coverup of the flight 980 crash, it must have contributed/been a symptom of it’s demise.
@@andrewsaviation7792 Check out there book grounded for more info
System 1 was sold by Frank Lorenzo to a secondary company of Continal for peanuts and then resod 1 year later for a big profit.
My! Such good comments that are, well written in correct English grammar! I commend the folks.
As to this documentary on the famous Eastern Airlines Company...it's well done. Facts of the company's rise and fall and, limited comeback seem to lead most of its downfall to one man. When it was taken over by Lorenzo, I had thought that some of the problems could've been traced to NASA astronaut, Frank Borman who ran the company for awhile. Well...anyway, for my personal experiences, here they are: My very first flight on a plane was May 31, 1964. From Indianapolis to Atlanta on an Eastern 4 engine turboprop. I was 13...just 3 months away from being 14. Summer vacation in Indy just started, I believe, on the 28th of May. An uncle of mine was up for his annual visit to see the Indy 500 of 1964. I had plans to visit relatives in Georgia and Florida. Exciting was that first air voyage of mine. Next memorable time of flying Eastern was when I flew down to Atlanta from Indy to give my soon- to- be wife (June, 1976) and engagement ring. That happened on December 31 in the evening. The stewardess were so nice to me...especially when I showed the ring to a couple of them. There is a few other times I remember flying on Eastern. All good, too. It was so sad to see and read of them going out of business in the early 1990's.
I ALSO look forward to a documentary on Piedmont Airlines. Back almost 30 years ago I worked at an independent high-end audio stereo store for a man who was a pilot with Piedmont. (Wonder whatever happened to the man who was nearing his late 40's at that time?) He was not successful in the side "moonlighting career" in stereo sales but, a good pilot.
My mistake. I mentioned in the comment I just did (12-16-2020) about working at an independent stereo store...it was nearly 40 years ago, not 30. Also...literally all those days I was by my self. Fun but lonely. Very little business happened there. No actual promoting the business was done by the owner, nor me. It was a "tax write-off" for him. He paid me fair, too.
I loved Eastern.
Flew on Eastern a lot in the 1970,s . loved the airline ...
In the 70's and 80"s it seemed like I was always on an Eastern flight. to somewhere. Debt kills everything in the end. Money out exceeds money in. Frank Lorenzo is a pariah in the airline industry.
The guy was a crook
I worked for Eastern from 1957 to 1989, taking an early retirement before they stop flying! I was pleasantly surprised by your assessment of its failure! However, Eastern made some financial mistakes plus their relationship with the unions that headed to bankruptcy! Eastern was the first victim of the new tendency of owners to eliminate unions, file for bankruptcy and come back with minimum wage employees and sub-contract for services or outsource. We were just at the wrong place during deregulation of the airlines!☹️🇵🇷
Eastern was one of the big kids on the block back in the day. I remember The Atlanta Braves, Falcons and Hawks use to fly Eastern when they traveled on away games. “America’s favorite way to fly”
We flew Eastern a few times in the early Eighties to Orlando. They provided very good service and very friendly staff. Their vacation department was very helpful planning our first family vacation to Disney World. It was disappointing when they stopped operating. To me Southwest airlines is the new Eastern airlines with good service and friendly staff.
Lorenzo is reported to have said, "First, I will own this airline. Then, I will run it into the ground". It took him a while, but that's exactly what he did. Lorenzo remains free, though how he acquired Eastern & Continental is now illegal. He will likely get away with all of it, though many think he shouldn't.
My folks lived in Washington, D.C. and I went to college in Boston. I loved Eastern Airlines because I could take one shuttle flight from D.C. to New York and the second shuttle flight from New York to Boston. The round-trip fare was $50.00. Those were the days (early 1970s)! 😆
I flew Eastern back in the 70s while in the Navy. Always had a great experience on board. Miss those jumbo airliners!
Hard to imagine that almost 30 years since Eastern Airlines demise.
Yeah, it's hard to believe that the 1990s were 20-30 years ago. Thankfully other airlines picked up where they left off on many of their old popular routes.
Yeah
I worked at EA from 6/68 to 3/89,it was like loseing my family.
i flew on eastern in 1984 to bermuda the first of 5 times flying on the 757 when it was brand new service was good but food was god awful well still is no matter what carrier i flown with delta,united
Spent 2 yrs as an airlines stewardess with Eastern..very memorable years!!
Bet you’re pretty, they had the best cabin crews!
I worked in CMH during the strike. Called a scab everyday all day. One thing worth pointing out, was the wet-lease program. We used continental aircraft for eastern flights.
More rip off from Frank Lorenzo feeding Continal Airlines Easterns profits!
Thanks for doing my idea🙂
No problem, it's an amazing airline after all 😄
Andrew's Aviation terrible to see the financial trouble they fell into 😕
Yeah, it must have been hard to see a good airline ruined by inside forces :(
My face when I learned they ceased operation on my birthday 1/19/91.... 🥴
Wow, what a coincidence!
You should do a Western Pacific video
Great video! Can we see a video on Flybe in the UK?
I flew on an Eastern L-1011 as a kid. It was awesome.
Can you do a history of Northwest?
Got that one on the list :)
I took Eastern airlines to Disney World twice in the 80’s as a kid.
Crazy that they were huge, then GONE
I worked for EAL, here at CMH and ATL. 1986 till the strike in 88. Now retired, still my most favorite job.
My grandpa worked for Eastern until the very end! He has scrapbooks of photos of him on strike and a china cabinet full of genuine eastern china, silver utensils/kettles, pamphlets, books, etc. Very interesting hearing his side of the story. Even growing up.
It's easy to blame it all on Lorenzo. The Unions were destroying the company and Texas Air was primarily interested in acquiring System One computer. Naturally, the assets were being moved to Continental, a solvent and growing concern. When the unions struck, Eastern management was given the choice by Lorenzo to liquidate or rebuild. They chose the latter. Assets were moved back from Continental in the efforts to resurrect the airline. A number of factors, including soaring fuel costs and recession finally gave the unions their wish. Borman had been hated as well. The old timers would say, "Same hate, different Frank." I know this comment will stir up some hate from those who were duped by the unions. Always does.
Could you do a history of Muse Air? Thanks.
In 1973, our family flew to Disney World on an Eastern 727. I recall our hitting some turbulence during beverage service, and the flight attendants loss control of one of the carts and it rolled the length of the plane! 😂 Fortunately, no one was injured.
EASTERN was many years the big guy in the Caribbean *SJU*. They should have ordered the L1011-500 instead of the DC10 as they had a big L1011 fleet and already the experience. I remember "El Interamericano" service to all of Latin America. My original OnePass frequent traveler number is still active! From EA to CO and finally at UA !!
My first flight was on an Eastern 727 from PIT to TPA!
I was a big Eastern fan and customer back in the day. They had affordable 1st Class that I could actually afford then. I flew often from Ft Myers, FL., to Columbus Ohio. I flew to LA, CA also on occasions on Eastern. It was a great "people airline" back then. I'm glad it's making a small comeback. 🙂🙂
First class on a now defunct airline sounds awesome! From what the old ads show, that first class was something to talk about. Maybe we'll eventually get to see something similar with the new Eastern if things go their way 😄
Andrew's Aviation I sure hope so!!💙
Back in those days flying was a luxury.. We flew the Eastern L-1011 to Disney World in 1979 & 1980 respectfully very awesome trips and flights, they served us lunch & dinner at no cost everything was included. We also flew Western & TWA too & the L-1011 were spectacular as well as the 10s, seats were larger, Fight Attendants were nicer and service was way better back then. Nothing like this crap we see today. If you want an once of luxury you'll have to pay for a first class or business class seat for hundreds or thousands of $$$ to even rent a private jet. Even coach back then was the equivalent of first class as the airlines flew the L-1011s and DC-10s on short hops which was the best. Unfortunately flying now is a means of getting you from point A to B by convenience not luxury.
Would love to see JetBlue buy the Eastern name ,and see them operate as Eastern Airlines,along with purchasing some wide body jets.Would be amazing to see the two-tone blue hockey stick painted back on their planes ,flying the extensive network they have now.
Just found this channel. This is awesome. Great work man . Subbed for sure
I'm so excited to fly them after the pandemic!
Sounds like fun! Enjoy your trip :)
So this is why there are still aircraft flying around with Eastern's livery. I thought perhaps the airline still existed in some obscure form but it seems the trademark was sold. Interesting stuff.
The first time I was ever on an airplane was an Eastern Airlines flight from Minneapolis to Chicago in June 1967.
Wow that's a long time ago. Do you remember the aircraft type?
@@andrewsaviation7792 The closest to June 1967, I have an EA timetable from Jan. 1968 & MSP had a total of 3 daily flights on EA, with all of them going to ORD & ending up in MIA or FLL after multiple stops. All 3 flights used B727 equipment. I wouldn't be surprised if the services were about the same in this 6 month period.
To bad so many agencies and companies suffer from the same thing these days BAD MANAGEMENT real BAD.
Loved flying Eastern 727 aircraft , really hope to see that livery around America real soon , will def get my families
Business , it was big in BNA along with AA and Braniff and Delta back in 70’s
Eastern was a victim of deregulation in 1979. They were never able to overcome the influx of new carriers in the late 80s, and didn’t adapt to new era of competition. Frank Lorenzo was the reason for Eastern, Texas international, Frontier, people Express, and continental to fail. Only continental survived. Frontier was restarted in the late 90s as a separate entity. continental ended up merging with United. They were a victim of deregulation which they didn’t adapt to.
Lorenzo the Darth Vader of the airline industry. The DOT would never allow him to own or run an airline again.
I used to fly Eastern’s shuttle from D.C. to N.Y.C quite a bit. I think the fare was $29 each way. A lot cheaper than driving considering the price of gas and the tolls, not to mention the time. Oh, and the reduction of sky rocketing blood pressure from dealing with the traffic on I-95 was so worth it too.
I’ve seen the news accounts and lack of investigation of Eastern Flight 980 from Paraguay to La Paz, Bolivia in 1985, the flight that crashed into a mountain quite off course. However, private investigators found drugs were being smuggled, animal skins as well, on Eastern flights. Two men even found the black box years later that previous official investigators had declared missing from the time of the crash. Sleazy dealings will kill a business as well.