This airline was gnarly!!! I took it from LAX to DCA in the late 90s early 2000 changing planes in Milwaukee or Omaha. It was like first/business on full Y class fare before the “all business class” airline. The cookies Devine and best part. No joke those meals were beyond first class it was like international experience on domestic routes.
I was so lucky to have flown Midwest Airlines in the early 2000s. It was a legendary airline that lived up to its slogan “The Best Care in the Air.” It was and still is my favorite airline of all time.
Wow, that's awesome you got the chance to fly them! From what it looks like, it's no question Midwest was something special. Maybe if they relaunch you can fly them again :)
Midwest: An airline that carefully planned their routing, took great care of their customers, and reaped the benefits. Also looks like it was a fun company to work for, and one you'd recommend to someone looking for a career in aviation. Have to wonder if Midwest would still be flying today if 9/11 never happened, and the company survived the 2008 recession.
I'm proud to say I worked for them for almost 5 years. It's sad that they aren't around anymore but it truly was an honor to be affiliated with "The best care in the air"
I am 19 now and I remember flying them when I was super young when I lived in WI. I remember the cookies, gods the cabin smelled so good. I don’t remember much else, thanks for helping me remember though, it’s quite a trip
My uncle was a pilot for Midwest Airlines for many years, I used to fly standby on their flights all the time. Great airline, and it was something to be proud of as a Milwaukeean. It was really sad to see them go. But alas, life goes on. My uncle now flies for Southwest, formerly a rival company for him, but he says they treat him very well and he’s had a great last stint of his career. And who knows, maybe when the time is right, Midwest Airlines will fly and the taste of those fresh baked cookies will be enjoyed in-flight for the first time again. Great video! I enjoyed the watch. It’s really nice to see someone remembering old Midwest, and I can tell you put in a lot of effort. Definitely earned my sub
@@andrewsaviation7792 I hope they do. I just hope that the coronavirus doesn't ruin their comeback plans. We really need them back it's just sad how little airline service is left in Milwaukee. Even Southwest doesn't go as many places as they used to. There is room for Midwest no doubt. I did get a chance to fly them a couple times back in 2007 though.
@drf81 If they did come back, they would be similar to the original, but from what I've heard they'll be focusing more on convenient, direct service out of Milwaukee instead of comfort and quality. Milwaukee and a lot of Midwest airports definitely have the demand, but it's probably just a matter of time before they come back again after COVID.
@@andrewsaviation7792 I really don't care if they aren't like the old Midwest I just want more direct flights and less connecting flights. Its such a shame Southwest had to gobble up AirTrain it was only a matter of time before they would reduce their size in Milwaukee. They have a huge operating base just down the road at Chicago Midway.
@@dvferyance Fair enough. A lot of airlines like Spirit, Southwest, and Delta are working on having direct flights from point A to B (not necessarily out of Milwaukee unfortunately). It's possible Midwest will venture into the untapped market first (and hopefully they bring a long their cookies :D )
Great video! I loved Midwest Express. The fresh baked cookie smell all through the whole plane was so nice. The food and service was the best I’ve ever had. I hope they will come back and bring those wide and comfortable seats.
I flew Midwest round trip between Newark, New Jersey and Denver, Colorado in August of 2006 and I will say it was the best flying experience I've ever had. Between the friendliness of the crew and the excellent food and most of all the first class size seats it just didn't get any better. I would absolutely fly Midwest again if they could return to what their product was in the early 2000s.
I have flown with Midwest Airlines many times for both business and leisure. On a red eye flight to Milwaukee, there were so many extra chocolate chip cookies that the flight attendant packed them up into clean - not used - barf bags and handed them to passengers when we deplaned.
I was a jumpseating offline crew member in 2007. I fell asleep almost immediately on an MKE-DEN 717 in my comfortable leather business class passenger seat. I awoke on the initial decent into DEN to find a carefully placed cookie on my tray table. This was a simply fantastic airline with excellent cabin and flight deck crew, representing their hometown with pride. Gone, but never forgotten.
Flew them in the mid 90’s from Hartford to Milwaukee a few times. Great little airline...sadly missed. Yes they served cookies on the route...and yes they were delicious!
I moved to Milwaukee from San Francisco in 1998 and flew Midwest Express regularly on trips to see my family in Texas and California. I LOVED the non-stop flights to San Diego in particular. I was fortunate enough to experience the DC-9-30, MD-83 and 717. I had a friend who worked for YX, and when the first 717 was delivered, he snagged us both tickets on the Fantasy Flight which was just for employees. It was really something to be aboard that brand-new plane, the flagship of Midwest's re-branding. I'll never forget shrimp scampi, sour cream and cherry pancakes and other amazing meals served on real china, which I ended up collecting after the airline folded. Midwest was one of the best airlines ever.
I worked at Astral Aviation DBA Skyway Airlines(Midwest Express Connection) from 1996-2004 as a captain on the BE1900D as well as the DO328 Jet before moving on to fly for a major airline. I worked with a lot of great people! It was a great time in my aviation career.
BE1900D are some cool little airplanes.... flew on one on Air Canada flight one time great comfortable 19 pax plane... not much for amenities but it was nice quick flight
I first heard about this airline from my parents, who had both flown on this airline, as well as my aunt and uncle. Apparently you could actually smell the cookies as they were being made on the flight. Midwest was truly something special. Sad that the aftermath of the September 11 attacks brought them down.
Used to fly on Midwest Express Charters in the early 2000's. All 1st class seats, terrific service, modern jets, excellent experience. Wish they were still flying. I'd re-join them in a heartbeat.
I miss Northwest too! Ever thought about making a video on Northwest? That NWA A320 in the photo had the same registration as the plane I was on when I was 5! So many memories.
Northwest was my childhood airline. We always flew them until they merged with Delta. That's amazing you can recognize the tail number from an aircraft you flew so long ago! I might do a vid on them (if I can avoid a trademark violation 😅 )
Andrew's Aviation I have a trip report for delta coming this weekend on Saturday, It goes live at 1:00 PM. I took some flights during the pandemic on Delta and have a second trip coming up at the end of august. DLH-MSP, MSP-ORD, and ORD-DLH.
Sounds very nice! I didn't get to fly during COVID so I haven't seen anything for a while. I'll make sure to stop on by for your trips. I got another vid coming this Friday at 11:00AMEST if you feel like visitin' 😄
I used to fly Midwest pretty frequently in the late 1990s and early 2000s. I actually had "Frequent Flyer Plus" status and still have the leather ticket jacket and the card. The level of service every passenger got on Midwest far exceeded what you get on the big airlines' domestic first class today.
Did you get the cookie jar too? Based in Omaha I flew them to LAX and DCA alot. While I loved not connecting via O'hare I think the meals were the #1 attraction for business road warriors.
@@brucemaloy4769 I did not get a cookie jar. The only real benefit I remember getting from FF+ was the ability to reserve a seat in the exit row. I am in the far north suburbs of Chicago and it is just as easy for me to get to MKE as it is to ORD. I mostly flew to PHL and DFW back then. The meals they had before switching to the buy on board were the best. The meals that they had at first after switching to buy on board were a bit gross in my opinion, but they quickly changed them and they were decent after that.
I’m from Milwaukee, and no matter where our family was flying to my parents always had us on Midwest. They were the best and it’s so sad that they went away. I had 2 teachers in middle school who left teaching to work for Midwest. We all loved when they came to visit us, well we were always looking forward to the cookies they’d bring.
I remember flying Midwest airlines to and from Reagan National to Milwaukee when I was just a few years old. The large leather seats were so comfortable and the cookies were beyond amazing. The 717 was the only aircraft I remember flying on, I would always go to the rear of the cabin so I could enjoy engine noise. YX was an amazing airline, the launch of the new Midwest Express is very promising and I can’t wait to see what is in store for the future. Long live Midwest Airlines 🍪
I flew Midwest from Newark to Omaha and it was great! Midway Airlines also had a similar model, which I flew from Newark to Chicago, but the food was not as good and no cookie. It was inevitable Midwest could not provide such high quality service for a coach fare, but while it lasted it was a nice little airline.
American Airlines rerouted me onto Midwest around 2008. It was already not quite the airline it used to be, but still a decent experience. The best memory I have of them isn’t flying on them though, it’s working for a competitor airline in Omaha and walking out at night with their flight crews. They usually had leftover cookies and were happy to give them to us all ☺️
OMG! If Midwest didn't go there, neither did I. Lost count of how many weekend jaunts to Toronto on Midwest I took. The DC9 flights from ATW/MKE/ATW were the best, 20 minutes point to point. Surely missing the good 'ole days.
I flew Midwest when I could, including one near the end to get in a final flight. Aside from a slightly tired cabin interior they were always a good flight.
I loved Midwest. Flew on them many times out of Kansas City to many different destinations. The food was superb, even the buy on board options, and the cookies were to die for. I remember after my very first flight, I sent in a rave review of Midwest, and they sent me a tin full of cookies. I still have the tin, which features a DC-9 aircraft on the lid. Great job on the history of the airline, Andrew.
@@andrewsaviation7792 Here is something that I forgot to mention the first time around. Before replacing the DC-9's with the 717's, Midwest was considering replacing the -9's with the Airbus A318. The A318 would have had a 2-3 seating configuration and not 3-3. Midwest ended up going with the 717 and keeping the 2-2 seating configuration until they added the saver service, which made the back half of the 717 the 2-3 seating configuration.
Really miss Midwest Airlines. When I lived in North Carolina I flew them out of CLT, as well as out of MSP when I lived in Minnesota. They had the most comfortable CRJ 200 seats. The cookies were great. The flight attendant gave us in the front row extra cookies. The gate agents were always really nice and informative of delays. PLEEEEASE bring back Midwest. I live in Wisconsin and would gladly take them to GRR if the price is right.
Flew Midwest Express every chance I had. Great service every time... and those cookies 🍪 how about America West Airlines? My wife worked there and best job she ever had.
I really enjoyed the airline, flew it many times, once I got a stomach ache from too many cookies. They really treated everyone like First Class. I used to to fly back from DC many times for Marquette basketball games.
This is on par with what aviation vlogger Sam Chui produces. Seriously, Andrew. You have considerable talents and professionalism in this area. I wish you much success in getting your channel additional subscribers.
You omitted a considerable hub operation in Kansas City. It was hugely popular. I flew Midwest almost weekly from KC. There was no service comparable. There still isn’t. They were pristine.
I flew them all the time. Only on the DC9 amd MD80's. Every seat was essentially domestic first class...wide with excellent legroom.I had to take a trip to Atlanta with a coworker that didn't travel much. She was upset because we had to fly on an "express" airline, so she was expecting next to nothing on the flight. Her eyes got pretty wide when we boarded. Today they are Frontier....180 degrees from what they once were.
WOW totally forgot about these guys, they were awesome!! I gues this story is symbolic of lots of stories in the US; everything is going down the shi....er.....
The company I worked for 2005 - 2008 used Midwest as their "favored" airline for business travel. I LOVED MIDWEST!!! The service they provided was outstanding. After Frontier took over, it sucked! It became know by my co-workers as the "Cattle Car" or "Animal Air!" If business travel was required, we would buck company policy, and fly Southwest so we would NOT have to fly on Frontier! (Speaking of Frontier... The old Frontier which disappeared in the mid to late 1980s was another airline that provided reasonable fares and outstanding service. Far better than the airline who acquired their name.)
One of my first flights as a kid was from SAN-MCI on Midwest to visit my dad's relatives. His brother worked in the airline industry since the 1970s, worked as a gate agent for TWA and later for American (post merger) and even he knew Midwest had by far the best service from MCI. I'm a huge aviation nerd now so I'm sad I have very little memory of the flight but I do remember the cookies, the 2-2 seating arrangement and friendly crew, we were seated in I believe the first row so we had exceptional service. The plane had the "midwest" branding so it was probably near the end of the airline's lifespan. I recall the Midwest check in counter at SAN being adjacent to Frontier's (I also flew on them back when they were a high fidelity carrier and not a spirit/ryanair style ULCC) and I wonder now if behind the scenes the merger was already nearing completion, I believe republic owned both carriers for a short period of time. It's sad because there are no high quality coach airlines left, even the legacy carriers today closely resemble ULCCs to the point where the onboard experience is almost indistinguishable.
Midwest Airlines was my all-time favorite. Yes, it cost more than traditional Economy class seats, but it was still cheaper than a First Class seat on legacy airlines. I think it cost only $100 or so more (on most routes) than the typical Economy class fare. My company at the time never balked at the slight extra price of Midwest when I submitted my travel reimbursement voucher. When you consider that there was essentially one fewer seat per row, it didn't take as long to board, and you didn't have to worry about whether you could find a spot for your bag in the overhead bins, even a full flight didn't make you feel like you were in a sardine can. It was a much more civilized way to travel and well worth the extra price. One thing that hurt was that while the 717s (formerly called the MD-95 before Boeing bought out McDonnell Douglas and renamed the plane) were much nicer than the older MDs operated by Midwest, it didn't have the range. Thus, a flight from Kansas City to LAX could operate with a 717, but to go to Seattle, they needed the MDs. That reduced the airline's flexibility. Also, the proposed purchase by AirTran was more like a hostile takeover. AirTran made it fairly clear they wanted the routes and the 717s but would not preserve the Midwest style of service. Midwest was forced to court a buyer to stave off AirTran that would preserve its independence, which is where NWA and TPG came in.
When I used to fly to LA in the 1980's from San Francisco, I would bring fresh cinnamon rolls for the pilots and crew. They really appreciated it. I don't know if TSA would allow me to do that today. I will have to look into it.
@@andrewsaviation7792 The crews treated me like royalty and I told them I did it because crews get a lot of crap from customers. They would smile and thank me a lot. I will have to find out what airlines policies are today. Sadly everyone is so uptight and can't accept someone just doing something nice for hard working and often times unappreciated people.
@@andrewsaviation7792 I only have one issue with you. I love your videos but now all I can think of is fresh, hot, chocolate chip cookies and being Sunday, with our lousy bus service here in Contra Costa County, and its raining, I have no way to get any until Monday. I hate you. :)
I flew Midwest express from Milwaukee to Tampa. When they told us that we had meal service, I was like, WTF? It was a great experience and it was sad to see them go.
So glad I found your channel. You do a fantastic job covering these defunct airlines. Some (most) bring back many fond memories and it's great to hear about and see the aircraft.
I worked as an Airline Flight Attendant for over 18 years. During this time, I worked with Republic Airways for about 7 years. While I was based in Grand Rapids, we worked Midwest Express flights from MKE (Milwaukee). We flew the EMB 135 and EMB 145 regional aircrafts, from MKE to cities in the Midwest, and as far east as New York LGA (La Guardia). Most of our flights were full! Yes, we served the world famous chocolate chip cookies! Those cookies were addicting! Catering would bring us the trays of cookies, which were enough to serve each passenger, plus enough left over for our flight crew. The big issue working the EMB 135 aircrafts was, there was no closet for our crew bags. So, we had to gate check our bags to the next airport, with crew tags, to be sure they would not be sent to baggage claim! Overall, the Midwest Express operation was smooth. Very few issues flying in or out of MKE. The gates were very close together. So, a short walk for passengers with connecting flights. We were so disappointed when the Midwest Express operation was shut down in MKE. I sincerely hope Midwest Express is brought back for the great people of Wisconsin!
I remember flying round trip from Milwaukee to Washington National in early 2000s. The 2+2 seating was great. I don't remember free meals but they did offer free OJ or sparkling wine, even on 7am flight to DC.
While I was young my mother worked for the airline and as a kid I vividly remember their cookies and gourmet chocolate cake when we where flying to Phoenix
Good research and story. One of their problems was buying some Japanese MD81’s. These low operating weight aircraft were fine in a biz class configuration but could not economically operate when ME went to the higher density 3/2 seating and closer pitch.
I flew YX consistently between DCA and MKE before they went low-cost. Always 2 cookies and 3 wine refills. I flew MKE to IAD on the Fairchild a few days after Sept. 11. Last flight I took with them was in 2008 and it was an airlines I no longer recognized. People never considered them to be "low cost" as you state in the video. Their pricing was competitive with others at the time. For example, my family would fly to Florida to see my grandparents for spring break in the 80s and we would rarely fly YX because their direct flights were more expensive than connecting with Eastern/Northwest/TWA. Only after 9/11 did they go with a "low cost" model.
That sounds really awesome! Those experiences are really one of a kind, cause it's unlikely we'll ever see something like that again with the current market trends. Agreed, they were such a great airline before 9/11 and their service change.
Good presentation, though there are some things that were off a bit, especially in the timeframe covering the period of Republic's ownership. Midwest was severely impacted by fuel costs and had hired Republic to fly E170s on their behalf while they developed a program to fly the Embraers themselves. During this time Republic made loans to Midwest to cover operational expenses as Midwest had exhuasted their ability raise money. Republic's loans were converted to equity, leading to Republic purchasing the airline from TPG/Delta. At around the same time, Republic was bidding on Frontier in bankruptcy court... (a whole other story in itself), and was ultimately successful. At the begining, Republic planned to operate the carriers seperately, but as partners. Frontier would cover the more leisure markets (with larger aircraft) and Midwest the more business-oriented ones (with the E170s,190s, and "connect". While some Airbus aircraft came to MKE, some Ejets also went to DEN. Frontier's "Lynx" unit was shut down, and their Q400s mostly disposed of, though some moved to Republic, (eventually flying for UA). After Republic took over ownership of Midwest, the efforts to place the E70s on the YX ops certificate ended and the certificate was surrendered to the FAA. The "YX" code was not, however. That was transferred to Republic Airlines (one of Republic Holding's airlines) and replaced "RW" as their code...and is still in use today. After Republic had purchased both Midwest and Frontier, on-board products were harmonized and a codeshare/frequent flyer partnership implemented. After a period of review, Republic decided to merge the carriers and began a study to see which brand was more powerful. At the same time, Southwest entered the MKE market and began fighting to take share. The MKE market for Midwest/Frontier was in decline, and the Frontier brand appeared stronger over the long-term. That was selected as the surviving brand and Midwest branding was eliminated. Airport signage, onboard items, tickets, and most aircraft reflected Frontier.
Hmmmmm...............................your statement @ 6:09 was flatly denied by the Director of Marketing. I know-I was employed by them & heard him categorically deny that at the unveiling of the new logo @ the MX hangar-even though it is obvious beyond a shadow of a doubt the wings resemble the structure outside the Caltrava Art Museum. Also-those wings were delivered to KMKE & delivered on an AN-124-remember vividly taking a tour of the big beast while it was parked in front of the MX hangars. Great little airline & a TON of GREAT folks that busted their hump to make it work. A & P 1999-2003 Maintenance & Engineering.
Great report and great memories from the hometown airline. The only things I question are the Skywest and Republic ties to Northwest. Northwest only had a couple of regional carriers (Mesaba and Pinnacle/Express I) and Delta I believe had the connections with those regionals. Also interesting to note the YX carrier code is still used by Republic Airways.
Andrew… you do very very well with these videos in the accuracy is on point. Just one thing missing and of course you may have left it out on purpose. They had a bad accident in 1985 in Milwaukee, but it seemed like only a hiccup in the operation of the airline . The airline continued to succeed .
Thank you very much for your wonderful compliment! You're prediction for the reason of the accident being left out of the video is correct - it didn't really effect the airline going forward and wasn't important in the big picture.
In the early years, employees would sometimes on their days off use their free travel benefits and go and do a MKE to DCA, PHL, ATL, maybe LGA turn just to get a couple of decent meals....true story
One final thought: people complain about bad service and uncomfortable planes, but when it comes time to put their money where their mouths are/were, people usually vote with their wallets for the lowest price. Even American experimented in the early 2000s by removing a couple rows in Economy to increase seat pitch, but sales didn't increase, so they went back to the status quo. Midwest had a sweet spot of price and comfort/service, but they pretty much needed to operate close to 100% capacity to stay afloat. Had more people decided a better flight experience was worth the slight extra cost (and didn't worry about frequent flyer points), Midwest might have hung around longer. When 9/11 and the hostile takeover attempt by AirTran arose, they didn't have the cash to maintain their independence, and after the NWA/TPG buyout, they had to resort to the mixed cabin to try to increase the revenue stream.
Another thing that hampered Midwest with frequent travelers was the lack of a frequent flyer alliance. Southwest didn't really need one because they had their own extensive network, and such an alliance didn't fit with their Low Cost Carrier motif. Midwest was in a difficult position because they were not trying to position themselves as a LCC, but were in a niche between the LCCs and legacy carriers. The latter had their alliances (SkyTeam, Oneworld, Star Alliance) that helped maintain loyalty with business travelers. Midwest could say to them, "No, we don't offer you points for a free trip to Hawaii, but we have a better product at a good price." I suspect that those who didn't care about racking up the points went Midwest, and those who really wanted the free trips went with a legacy airline.
I heard there is a reincarnation of Midwest Express based in Milwaukee that might be starting soon. I wonder if they'll be serving those freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.
What really hurt YX was when the MD-80s, which were the only aircraft that could fly from MKE to the West Coast, got the 2-3 seating while the 717s, which had to use the inefficient Kansas City round terminals, kept the 2-2 layout. MCI is finally getting a new terminal building which will better allow connections, should an airline wish to create a hub there.
Hopefully another airline will do so, MCI is a significant place geographically, considering it's almost in the middle of the country, and an airline operating aircraft with shorter ranges could use it strategically.
![SahBabii - Viking [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/D37cL92JX0I/mqdefault.jpg)
Comment which defunct airline you'd like to see next! (I'll put the good ones in the line up and get to them as soon as I can!)
Andrew's Aviation eastern airlines?
Braniff Airways.
Midway Airlines.
Pacific Western (Calgary based)
Air New England and Northeast
This airline was gnarly!!! I took it from LAX to DCA in the late 90s early 2000 changing planes in Milwaukee or Omaha. It was like first/business on full Y class fare before the “all business class” airline. The cookies Devine and best part. No joke those meals were beyond first class it was like international experience on domestic routes.
I was so lucky to have flown Midwest Airlines in the early 2000s. It was a legendary airline that lived up to its slogan “The Best Care in the Air.” It was and still is my favorite airline of all time.
Wow, that's awesome you got the chance to fly them! From what it looks like, it's no question Midwest was something special. Maybe if they relaunch you can fly them again :)
How was the cookies?
Midwest: An airline that carefully planned their routing, took great care of their customers, and reaped the benefits. Also looks like it was a fun company to work for, and one you'd recommend to someone looking for a career in aviation. Have to wonder if Midwest would still be flying today if 9/11 never happened, and the company survived the 2008 recession.
I miss Midwest Express. I was really routing for their comeback prior to 2020 and still am. They truly were The BEST Care in the Air. 🙂❤️
I'm proud to say I worked for them for almost 5 years. It's sad that they aren't around anymore but it truly was an honor to be affiliated with "The best care in the air"
I as well worked for them. I worked for skyway airlines
I am 19 now and I remember flying them when I was super young when I lived in WI. I remember the cookies, gods the cabin smelled so good. I don’t remember much else, thanks for helping me remember though, it’s quite a trip
My uncle was a pilot for Midwest Airlines for many years, I used to fly standby on their flights all the time. Great airline, and it was something to be proud of as a Milwaukeean. It was really sad to see them go.
But alas, life goes on. My uncle now flies for Southwest, formerly a rival company for him, but he says they treat him very well and he’s had a great last stint of his career. And who knows, maybe when the time is right, Midwest Airlines will fly and the taste of those fresh baked cookies will be enjoyed in-flight for the first time again.
Great video! I enjoyed the watch. It’s really nice to see someone remembering old Midwest, and I can tell you put in a lot of effort. Definitely earned my sub
Midwest was so legendary...wish I had a chance to fly them!
Maybe you will get the chance! If they relaunch, it'll be like a taste of what "once was". No free meals, but lots of fresh cookies 😋
@@andrewsaviation7792 I hope they do. I just hope that the coronavirus doesn't ruin their comeback plans. We really need them back it's just sad how little airline service is left in Milwaukee. Even Southwest doesn't go as many places as they used to. There is room for Midwest no doubt. I did get a chance to fly them a couple times back in 2007 though.
@drf81 If they did come back, they would be similar to the original, but from what I've heard they'll be focusing more on convenient, direct service out of Milwaukee instead of comfort and quality. Milwaukee and a lot of Midwest airports definitely have the demand, but it's probably just a matter of time before they come back again after COVID.
@@andrewsaviation7792 I really don't care if they aren't like the old Midwest I just want more direct flights and less connecting flights. Its such a shame Southwest had to gobble up AirTrain it was only a matter of time before they would reduce their size in Milwaukee. They have a huge operating base just down the road at Chicago Midway.
@@dvferyance Fair enough. A lot of airlines like Spirit, Southwest, and Delta are working on having direct flights from point A to B (not necessarily out of Milwaukee unfortunately). It's possible Midwest will venture into the untapped market first (and hopefully they bring a long their cookies :D )
Great video! I loved Midwest Express. The fresh baked cookie smell all through the whole plane was so nice. The food and service was the best I’ve ever had. I hope they will come back and bring those wide and comfortable seats.
Hi from 2024!
I flew Midwest round trip between Newark, New Jersey and Denver, Colorado in August of 2006 and I will say it was the best flying experience I've ever had. Between the friendliness of the crew and the excellent food and most of all the first class size seats it just didn't get any better. I would absolutely fly Midwest again if they could return to what their product was in the early 2000s.
I have flown with Midwest Airlines many times for both business and leisure. On a red eye flight to Milwaukee, there were so many extra chocolate chip cookies that the flight attendant packed them up into clean - not used - barf bags and handed them to passengers when we deplaned.
Can't waste some perfectly good cookies right?
I was a jumpseating offline crew member in 2007. I fell asleep almost immediately on an MKE-DEN 717 in my comfortable leather business class passenger seat. I awoke on the initial decent into DEN to find a carefully placed cookie on my tray table. This was a simply fantastic airline with excellent cabin and flight deck crew, representing their hometown with pride. Gone, but never forgotten.
Flew them in the mid 90’s from Hartford to Milwaukee a few times. Great little airline...sadly missed. Yes they served cookies on the route...and yes they were delicious!
I'm so proud to have been a part of the Midwest Express family for nearly ten years. Best company. 💖✈️
Flew them many times in that period. It was singularly the best service/ flight in the industry. I miss it so much.
I moved to Milwaukee from San Francisco in 1998 and flew Midwest Express regularly on trips to see my family in Texas and California. I LOVED the non-stop flights to San Diego in particular. I was fortunate enough to experience the DC-9-30, MD-83 and 717. I had a friend who worked for YX, and when the first 717 was delivered, he snagged us both tickets on the Fantasy Flight which was just for employees. It was really something to be aboard that brand-new plane, the flagship of Midwest's re-branding. I'll never forget shrimp scampi, sour cream and cherry pancakes and other amazing meals served on real china, which I ended up collecting after the airline folded. Midwest was one of the best airlines ever.
I worked at Astral Aviation DBA Skyway Airlines(Midwest Express Connection) from 1996-2004 as a captain on the BE1900D as well as the DO328 Jet before moving on to fly for a major airline. I worked with a lot of great people! It was a great time in my aviation career.
BE1900D are some cool little airplanes.... flew on one on Air Canada flight one time great comfortable 19 pax plane... not much for amenities but it was nice quick flight
I first heard about this airline from my parents, who had both flown on this airline, as well as my aunt and uncle. Apparently you could actually smell the cookies as they were being made on the flight. Midwest was truly something special. Sad that the aftermath of the September 11 attacks brought them down.
They were baked on board, not made on board. Aka heated up in the galley ovens but yes, you could smell them during the flights.
Used to fly on Midwest Express Charters in the early 2000's. All 1st class seats, terrific service, modern jets, excellent experience. Wish they were still flying. I'd re-join them in a heartbeat.
I miss Northwest too! Ever thought about making a video on Northwest? That NWA A320 in the photo had the same registration as the plane I was on when I was 5! So many memories.
Northwest was my childhood airline. We always flew them until they merged with Delta. That's amazing you can recognize the tail number from an aircraft you flew so long ago! I might do a vid on them (if I can avoid a trademark violation 😅 )
Andrew's Aviation I have a trip report for delta coming this weekend on Saturday, It goes live at 1:00 PM. I took some flights during the pandemic on Delta and have a second trip coming up at the end of august. DLH-MSP, MSP-ORD, and ORD-DLH.
Sounds very nice! I didn't get to fly during COVID so I haven't seen anything for a while. I'll make sure to stop on by for your trips. I got another vid coming this Friday at 11:00AMEST if you feel like visitin' 😄
I was pleased to fly for Midwest from 2001-2005. Great people great planes.
My friend was a first officer then Captain for this airlines. All the great stories he shared with me.
I used to fly Midwest all the time to visit family in the 2000’s. Such a great airline and super underrated
I never flew on Midwest, but I remember them. I miss small airlines like this and AirTran.
A airline that actually gave a damn about you. Loved that airline
I used to fly Midwest pretty frequently in the late 1990s and early 2000s. I actually had "Frequent Flyer Plus" status and still have the leather ticket jacket and the card. The level of service every passenger got on Midwest far exceeded what you get on the big airlines' domestic first class today.
Did you get the cookie jar too? Based in Omaha I flew them to LAX and DCA alot. While I loved not connecting via O'hare I think the meals were the #1 attraction for business road warriors.
@@brucemaloy4769 I did not get a cookie jar. The only real benefit I remember getting from FF+ was the ability to reserve a seat in the exit row. I am in the far north suburbs of Chicago and it is just as easy for me to get to MKE as it is to ORD. I mostly flew to PHL and DFW back then. The meals they had before switching to the buy on board were the best. The meals that they had at first after switching to buy on board were a bit gross in my opinion, but they quickly changed them and they were decent after that.
I’m from Milwaukee, and no matter where our family was flying to my parents always had us on Midwest. They were the best and it’s so sad that they went away. I had 2 teachers in middle school who left teaching to work for Midwest. We all loved when they came to visit us, well we were always looking forward to the cookies they’d bring.
I flew them several times. Very nice seats and friendly flight attendants. Those cookies were a great companion to the coffee.
I remember flying Midwest airlines to and from Reagan National to Milwaukee when I was just a few years old. The large leather seats were so comfortable and the cookies were beyond amazing. The 717 was the only aircraft I remember flying on, I would always go to the rear of the cabin so I could enjoy engine noise. YX was an amazing airline, the launch of the new Midwest Express is very promising and I can’t wait to see what is in store for the future. Long live Midwest Airlines 🍪
It doesn't get any better than a wide leather seat and a warm, free cookie!
I flew Midwest from Newark to Omaha and it was great! Midway Airlines also had a similar model, which I flew from Newark to Chicago, but the food was not as good and no cookie. It was inevitable Midwest could not provide such high quality service for a coach fare, but while it lasted it was a nice little airline.
Midwest was an awesome airline. I enjoyed flying with them when I could.
American Airlines rerouted me onto Midwest around 2008. It was already not quite the airline it used to be, but still a decent experience. The best memory I have of them isn’t flying on them though, it’s working for a competitor airline in Omaha and walking out at night with their flight crews. They usually had leftover cookies and were happy to give them to us all ☺️
Lucky you got to fly them before they were gone! And cookies after work sounds like a dream. :D
They need to come back Big time I’d be happy to be one of the first ones to get a ticket!!
OMG! If Midwest didn't go there, neither did I. Lost count of how many weekend jaunts to Toronto on Midwest I took. The DC9 flights from ATW/MKE/ATW were the best, 20 minutes point to point. Surely missing the good 'ole days.
I flew Midwest when I could, including one near the end to get in a final flight. Aside from a slightly tired cabin interior they were always a good flight.
I loved Midwest. Flew on them many times out of Kansas City to many different destinations. The food was superb, even the buy on board options, and the cookies were to die for. I remember after my very first flight, I sent in a rave review of Midwest, and they sent me a tin full of cookies. I still have the tin, which features a DC-9 aircraft on the lid. Great job on the history of the airline, Andrew.
That's amazing! Would be nice if other airlines sent cookies for good reviews nowadays too. Thanks for your generous compliment. :)
@@andrewsaviation7792 Here is something that I forgot to mention the first time around. Before replacing the DC-9's with the 717's, Midwest was considering replacing the -9's with the Airbus A318. The A318 would have had a 2-3 seating configuration and not 3-3. Midwest ended up going with the 717 and keeping the 2-2 seating configuration until they added the saver service, which made the back half of the 717 the 2-3 seating configuration.
Really miss Midwest Airlines. When I lived in North Carolina I flew them out of CLT, as well as out of MSP when I lived in Minnesota. They had the most comfortable CRJ 200 seats. The cookies were great. The flight attendant gave us in the front row extra cookies. The gate agents were always really nice and informative of delays. PLEEEEASE bring back Midwest. I live in Wisconsin and would gladly take them to GRR if the price is right.
Flew Midwest Express every chance I had. Great service every time... and those cookies 🍪 how about America West Airlines? My wife worked there and best job she ever had.
I really enjoyed the airline, flew it many times, once I got a stomach ache from too many cookies. They really treated everyone like First Class. I used to to fly back from DC many times for Marquette basketball games.
This is on par with what aviation vlogger Sam Chui produces. Seriously, Andrew. You have considerable talents and professionalism in this area. I wish you much success in getting your channel additional subscribers.
My goodness this is a very nice comment! 🤩 🤩 Thank you for recognizing the work I put into these videos. I'll try to get as many subs as I can 😄
I absolutely agree with Jamie. Well done, Andrew. I always look forward to the content you create. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
You omitted a considerable hub operation in Kansas City. It was hugely popular. I flew Midwest almost weekly from KC. There was no service comparable. There still isn’t. They were pristine.
I remember seeing a Midwest west Saab 340 in Cincinnati Lunken Airport all the time in the early 2000‘s.
Midwest was the best airline ever... it would be nice to have em back
I flew them all the time. Only on the DC9 amd MD80's. Every seat was essentially domestic first class...wide with excellent legroom.I had to take a trip to Atlanta with a coworker that didn't travel much. She was upset because we had to fly on an "express" airline, so she was expecting next to nothing on the flight. Her eyes got pretty wide when we boarded. Today they are Frontier....180 degrees from what they once were.
I flew the airline once & the service was great including the cookie!
Hope that cookie made the whole trip worth it!
Thanks for the Midwest Express Airlines story.
WOW totally forgot about these guys, they were awesome!! I gues this story is symbolic of lots of stories in the US; everything is going down the shi....er.....
The company I worked for 2005 - 2008 used Midwest as their "favored" airline for business travel. I LOVED MIDWEST!!! The service they provided was outstanding. After Frontier took over, it sucked! It became know by my co-workers as the "Cattle Car" or "Animal Air!" If business travel was required, we would buck company policy, and fly Southwest so we would NOT have to fly on Frontier! (Speaking of Frontier... The old Frontier which disappeared in the mid to late 1980s was another airline that provided reasonable fares and outstanding service. Far better than the airline who acquired their name.)
Very good Andrew - very professionally done.
Thank you!🙏 😊
Great video Andrew. You really know your stuff! Keep up the good work!
Mmmmm fresh chocolate chip cookies! Oh how I would have loved to fly this airline
One of my first flights as a kid was from SAN-MCI on Midwest to visit my dad's relatives. His brother worked in the airline industry since the 1970s, worked as a gate agent for TWA and later for American (post merger) and even he knew Midwest had by far the best service from MCI. I'm a huge aviation nerd now so I'm sad I have very little memory of the flight but I do remember the cookies, the 2-2 seating arrangement and friendly crew, we were seated in I believe the first row so we had exceptional service. The plane had the "midwest" branding so it was probably near the end of the airline's lifespan. I recall the Midwest check in counter at SAN being adjacent to Frontier's (I also flew on them back when they were a high fidelity carrier and not a spirit/ryanair style ULCC) and I wonder now if behind the scenes the merger was already nearing completion, I believe republic owned both carriers for a short period of time. It's sad because there are no high quality coach airlines left, even the legacy carriers today closely resemble ULCCs to the point where the onboard experience is almost indistinguishable.
Midwest Airlines was my all-time favorite. Yes, it cost more than traditional Economy class seats, but it was still cheaper than a First Class seat on legacy airlines. I think it cost only $100 or so more (on most routes) than the typical Economy class fare. My company at the time never balked at the slight extra price of Midwest when I submitted my travel reimbursement voucher. When you consider that there was essentially one fewer seat per row, it didn't take as long to board, and you didn't have to worry about whether you could find a spot for your bag in the overhead bins, even a full flight didn't make you feel like you were in a sardine can. It was a much more civilized way to travel and well worth the extra price. One thing that hurt was that while the 717s (formerly called the MD-95 before Boeing bought out McDonnell Douglas and renamed the plane) were much nicer than the older MDs operated by Midwest, it didn't have the range. Thus, a flight from Kansas City to LAX could operate with a 717, but to go to Seattle, they needed the MDs. That reduced the airline's flexibility. Also, the proposed purchase by AirTran was more like a hostile takeover. AirTran made it fairly clear they wanted the routes and the 717s but would not preserve the Midwest style of service. Midwest was forced to court a buyer to stave off AirTran that would preserve its independence, which is where NWA and TPG came in.
In 2007 I flew Midwest from OMA to MKE to MCO and back two MD 80s one Boeing 717 and one FRJ
Wow! Your Narrations and Visuals are so good! :)
Thank you! And there's more where that came from 😄
When I used to fly to LA in the 1980's from San Francisco, I would bring fresh cinnamon rolls for the pilots and crew. They really appreciated it.
I don't know if TSA would allow me to do that today.
I will have to look into it.
They might allow it. I'm don't know if it would be as easy to get the crew to accept the gift due to airline policy, but if all's clear, why not?
@@andrewsaviation7792 The crews treated me like royalty and I told them I did it because crews get a lot of crap from customers. They would smile and thank me a lot.
I will have to find out what airlines policies are today.
Sadly everyone is so uptight and can't accept someone just doing something nice for hard working and often times unappreciated people.
@@georgesenda1952 Well said :)
@@andrewsaviation7792 I only have one issue with you.
I love your videos but now all I can think of is fresh, hot, chocolate chip cookies and being Sunday, with our lousy bus service here in Contra Costa County, and its raining, I have no way to get any until Monday.
I hate you. :)
@@georgesenda1952 Sorry, not sorry :3
You are EXTREMELY fact filled and very well informed!
I flew them and YES those cookies had magic power!!
I flew Midwest express from Milwaukee to Tampa. When they told us that we had meal service, I was like, WTF? It was a great experience and it was sad to see them go.
I worked at General Mitchell back in 96-97.... loved seeing Midwest Express
Another great video Andrew. I think someone is going to hire you soon.
Thanks! Wouldn't mind makin' a few bucks off of this content ngl 😆
I so agree, enjoy your exploration to our past airlines...
So glad I found your channel. You do a fantastic job covering these defunct airlines. Some (most) bring back many fond memories and it's great to hear about and see the aircraft.
I worked as an Airline Flight Attendant for over 18 years. During this time, I worked with Republic Airways for about 7 years. While I was based in Grand Rapids, we worked Midwest Express flights from MKE (Milwaukee). We flew the EMB 135 and EMB 145 regional aircrafts, from MKE to cities in the Midwest, and as far east as New York LGA (La Guardia). Most of our flights were full! Yes, we served the world famous chocolate chip cookies! Those cookies were addicting! Catering would bring us the trays of cookies, which were enough to serve each passenger, plus enough left over for our flight crew. The big issue working the EMB 135 aircrafts was, there was no closet for our crew bags. So, we had to gate check our bags to the next airport, with crew tags, to be sure they would not be sent to baggage claim! Overall, the Midwest Express operation was smooth. Very few issues flying in or out of MKE. The gates were very close together. So, a short walk for passengers with connecting flights. We were so disappointed when the Midwest Express operation was shut down in MKE. I sincerely hope Midwest Express is brought back for the great people of Wisconsin!
I remember flying round trip from Milwaukee to Washington National in early 2000s. The 2+2 seating was great. I don't remember free meals but they did offer free OJ or sparkling wine, even on 7am flight to DC.
While I was young my mother worked for the airline and as a kid I vividly remember their cookies and gourmet chocolate cake when we where flying to Phoenix
I loved flying Midwest Express.
Good research and story. One of their problems was buying some Japanese MD81’s. These low operating weight aircraft were fine in a biz class configuration but could not economically operate when ME went to the higher density 3/2 seating and closer pitch.
Wow the narration and visuals really do make this video look very professional and promotional.
Thank you! It would be nice to promote Midwest and get free chocolate chip cookies, but I'm not sure if they'll be back very soon 😅
I still have my Midwest Express frequent flyer card.
That's awesome :)
Take a photo and share it. Never seen one
very ineteresting history, tks sharing!
Thanks! Happy you stopped by and learned something ;)
I flew YX consistently between DCA and MKE before they went low-cost. Always 2 cookies and 3 wine refills. I flew MKE to IAD on the Fairchild a few days after Sept. 11. Last flight I took with them was in 2008 and it was an airlines I no longer recognized. People never considered them to be "low cost" as you state in the video. Their pricing was competitive with others at the time. For example, my family would fly to Florida to see my grandparents for spring break in the 80s and we would rarely fly YX because their direct flights were more expensive than connecting with Eastern/Northwest/TWA. Only after 9/11 did they go with a "low cost" model.
That sounds really awesome! Those experiences are really one of a kind, cause it's unlikely we'll ever see something like that again with the current market trends. Agreed, they were such a great airline before 9/11 and their service change.
They were the best airline and could go to either coast in 3 hours tops nonstop
Good presentation, though there are some things that were off a bit, especially in the timeframe covering the period of Republic's ownership.
Midwest was severely impacted by fuel costs and had hired Republic to fly E170s on their behalf while they developed a program to fly the Embraers themselves. During this time Republic made loans to Midwest to cover operational expenses as Midwest had exhuasted their ability raise money. Republic's loans were converted to equity, leading to Republic purchasing the airline from TPG/Delta.
At around the same time, Republic was bidding on Frontier in bankruptcy court... (a whole other story in itself), and was ultimately successful. At the begining, Republic planned to operate the carriers seperately, but as partners. Frontier would cover the more leisure markets (with larger aircraft) and Midwest the more business-oriented ones (with the E170s,190s, and "connect". While some Airbus aircraft came to MKE, some Ejets also went to DEN. Frontier's "Lynx" unit was shut down, and their Q400s mostly disposed of, though some moved to Republic, (eventually flying for UA). After Republic took over ownership of Midwest, the efforts to place the E70s on the YX ops certificate ended and the certificate was surrendered to the FAA. The "YX" code was not, however. That was transferred to Republic Airlines (one of Republic Holding's airlines) and replaced "RW" as their code...and is still in use today.
After Republic had purchased both Midwest and Frontier, on-board products were harmonized and a codeshare/frequent flyer partnership implemented. After a period of review, Republic decided to merge the carriers and began a study to see which brand was more powerful. At the same time, Southwest entered the MKE market and began fighting to take share. The MKE market for Midwest/Frontier was in decline, and the Frontier brand appeared stronger over the long-term. That was selected as the surviving brand and Midwest branding was eliminated. Airport signage, onboard items, tickets, and most aircraft reflected Frontier.
Hmmmmm...............................your statement @ 6:09 was flatly denied by the Director of Marketing. I know-I was employed by them & heard him categorically deny that at the unveiling of the new logo @ the MX hangar-even though it is obvious beyond a shadow of a doubt the wings resemble the structure outside the Caltrava Art Museum. Also-those wings were delivered to KMKE & delivered on an AN-124-remember vividly taking a tour of the big beast while it was parked in front of the MX hangars. Great little airline & a TON of GREAT folks that busted their hump to make it work. A & P 1999-2003 Maintenance & Engineering.
Nice video. You should do Midway airlines next.
That's actually going to be the next video, I'll have it out in a few days. :)
Great report and great memories from the hometown airline. The only things I question are the Skywest and Republic ties to Northwest. Northwest only had a couple of regional carriers (Mesaba and Pinnacle/Express I) and Delta I believe had the connections with those regionals. Also interesting to note the YX carrier code is still used by Republic Airways.
Andrew, thank you for sharing. Your research is excellent! Thank you for remembering when airline travel was GREAT!
Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed!
Great video! I live in Omaha and remember Midwest well. Wonderful airline.
I never got to ride on Midwest :(
But I found the recipe of Midwest’s cookies online
Andrew… you do very very well with these videos in the accuracy is on point. Just one thing missing and of course you may have left it out on purpose. They had a bad accident in 1985 in Milwaukee, but it seemed like only a hiccup in the operation of the airline . The airline continued to succeed .
Thank you very much for your wonderful compliment! You're prediction for the reason of the accident being left out of the video is correct - it didn't really effect the airline going forward and wasn't important in the big picture.
Great job on the video. I miss this airline so much!
Thank you! It was sad to see them go, but we may see them in the near future! 😄
Used to fly on them all the time.
A/k/a the Huggies Buggy, a nod to its K-C corporate origin.
I flew them on a flight around 2002 or so. Silver China, warm cookies. Real good food. Miss it.
In the early years, employees would sometimes on their days off use their free travel benefits and go and do a MKE to DCA, PHL, ATL, maybe LGA turn just to get a couple of decent meals....true story
Here we are decades later talking about how good they were. Can you really say they were a failure? I don’t think so.
Agreed!
One final thought: people complain about bad service and uncomfortable planes, but when it comes time to put their money where their mouths are/were, people usually vote with their wallets for the lowest price. Even American experimented in the early 2000s by removing a couple rows in Economy to increase seat pitch, but sales didn't increase, so they went back to the status quo. Midwest had a sweet spot of price and comfort/service, but they pretty much needed to operate close to 100% capacity to stay afloat. Had more people decided a better flight experience was worth the slight extra cost (and didn't worry about frequent flyer points), Midwest might have hung around longer. When 9/11 and the hostile takeover attempt by AirTran arose, they didn't have the cash to maintain their independence, and after the NWA/TPG buyout, they had to resort to the mixed cabin to try to increase the revenue stream.
Very insightful comments. Really, thanks for sharing.
Another thing that hampered Midwest with frequent travelers was the lack of a frequent flyer alliance. Southwest didn't really need one because they had their own extensive network, and such an alliance didn't fit with their Low Cost Carrier motif. Midwest was in a difficult position because they were not trying to position themselves as a LCC, but were in a niche between the LCCs and legacy carriers. The latter had their alliances (SkyTeam, Oneworld, Star Alliance) that helped maintain loyalty with business travelers. Midwest could say to them, "No, we don't offer you points for a free trip to Hawaii, but we have a better product at a good price." I suspect that those who didn't care about racking up the points went Midwest, and those who really wanted the free trips went with a legacy airline.
I heard there is a reincarnation of Midwest Express based in Milwaukee that might be starting soon. I wonder if they'll be serving those freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.
What happened to you? No more videos? You are really good at it
I remember seeing Midwest all the time at LaGuardia when I used to fly jetBlue out of there.
What really hurt YX was when the MD-80s, which were the only aircraft that could fly from MKE to the West Coast, got the 2-3 seating while the 717s, which had to use the inefficient Kansas City round terminals, kept the 2-2 layout. MCI is finally getting a new terminal building which will better allow connections, should an airline wish to create a hub there.
Hopefully another airline will do so, MCI is a significant place geographically, considering it's almost in the middle of the country, and an airline operating aircraft with shorter ranges could use it strategically.
Best.American.Carrier.Ever.
By the way, the inflight catering was amazing.
Good to hear! It definitely sounded amazing on wikipedia. Couldn't believe it was real at first.
Republic airways still uses the code YX for flights. A little bit of Midwest still remains.
I would've definitely flown for this airline.
Do a video on Trans America Airlines!
Very good analysis
Thanks :)
I remember flying on the MD90s, the seats were wide, but not comfortable.