The Jet Race

A year ago there were only three U.S. airlines operating pure jets, and their pace-setting handful of the swift new giants invariably took off with nearly every seat filled. Today, ten U.S. carriers fly a combined fleet of 92 Boeing 707s and DC-8s, with more being rapidly delivered. Despite the increased competition and the fact that stormy January, in the words of a TWA officer, is "one month the airlines would like to forget," last month's load figures show the jets still astonishingly popular with travelers.

TWA and American Airlines, which operate competitive transcontinental routes, ran up January jetload averages of 80-85% capacity, while United's relatively newer DC-8 service chalked up 75%. On Pan American World Airways' North Atlantic jet flights, now facing heavy competition from foreign jets, the load factor last month was 79% eastbound, 76% westbound. Actually, Pan Am's jet travel was up 57% in total passengers over a year ago partly because it has upped the number of jets in service to 23. On the in-season New York-to-Florida runs, National, Northeast and Eastern jets are all running up to 90% capacity.

Though the figures show that there are still plenty of jet passengers to go around, the tone of airline advertising gets more feverish. The Miami-bound vacationer can open his newspaper and be offered by three separate airlines: 1) "Most frequent service to Florida . . . Fly the world's most advanced jet-powered airliners!" 2) "Greatest pure jet service to Miami . . . greatest jet frequency . . ." and 3) ". . . the bigger, more powerful, longer-range version of the most experienced of jets." Continental's Chicago-Los Angeles flight advertises that only its "golden jet has a cabin crew of live," promises at mealtime that "the hostesses will slip on gold smocks, swish up and down the aisle" to serve the passengers. KLM proffers "real china at dinner." Air-India puffs its coming jet service as "the airline that treats you like a maharajah . . . Ask any potentate."

Best explanation for the hard sell: the lines are getting ready for much tougher competition with the arrival of the 148 more pure jets due for delivery to U.S. airlines and 120 to foreign lines in 1960.

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