Summary
- American Airlines launched its AA1 service between Recent York and Los Angeles in November 1959 with the Douglas DC-7.
- Later deliveries of the Boeing 707 in 1959 revolutionized transcontinental travel, halving flight times between the 2 cities.
- Today, American Airlines operates the premium-configured Airbus A321T on the route, which has turn into one in all the busiest in the US.
Boasting the ultra-prestigious flight code, American Airlines AA1 has been running directly between Recent York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for 70 years.
Turning back the clock
Launching in 1953, the service was possible due to the recent addition of the Douglas DC-7 to American Airlines’ fleet. Boasting 4 piston engines, the DC-7 added almost 2,000 NM of range, in comparison with the previous DC-6, allowing for more efficient and direct transcontinental operations.
The 65-seat aircraft quickly became the flagship of American Airlines’ fleet and was featured heavily across promotional material. American Airlines celebrated the aircraft’s comfort and classy in-flight Mercury Lounge, in addition to the aircraft’s ability to attach the East and West coasts of the US in under eight hours, a pointy decrease from the nearly 12-hour stopping service on the DC-6.
No Longer In Service: The Story Of The Douglas DC-7
Douglas produced 4 different variants of the sort, in addition to designing an ultimately unbuilt fifth version.
Lower than six years after the aircraft entered service, it was rendered obsolete by the Boeing 707. American Airlines took on its first unit in early 1959, utilizing the aircraft on the Recent York to Los Angeles route. The primary jet connection took off on January 25, 1959, halving flight times to only 4 hours and changing the face of transcontinental travel.
Tickets onboard the service would set you back $240 for a round trip, in line with The Recent York Times. Adjusted for inflation, you can expect to pay around $2,500, over ten times the typical current fare on the route.
Photo: Leonard Zhukovsky | Shutterstock
The route is notably one in all the busiest within the US, carrying upwards of 1.4 million passengers between 2022 and 2023. Based on Cirium, nearly 400 weekly services are currently on offer, operated by American Airlines, jetBlue, and Delta Air Lines. Like American Airlines, jetBlue operates the service with its Airbus A321ceo and A321neo fleet, while Delta Air Lines schedules its widebody Airbus A330neo and 767-300 fleets.
On account of the congestion at each Recent York and Los Angeles airports, potential delays, and tarmac queues, the typical flight typically takes six hours, with not less than five of those within the air.
Have you ever flown with American Airlines between Recent York and Los Angeles? What was your experience? Tell us within the comments.