Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan examine all things related to air travel. They begin with a historical deep dive that breaks air travel down into six distinct eras: the invention of aviation, the first golden age, WWII, the jet age, deregulation after 1978, and the modern era. The boys then go in several anecdotal directions, reminiscing about the airlines of yesteryear (Pan Am and TWA) and the decline of in-flight service. Amongst other things they discuss how the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 caused airlines to begin competing on price instead of service, how Southwest recently got rid of their two free checked bags policy, how Pan Am used to serve passengers beluga caviar, and how the TWA Hotel in NYC gives modern people the opportunity to experience Jet Age luxury.

Links:

The Case For Santos Dumont

The Wind Rises (2013)

Airlines’ Secret Scheme to Keep Airfare Prices High

Boeing: How much trouble is the company in? by Theo Leggett 

Passengers evacuate onto wing of American Airlines plane after engine catches fire at Denver airport by Pete Muntean and Alexandra Skores

Fury as Southwest Airlines puts an end to one of its most popular perks by Ben Shimkus

Goodbye to ‘bags fly free’ on Southwest Airlines, the last freebie in America by Leslie Joseph

Matt Stoller: How To Fix The Airline Industry's Structural Problems

The Rise And Fall Of Pan Am

Come Fly With Me: The Story of Pan Am (2011, BBC Documentary)

The meme about galas

Joseph Meeting Griz from 30 Rock

Joseph on a cargo plane

Woman strips naked and walks screaming down the aisle on Southwest flight to Phoenix by Terry Dickerson

Whitneylynn1 (Instagram Evangelist) 

You’re Crazy For Taking the Bus by Johnathan Richman

Artwork:

TWA Convair 880 Lounge Publicity Photo

San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Recorded on 3/20/2025