Is Delta an airline or an Air Line

[Midnight Flyer]

Maybe some Delta people can shed some light on this.

I've always wondered why Delta is the only airline that decided to call themselves an "air line" as opposed to an "airline".

Airline
1. A system for scheduled air transport of passengers and freight.
2. A business providing a system of scheduled air transport.


Air line
1. A path through the air made easy for a["e]rial navigation by steady winds.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

 

[Espalda Mojado]

Dork.

 

[Midnight Flyer]

Why don't you swim the river back to Mexico loser.

 

[skygirl1968]

I worked for Delta for 5 years...this topic was never even talked about, seriously. But, having worked there I can tell you that the name evolved from a couple of earlier versions. You can find the history of why its called Delta Air Lines here:

http://www.deltamuseum.org/M_Education_DeltaHistory_Facts_Timeline.htm

 

[Midnight Flyer]

I worked for Delta for 5 years...this topic was never even talked about, seriously. But, having worked there I can tell you that the name evolved from a couple of earlier versions. You can find the history of why its called Delta Air Lines here:

http://www.deltamuseum.org/M_Education_DeltaHistory_Facts_Timeline.htm

Thx skygirl...interesting how the logo's and slogans changed over the years.

 

[Fins Up]

Taking the Airtrain at JFK today, I happened to notice one of their older signs outside the terminal said "Delta Air Line". I only noticed because I always assumed Airline was one word. Plus I am also a dork.

 

[Midnight Flyer]

Taking the Airtrain at JFK today, I happened to notice one of their older signs outside the terminal said "Delta Air Line". I only noticed because I always assumed Airline was one word. Plus I am also a dork.

Regarding the "dork" issue, Espalda Mojado is pi$$ed at me because I said he and Paco Pollo were one in the same.

 

[Espalda Mojado]

Really, your question was dork-worthy of the airliners.net board.

Why get pissed over you? There's plenty of room on FI for more than one Mexican pilot, hombre.

 

[FlyingSig]

Don't quote me on the exact history but United used to be United Air Lines, Eastern was Eastern Air Transport and a bunch of other "airlines" used to be "Air Lines" until sometime in the 1930's when the goverment cancelled all the mail contracts due to some sort of scandal. After the Army flew the mail for a year the contracts were re-bid, but all the scandall airlines were not allowed to bid so they got around it by starting "new" airlines (United Air Lines reimerged into... United Airlines) I think the first part of the book "Hard Landings" describes all this but bottom line was Delta was not involved in the scandal (don't think they flew any mail contracts until after the re-bidding) and thus never had to drop the Air Line .

 

[timeoff]

On a side note, I read a Pan Am ad from 1928 that offered service from Key West to Havana for $50 one way (included 30lbs of baggage....25 cents per lb after that).

Nice to see that fares haven't changed much