MGM Grand Air Boeing 727-100 (N504MG)
Talk about uber First Class accommodations — if you wanted to be somebody, you would fly MGM Grand Air. The airline first started in 1987 as a VIP charter using a fleet of DC-8s and Boeing 727s. Then it added a schedule service, flying only from New York to Los Angeles offering only First Class seats. Really, saying “First Class” almost does the airline shame. The Boeing 727s would only have 34 seats, a full bar and chef on board.
In 1995, due to slipping sales, the airline was sold over to Front Page Tours. After changing hands for a bit, they changed their name to Champion Air and served as a charter until they went under in 2008.
Even after almost 24 years after the airline first flew, I think this livery looks classy. I couldn’t imagine what the livery must have looked like during the 1980’s. Although many others have tried a First Class only airline between LA and NYC, very few have ever succeeded or have reached the level of MGM Grand. Check out a first hand experience of flying the airline from someone on the website FlyerTalk.com.
The Alaska Airlines livery on a Bombardier Q400 (N441QX) seen in Portland this week.Click for larger.
It is one thing to see a computer generated drawing of a new (well I guess kind of older) livery on a brand new plane versus seeing it in the flesh. Russell Hill, a photographer based in Portland, was lucky enough to catch the first Bombardier Q400 with the new Alaska Airlines livery. Although the plane was spotted in Portland, it was painted by Associated Painters in Spokane, WA.
Not too long ago, Alaska Air Group announced that the Horizon livery would be replaced by the Alaska livery on the Horizon Air Q400’s. However, the Horizon brand of service (aka free beer and wine on the plane) will stay. This is only the third aircraft type (Boeing 737 and MD-80 being the others) to see this Alaska Airlines livery.
Other than the “Horizon” looking a bit odd, I really like this livery on the Q400. I am wiling to bet we will see the “Horizon” after the “Alaska” leave after people become more aware of the change (update: I have been told there is no plan to get rid of the “Horizon” next to the “Alaska”). It is sad to see the old Horizon livery being retired, but at least it is being replaced by Alaska and not some other outside company. The plane is not assigned to any one route and you should start to see it throughout the Horizon route system.
Thanks to Russell for getting this photo and be sure to check out his second photo of the Q400 as well. You can also catch more photos on Horizon Air’s Facebook page.
FlyBe Bombardier Q400 landing in Frankfurt.
I really enjoy this livery. It is light, easy and gets the job done. Although I like the concept of the name going up on the tail, I don’t think the execution fully works out since you mostly only see the “be” from a distance — maybe that was the plan.
The airline was founded in 1979, but was known as “Jersey European Airways.” The airline changed its name to “British European” and held that name for only about two years, when it changed its name again to “Flyby” in 2002. It is a low cost airline currently only flying the Bombardier Dash 8 (56 in the fleet) and the Embraer E-195 (14 in the fleet). The airline has orders for 35 Embraer E-175s. They serve destinations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and around Europe.
One of the more amusing things I have seen an airline do, Flybe tried to hire actors to pose as passengers in an attempt to avoid a £280,000 (about $450,000) fine for having empty seats in 2008. The airline had an agreement to fly 70,000 passengers from Norwich per year. Although the overall goal was being met with 136,000 passengers flown, they were falling short on the Norwich to Dublin route. They only needed 172 additional passengers and in the end did not even need to use the actors. Although very creative, I am not sure that was the intent during the contract negotiations. I would have loved to be the fly on the wall during that meeting. “Hear me out here people. We need 172 more passengers, why don’t we just pay actors to take a few flights and we have it.” Well, Flybe, if that ever happens again, ask me — I am sure I can find a few readers who would be willing to fly for free.
Source: BBC Image: Thomas Becker
Transavia Boeing 737-700
Transavia.com is the actual name of the airline. It used to be known as just Transavia Airlines, but in 2005 they changed their name to include the “.com”. The airline was founded in 1966 and is a low cost carrier, based out of Amsterdam. It is currently owned by the AirFrance-KLM group, but operates independently.
Their fleet is made up of all Boeing 737 aircraft, with 10 -700s and 19 -800s currently in service. The airline flies flights in Europe and to Africa and Asia. The airline has two sub operations: Transavia.co France and Transavia.com Denmark, based out of Paris and Copenhagen respectively.
Their old livery was quite plain and not exciting, but I am a big fan of their current one. It is simple, yet bold. It is rare to find a livery that has a ring around the fuselage of the aircraft. I only wish they would have some color on the winglets and not just make them all white.
Image: Per aspera ad Astra
Oh man, I am betting this one will (not) win. You have to be able to do better?
Do you want to create your own livery and see it on a Boeing 737? Well, Alaska Airlines and the Portland Timbers might let you live that dream. They are holding a contest and letting fans create their own livery. If it is chosen, they will paint an aircraft in your design.
Well, I guess you also win a pair of first class tickets to anywhere Alaska Airlines flies, free Timber tickets and an autographed jersey. That is pretty neat, but not nearly as neat as having a Boeing 737 flying around with your livery.
Do you have what it takes to make up your own livery? Obviously I do and I hope mine will win (okay, I am not submitting this). Better hurry, you only have until February 15, 2011. You can learn more and get a blank version of the Boeing 737 on the Timber’s website. Good luck!
