Airline maverick Freddie Laker dies in Miami

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Airline maverick Freddie Laker dies in Miami
Thu Feb 9, 2006 11:41 PM GMT171



By Tom Brown

MIAMI (Reuters) - Business maverick Sir Freddie Laker, who built an airline empire on low-cost international travel only to see it collapse in ruins, has died in Miami, a family source said.

The source, a business partner of Laker's son who asked not to be identified by name, said the 83-year-old Laker died early on Thursday of undisclosed causes.

In the 1970s, Laker Airways' cut-price Skytrain service from Britain to the United States opened new vistas for millions of tourists who had previously regarded air travel as a preserve of the rich.

Skytrain, which opened in 1977 offering a one-way fare of $100 between London and New York, sparked a price war as major airlines rushed to follow its lead, many of them going into the red as a result.

In the five years before its eventual collapse, Laker Airways carried over three million passengers on its fleet of 20 aircraft and rose from 29th place to fifth place in the Atlantic air travel rankings.

Laker's success and fighting spirit of free enterprise -- he advertised the venture himself on television and posters -- won him the admiration of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

But in February 1982, supported only by its bankers, Sir Freddie's Laker Airways finally folded after it became burdened with millions of dollars in debt.
 
Airline maverick Freddie Laker dies in Miami
Thu Feb 9, 2006 11:41 PM GMT171
By Tom Brown

MIAMI (Reuters) - Business maverick Sir Freddie Laker, who built an airline empire on low-cost international travel only to see it collapse in ruins, has died in Miami, a family source said.

The source, a business partner of Laker's son who asked not to be identified by name, said the 83-year-old Laker died early on Thursday of undisclosed causes.

In the 1970s, Laker Airways' cut-price Skytrain service from Britain to the United States opened new vistas for millions of tourists who had previously regarded air travel as a preserve of the rich.

Skytrain, which opened in 1977 offering a one-way fare of $100 between London and New York, sparked a price war as major airlines rushed to follow its lead, many of them going into the red as a result.

In the five years before its eventual collapse, Laker Airways carried over three million passengers on its fleet of 20 aircraft and rose from 29th place to fifth place in the Atlantic air travel rankings.

Laker's success and fighting spirit of free enterprise -- he advertised the venture himself on television and posters -- won him the admiration of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

But in February 1982, supported only by its bankers, Sir Freddie's Laker Airways finally folded after it became burdened with millions of dollars in debt.

I won't wish death on anyone but Laker got what he deserved when his airline went down in flames. One of the true believers in "pay to play". He would charge it's flight crew new-hires $10,000 up front for training in order to work there.
 
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I won't wish death on anyone but Laker got what he deserved when his airline went down in flames. One of the true believers in "pay to play". He would charge it's flight crew new-hires $10,000 up front for training in order to work there.
Not his fault if people were dumb enough to pay.
 
Remember all the people that got duped by Family Airlines?
Actually no, but people get "duped" in the hopes of gaining experience. I drew the line at employment application fees but I guess people want the job so bad they'll pay. The only thing I'll pay for is my OWN business. I won't pay to work for someone else.
 
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Family Airlines was a fake airline (they actually leased a 747 and had it painted) that required every prospective employee to invest $5000 each. Then they skipped town.

They tried to do it again, but I think they got nailed.
 
Family Airlines was a fake airline (they actually leased a 747 and had it painted) that required every prospective employee to invest $5000 each. Then they skipped town.

They tried to do it again, but I think they got nailed.

Good, nail them bigtime. I guess the moral of the story is to look up any upstart air carrier's certificate in the FAA Database. (I'm willing to bet they never had, nor applied for a 121 Certificate).
 
Family Airlines was a fake airline (they actually leased a 747 and had it painted) that required every prospective employee to invest $5000 each. Then they skipped town.

They tried to do it again, but I think they got nailed.


Isn’t it amazing how people will talk trash without knowing the facts? Family Airlines didn’t skip town. Investigate the facts fully. You really need to know what you are talking about with 100% certainty before you lay your fingers on your keyboard. There are many reasons Family Airlines didn't get off the ground the first time around. There was no one person to blame, so you all need to get off your high horses.

Family Airlines is still trying to get off the ground. From their website, they are filing their application on January 8th. It is nice to know there are still people in this country to don’t give up on their dreams.
 

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