Flying was luxurious (and costly) before 1977. Then deregulation happened. Now flying is cheap and bad. Pioneering low-cost / no-frills airlines like People Express showed us the way.

In its short life (1981-1987) People Express introduced many lamentable aspects to U.S. air travel: paying to check bags, exchanging comfort for low prices, and going to Newark for some reason. And wait until you hear about their "innovative" ticketing procedure. 

As Homer Simpson said, it introduced a generation of hicks to air travel. The hicks were all of us, it turns out. Because People Express failed, but today the whole industry operates on its business model.

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