As a former United employee IAD we genuinely loved our jobs and our company. We were proud to stand above all airlines in every aspect of every job title. I miss the days when flying was a class act

It's hard to believe how far and how fast ALL the airlines have regressed. People in general have regressed too.

Everyone is talking about how much airlines have regressed but can we take a moment to talk about how much COMMERCIALS have regressed?? All these ads have heart and character to them, and the reel ends with one of the catchiest jingle songs I’ve ever heard. Compare that to today’s ads that are just cringy stock footage, lazy graphics, and voice-overs. I wish we can return to 80’s style commercials.

Sadly, flying in the US will never be like this again. It really was this good, and I miss it.

When United was at its best

I retired from UA in 2021 after 34 years. I watched a great airline cycle downwards along with it's customers (reason I retired 8 years early). I do remember the days when the airlines were great along with well mannered customers. That's just a bygone era. These commercials do bring back good memories when I was a young man.

When customer service at Airlines mattered.

Back when UA was my go to airline! Loved UA. After the CO merger it went down hill. LONG LIVE THE TULIP!

I miss the Tulip, and all of those 727s! ❤️

wow, 1984 airliners has bigger seats and pillows

This was lovely it actually made me cry remembering all the wonderful times of the United Airlines of the past.If only we had this spirit today in our airlines.

The guy that winked at the gate agent would be charged with sexual harassment today.

Such a contrast to the slicker ads in the late 80s that used “Rhapsody In Blue.” These were a lot more hokey and pure in a way

I remember when their flights were called "Friendship Service." UAL was so great in the 1980's.

This was before all the paycuts staff had to take, turning them surly.

1984: welcome to the friendly skies 2020:welcome to the unfriendly skies

God, society was so wholesome. And the airlines weren't fucking evil back then.

Wonderful ads United Airlines had.

What has happened to the world? 1984 is only 30 years ago. So glad to have lived during a time when customer service actually mattered.

Managed to fly with United January 1981 SEA-SFO Boeing 727-222 non advanced with an extra emergency exit door before the wing interesting configuration with overhead hat racks with small doors attached. Hot meal served and great service. Glad to experience United service over 40 years ago and I miss the Tulip! The 'Tulip' logo is United Airlines always. Ansett 727.

This is awesome! Thanks for posting!

That's a mighty fine stash you've got there Ben, and in high quality too! :D

I want to go back in time and fly on United DC-10.

Carrier's own flight kitchens are almost non existent anymore.

Great video. Those were the great days of flying.

Make sure you ship 50 billion of those okay man who just borrowed my calculator I randomly met

This was a different time than what the world has become. People have digressed in many ways, especially manners and appreciation. Companies have gotten so greedy, now fly when it's absolutely necessary instead because even though it was more expensive, they just wanted to, complete families fly to vacation, now we drive.

United Airlines was the official airline of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.

7:20 Ugh, my heart just melted. 😍

I remember these commercials

Such an awesome line

Airlines made more effort back then...customer service wise.

The skies aren't friendly these days. I flew from california to virginia and i had to pay for a meal. Used to be free up until the late 2000s

4:00 Born in Seattle in 1973, turning 49 in 2022, and my mother in her 80s (healthy, but we know that her time is "finite" at that age), this choked me up, right on the spot. They were probably not really mother and son, just actors, but still, Heaven bless them!

We strive to keep you HIGHLY SATISFIED !

Wow...all I am able to say is...wow!

Things were so elegant then. I'm wondering what the guy was selling that the guy with the dead battery needed 350,000,000 of? 🤔

United Airlines was primarily a US domestic airline back in the 80s. Cross-country B747 flights were an every-day occurrence. You could even fly a B747 from Los Angeles to San Francisco daily back then. UA began its first international route to Tokyo, Japan in 1983 and expanded their Trans-Pacific destinations with the acquisition of Pan Am’s Pacific, and South America routes several short years later. Trans Atlantic (European) destinations flown by United did not begin until the early 1990s, finally making UA a global airline but still far behind TWA, American, Delta, Continental and even Pan Am. United Airlines post 2020... uh, my crystal ball just fogged up!!!

united airlines in 1984: a nice and comfortable flight united airlines now: *drags someone off the plane*

My friend, you're flying through friendly skies and yet you're posting videos for us. You sure aren't just another face, Ben. ^^

From the beginning the personal, one-on-one friendly skies spirit of the people of United has set this airline apart. And through the years our advertising has always reflected that. You are, and always have been the friendly skies. You're not just another face along the way to another place. You're the pride of United's friendly skies. So before you go, my friend, we want you to know, my friend - you're not just flying - you're flying the friendly skies! On your way you're climbing high Like a morning sun in a golden sky so many new horizons waiting for you We got so many ways to fly you With United standing by you You're not just flying - you're flying the friendly skies! Reach out (reach out!) for the brightest star that you can find. The higher you reach, the higher you can climb! Flying high across the land We're giving you everything we can We've got more to give along the way Wherever you go, we go too We've got the land United for you (United for you!) You're not just flying - you're flying the friendly skies! (You're not just flying!) You're not just flying - you're flying the friendly skies! You're not just flying - you're flying the friendly skies! (You know you're not just flying!) You're not just flying - you're flying the friendly skies!

I always like United !

These weren't bad. Made me a bit nostalgic.

I was born in Seattle in 1973. Does anybody remember a song from the United Airlines commercials, probably late 70s, where the words went, "United Airlines, we're taking off, that a day, is a day!"

5:39 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

I believe United was employee owned partly at this time. As a kid, we had a blast on United. Everyone was so friendly from the pilots to the FA who fussed over us and gave us wings and playing cards. Now all the FAs try and hide in the back.

There are few better examples of money well spent today than paying $100 more for a JetBlue transcon ticket over UA. No sour grapes on my part. As a Sales Manager working in a virtual office during the 90s, I escaped much of the increasingly awful treatment of employees by upper management. But, due to continued devaluation of employees, including front-line employees, how could service not degrade?

Nice airline that was formed in Boise,Idaho

Samantha Jones likes the sweet rolls! 5:07

United Airlines From The 70s 80s And Early 90s Iconic Tulip Logo Beautiful Commercial

✈ 🎶 *"The Friendly Skies of Your Lsnd, UNITED Airlines* 🎶👍🏼

Even the way the planes were decorated was better. I miss Rhapsody in Blue. It was iconic. I miss everything about those days ,when flying had “class” and leg room and actual food if you wanted it on long flights. Today flying is just like Greyhound-load em in like cattle and hope no one throws a temper tantrum.

I just saw Sorrell Brooke!

This feels so wrong holding my iPad and thinking it’s this thin. Obviously TVs used to be huge.

And then kids it went to hell with Continental

7:10 Id hate to be the next guy who uses that pillow...

That boeing fleet 😍

that appears to be prolific character actor John Crawford as the main man here.

0:28 recorded at 4/27/84 bro

🧡❤️💙

The announcer sounds alot alike (same as?) the Sears 100th anniversary video

Nice to see what the airline industry was like back then before the deregulation forced the major airlines to cut back on services and compete only on price. From what I heard, the airlines back then provided much better services and the customers had better appreciation for the services they were getting. I also heard that the customers considered air travel to be special, so they dressed up for every flight travel. How times have changed. On the one hand, the deregulation made flight travel more affordable to more people, but on the other hand, it forced the airlines to cram more people into each flight to try to make the same revenue per passenger mile as before, leading to deterioration of travel experience for all passengers (crowded planes, crowed airports, crowded air spaces in the skies leading to flight delays, etc.). The deregulation ended the "Golden Era of Air Travel". Today, airlines make more profit overall because there are so many more people flying, but the revenue per passenger mile actually declined (adjusted for inflation), primarily due to lower ticket prices (driven by competition), according to a report by the GAO. So there you have it. Deregulation drove up the competition, which led to lower ticket prices, forcing airlines to cram more people into each flight and cut back on services to avoid financial losses (total sum of fares paid by all the passengers on a flight must be equal to or greater than the high cost of operating the jet aircraft, to avoid losses). When people complain about poor airline services and, yet, at the same time, demand lower air fares, they tend to forget that it is very,, very expensive to operate jet aircraft and that the airlines suffered significant losses (as in billions of dollars of losses) in the past when they didn't properly balance the cost of operating each aircraft with the ticket prices that the passengers were willing to pay. The demise of venerable airlines, such as Pan AM and TWA, should serve as a reminder of what can happen if an airline simply can't cut back costs fast enough to compete with lower-service competitors.

The crew make me like to make friend with them

0:07 R.I.P my ears on headphones! How bout a warning next time!

sweet roll guy said waaay tooo many words starting with S over those rolls.

Spirit Airlines has the same, uh, Spirit...

United had hubs in Seattle or Miami?

Ahh, back when customers were decent and not entitled turds.

00:58 Food service, no gloves. Luv United though

Prior to ‘84 United wasn’t flying to ATL?

0:43 uhoh

Not even comparable with the sad flight attendants of today.

O:14 what the he**

USA USA

Is that Walter Matthau at 1:22?

現美聯航用美大航商標！

For years now, every time I hear "United Airlines" I think of this song: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/a793lpertNfTqqM.html

should've use Rhapsody in Blue

its all gone now they dont even offer an international first class cabin only polaris primitive Business class…..

....

Los americanos sí que hacen las cosas bien

Needs more Gershwin

Are the United Airlines crew in the ads only actors not actual employees?

737/727 smaller 😂😂😂😂

The Rhapsody in Blue ads are better.

These are all sweet advertisements until the rear or front cargo door blows out and sends the plane down in a nosedive.

So many comments about this showing the ostensible halcyon days of flying. It was just as if not worse than it is now - smoking, drunk passengers, surly flight attendants, crap food, limited entertainment. Sleeping upright on a thin pillow is somehow the standard for having a great flight? Please.

Not a single black, Asian, or Hispanic passenger in any of these.

Some of these commercials are a bit creepy.....Jesus that song at the end.....

You have to wonder how many of the people appearing in these commercials are NO LONG WITH US? If you know please respond. God Bless