The Airline Time Machine Podcast

From the 1920s until 1939, there's only one way to fly as a passenger between Europe and The Americas... and the trip doesn't involve an airplane! Here's the story of the giant German airship "Graf Zeppelin" that pioneered airline travel across the Atlantic between the World Wars, before airplanes were capable of safely crossing the ocean. Send us Fan Mail

In 1936, most airline passengers are flying in small, loud, and uncomfortable airplanes, limited to short distance routes. But for a few travelers, long distance flights on the German airship "Hindenburg" mean sleeping cabins, gourmet meals, an onboard bar and promenade deck, all while comfortably crossing the Atlantic to New York or Rio de Janiero. We know the "Hindenburg" had...

In mid-1977, a small European airliner company had been in business for about ten years, but had only one aircraft type on offer, that had sold less than thirty units to four airlines, without a single sale in the past 18 months.  Here's the story of how a struggling U.S. airline headed by a former astronaut put together an unconventional deal that strengthened the airline, opened the giant U...