Word: laker
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...proudest boast of Britain's Sir Freddie Laker is that he made transatlantic air travel affordable to the masses. For instance, his walk-on Laker Skytrain service from New York City to London costs only $250 one way, less than half of what most other airlines have been charging for even their economy-class tickets. But suddenly, Sir Freddie finds that he is facing stiff competition from one of the very airlines that his cutthroat pricing policies had siphoned business from in the first place: Pan American World Airways. Under its new chairman, C. Edward Acker, the loss-plagued...
...same day; black boxes for the truly desperate, who can drop off their passports and applications and pick up a visa three hours later. But these efforts have not cleared away the crush, just pushed it onto the street. U.S. Consul General Alan Gise attributes the upsurge to the "Laker legacy" of cheap, no-frills flights, to exchange rates that until recently were favorable, to relatively low U.S. prices for food and hotels, and to the British worker's growing infatuation with Miami Beach. A further complication is London's growing population of Third World citizens, many...
When Sir Freddie Laker inaugurated his no-frills, low-fare transatlantic flights in 1977, Europe's flagship airlines viewed the enterprising Englishman with a mixture of disdain-and apprehension. Now that Laker has proved the profitability of catering to frugal flyers, some of the once haughty carriers are imitating his stripped-down style. Beginning this week, British Airways and Air France will eliminate first-class seats from all their nights within Europe. The two airlines will offer first-class service only on intercontinental trips. KLM Airlines has already eliminated the first-class section on flights between Amsterdam and London...
...unruly Rock Against Racism crowd. Late into the rambling film, a racial element is pasted on, but the real meat of it is in the (spontaneous?) dialogue coming from Strummer, as he talks politics or introduces the song "I'm So Bored with the USA," dedicating it to Freddie Laker, "the man who made it all possible." Later, Strummer sings lyrics a cappella on a studio dub of "All the Young Punks," undermining his own lyrics with harmonic "c---s" on the final rhyme. One senses validity and importance in this early version of the Clash; one also imagines Clash...
...making it in the record industry. Formed in the wake of the British punk uprising, the band released one single on its own Illegal label before signing with A&M. They shattered precedent by undertaking a short East Coast tour in late '77 without any record company support--flying Laker Airways and carrying drums as hand baggage to cut down on costs. When the Police concluded their first proper American tour in Los Angeles in May, 1979, they turned down a $12,000 offer to play a second night at the 3,300-seat Santa Monica Civic in order...