Word: legendizes
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That is exactly how tiny Legend Airlines wants long-suffering refugees from major U.S. carriers to feel. Four turbulent years in the making, the four-plane upstart took off from its home base in Dallas last month with service to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Washington. Its coveted clientele: business travelers who habitually pay last-minute fares on major airlines and are thus the industry's most profitable customers...
Apart from answering the question of whether more legroom really can make people happy, Legend will plumb a major mystery of the booming U.S. economy: In an age when Americans are demanding high-end luxury alternatives in every market from mountain bikes to hotel bathrooms, why can't they escape steerage when they fly? Must every ticket purchased be low-end and high-hassle...
...Legend seeks to reverse that dismal trend with re-configured DC-9s equipped with 56 plush, rust-colored seats that are set two abreast and boast a king-size 46 in. between rows. The industry average is 32 in. for coach and about 38 in. for first class, one reason Legend trumpets itself as providing first-class comfort at coach fares. Why 56 seats? That's the limit for long-haul carriers flying out of Dallas' Love Field, under a 1979 federal law intended to protect the sprawling Dallas/Fort Worth airport, which just happens to be American Airlines' home base...
...Legend, which sets its prices to match those of American's coach tickets, offers additional perks that include gourmet cuisine, power outlets for laptop computers, and flight attendants trained by the company that schools employees of the Ritz hotel chain. Says Legend chief executive Allan McArtor, 57, a silver-haired former Vietnam fighter jock and past head of the Federal Aviation Administration: "Air travel today is an endurance test...
Before it could take to the air, Legend had to outmaneuver American on the ground. In the past four years, American has sued Legend--along with the city of Dallas and the Federal Government--to keep the new airline from using Love Field. While Legend has won every case so far, the issue may yet end up in the Supreme Court. American has poured money into anti-Legend lobbying and launched a series of attack ads asserting that Legend flights from Love would sap the economic vitality of Dallas/Fort Worth Airport...