Hard Landing: The Epic Contest for Power and Profits That Plunged the Airlines into Chaos

Thomas Petzinger's Hard Landing is an in-depth and fascinating analysis of the history of the airline industry. Petzinger takes the reader from the birth of the airline industry just after World War I to the rise of industry giant Southwest Airlines. The book is not short. Including Petzinger's "Postscript to the Paperback Edition," Hard Landing is just short of five hundred pages long. The length of Hard Landing should not be a deterrent to the reader but rather an incentive. Petzinger filled Hard Landing with so much information that one is surprised he completed the book in five hundred pages. Petzinger's research is also noteworthy. Petzinger filled the bibliography with books, articles, papers, and primary source interviews that give Hard Landing a historical authenticity that many current books lack. Hard Landing should be read by anyone who has an interest in politics, the airline industry, history, and the combination thereof.In Hard Landing, Thomas Petzinger transports the reader back the glory days of the airline industry. Early on, Petzinger introduces the mythological giants Herb Kelleher, Frank Lorenzo, and Bob Crandall early in their respective careers. Petzinger introduces most of his characters directly out of their respective Ivy League school. All men are classic airline giants--hard drinking, cursing, smoking, demonstrative men of the airline industry. Petzinger uses profanity-laced quotes to show the vigor with which the heads of the various airlines competed against each other. In some books, writers inappropriately use profanity to underscore points that ultimately require no underscoring. In Hard Landing, Petzinger selectively drops profanity filled quotes into the narrative to place the reader "in the action" of the story. This method works quite well as the reader will find him/herself unable to stop reading this insightful work.The airline industry is a complex monstrosity. Petzinger deconstructs the industry with masterful precision. As an editor of the Wall Street Journal, Thomas Petzinger is likely accustomed to deconstructing complex stories. A search on Amazon.com reveals that Petzinger wrote two other books on complex subjects. Petzinger's other books deal with men and women in the modern marketplace and the large oil companies. Petzinger may not have aviation industry experience but it is quite clear that he researched Hard Landing meticulously and gave his subjects the utmost respect.Some reviewers have criticized Petzinger for his focus only on America's airlines, specifically his focus on Texas-based airlines. This is an unfair criticism because it displays a lack of understanding of the history of the airline industry. Texas International, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Continental Airlines all have strong roots in Texas. Furthermore, Walter Folger Brown and the eventual Civil Aeronautics Board built the most extensive and successful airline structure in the world. Petzinger is correct to focus exclusively on the American airlines.Beyond the history of the airline industry, Petzinger also shows the collusion between the airlines and the United States government. When the Carter Administration took office in 1977, the corruption and collusion between the airlines and the government reached a monumental scale. Petzinger's account of the political wrangling involved in the deregulation of the airline industry is simply fascinating. Many major political players of today played a major role in deregulation. Even George W. Bush's former Transportation Secretary, Norman Mineta, appears to provide the decisive vote needed to pass deregulation. Petzinger's political history is as fascinating as his airline industry history.Petzinger makes an interesting point in his postscript. When he completed Hard Landing in the late 1990's, the airlines were in a period of relative calm. In the final lines of Hard Landing, Petzinger says, "Only when the economy again moved into the minus column would anyone know for sure whether the leaders of the industry had changed their war-mongering ways, or whether at last, they, and their industry, had matured." Subsequent to the tragic events of September 11, it is safe to say that the airline industry has moved into the "minus column" once again. The amazing airline drama continues.

A well written book covering the history of Airlines in America the growth of the big four, how technology especially reservation systems and automation was turned into a weapon that drove some airlines out of business, labour relations and the deregulation of airlines that exposed the Achilles heel of legacy carrriers who found themselves unable to compete with new entreants. Not to forget Frank Lorenzo a capitalist and anti union guy who after taking over Easters Airlines run it aground due to labour conflict. This book is a must read for those in the airline industry as the problems faced then ask as real as they come now an drhe fact that now most airlines have been forced to pay employees different wages for the same jod B-scales as is was called so as to be able to expand is not a new phenomenon is was done by airlines back then.The demise of Pan Am airline is also covered as it's strategy is reviewed and it's hard to imagine that Pam Am was the original founder of intercontinental hotel chains, but it's strategy and final demise is covered.A lovely read worth the time and exposes how legacy airlines folded under their bloated costs and inefficient a workforce.

Great aviation history

21.5 Podcast Book Club! Went with the paperback version for some “street cred.” Be better prepared for a career in aviation by learning from the past. Thanks to Dylan and Max for the recommendation and discussion. But has anybody asked what Ted thinks about it? 🤣

Both books were a very good read...I recommend both

Very impressive and well documented. We all experienced the evolution of the airline industry and hotel industry. Very interesting to see the inside story and dynamic personalities involved.

Hard Landing by Thomas Petzinger is one of the most comprehensive overviews of the airline industry and its subsets. This book not only covers the major players and looks at the personal lives of the titans who built the industry but also the rise and fall of companies such as Pan Am, Eastern and TWA. It focuses mostly on United and American but also looks at groups like Southwest, Frontier and Barniff. From the struggles of deregulation to the price wars of the 1980's this is one of the most comprehensive overviews. What is also nice about the book is the time spent on the related industries especially the travel agents. The book looks at how travel agents structures changed after deregulation and what happened in the hotel, rental car and service industries as a result of the airlines. Finally one of the most interesting parts of the book was the development of the computerized registration systems and their effect on air travel. From yield management of what to charge per ticket to maximizing flights in the air the numbers game of the airline industry is shown in all its glory. Overall just a fascinating book to read and very well executed.

This book gives you the insights of airline operations.

Nada más empezar a trabajar en una aerolínea, este fue el primer libro que me recomendaron leer. Es un básico.Lo he comprado de segunda mano gracias a la plataforma de Amazon, lo que encima ayuda tanto a ahorrar dinero como a reutilizar las cosas. Gracias por hacer posible un mejor aprovechamiento de los recursos. Es importante.El libro está entretenido para leer.

This book is a true treasure in the aviation business. The author covers the complex mesh of forces at play in the United States' aviation industry from the early jet age to the dawn of the millennium in an impressively ordered way.It really paints an incredibly detailed picture of how the aviation industry evolved and grew up through fierce competition and regulation.The book also remains entertaining throughout and is an incredible resource of knowledge and information for future generations to come.

Ce livre expose l'évolution de l'aviation commerciale américaine depuis les années '60 (il a été publié en 1995). Ce furent des années agitées, avec la dérégulation, qui a entraîné la naissance et la mort de nombreuses compagnies. L'auteur expose la stratégie et les manoeuvres plus ou moins loyales des dirigeants des compagnies aériennes, leurs succès et leurs échecs, le dessous des cartes, et c'est passionnant !

A fantastic view into how the industry developed from government contracts to the beast it is today in the US. I especially enjoyed how technology was introduced into the pricing and booking systems. Great read even in 2019!