Air Transport Facts

Speed ... Reliability ... Comfort ...

Nothing, not even the fastest bird, can approach the speed of our air transportation today. In 1926 the cruising speed of the average transport plane was 100 miles an hour. Today the new air liners are flying passengers, mail and express at 180 miles an hour -- 3 miles a minute -- yet entirely free from the annoying sensations commonly associated with high speeds.

The air lines complete more than 95 per cent of their scheduled mileage annually.

Because of the improved motor exhausts, geared engines, which reduce propeller noise, and scientific insulation of the airplane cabins, our modern air liners have reduced noise to a minimum.

There are 600 planes in service on air lines in the United States and operating under the American flag to other countries -- one air liner for every 9 Pullman cars.

An average of 1,550 men, women and children, three-fourths of a million letters and 4,700 pounds of express were flown over our air lines every 24 hours during the first 10 months of 1933.

More than 40 per cent of the flying is done at night.

The real significance of air transportation lies in what it promises to be in the near future.

Buying an air line ticket is as easy as buying a railroad ticket.

The thousands of regular air line travelers know that they can fly from one corner of the country to another within 24 hours, and on to Canada, the West Indies, Mexico, Central or South American -- all on one ticket. If they live in a city on the air line network, they need only telephone the local air line ticket office, travel agency or any telegraph office. If they live off an air line, they telephone the Postal Telegraph, Western Union, leading hotels or travel bureaus, receiving prompt information as to schedules and connections for their entire itinerary -- one ticket throughout, even when the shorter stages of their journey must be made by rail, boat or bus.

The average fare on our air lines is 6 cents a mile, with a 10 percent reduction for round trip fares on nearly all lines.