Airlines Confidential · Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Scott McCartney provided historical context for the Fourth of July, noting that commercial air service has existed for only about half of the United States' 250-year history. The first commercial flight in 1914 cost $5 for a ticket, equivalent to about $168 today, for a 20-mile route.
“The first commercial airline flight by Tony Janice across Tampa Bay was January 1st, 1914.”
“The first seat was auctioned off for $400, but standard tickets after that were $5, which in today's dollars would be about $168, which seems remarkably correct, except that the first airline route only covered about 20 miles.”