Skylounges

First U. S. landplane large enough to give real scope to interior designers is the Douglas DC-3. Last summer American Airlines began flying the first of these superb new planes in two models--21-passenger day coaches and sleepers with 14 berths plus a compartment (TIME, Sept. 28). This week United Air Lines inaugurated non-stop service between New York and Chicago with DC-3s outfitted along a new design which makes them the most luxurious in the world. Instead of 21 seats arranged in rigid rows, United installed 14 big swivel chairs, much like those in a Pullman, giving passengers more comfort and room to use such gewgaws as bridge tables, footstools, chessmen magnetized so they will not tumble in rough air. United's sacrifice of seven seats, though partially offset economically by increased cargo capacity, still leaves a 30% reduction in normal DC-3 payload. Therefore United made its new "Skylounges" the world's first extra-fare planes, imitating the standard practice of special trains and crack liners. In addition to the normal New York-Chicago fare of $47.95, passengers are surcharged $2.

United's venture into extra fares was regarded as courageous by other U. S. airlines in the face of the popular acclaim which greeted Transcontinental & Western Air last autumn when it cut its fares to railroad levels. Though rivals scoffed, TWA last week complacently claimed that its low fares were proving ideal. TWA passenger traffic in November, first month the low fares were in effect, was 122% greater than in November 1935.

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