operating in the US and Latin America can be booked with a special Braniff rate . |
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Will the famed Braniff name ever grace another airline ? Some serious high-profile parties have approached the caretakers to license or even purchase everything outright . The ever-protective Cass , however , is very conscious of tarnishing the brand as past flameouts like Braniff I and II did . “ I just don ’ t know if we would ever consider that unless we knew it was not going to fail . I don ’ t think that the brand could take another failure .” |
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24 Guests enjoy a Braniff style show presentation in early 2024 . // CHRIS SLOAN
25 A Braniff artist ’ s rendering of the company ’ s Concorde SST operating over the Grand Canyon in late 1978 . Braniff was the only US airline to operate Concorde through an interchange agreement with British Airways and Air France . Braniff never owned any Concorde aircraft but leased them from two US corporations only when they were operated between DFW and Washington Dulles airport . Concorde was a profitable venture for Braniff but not for its interchange partners and service was ended in May 1980 . // BRANIFF AIRWAYS FOUNDATION
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much like End of the Plain Plane does in the States .
The next event will be the Braniff History and Architecture Conference , to be held in Dallas on Saturday , September 14 , 2024 . This fourth conference will feature the history of Braniff ’ s time as the airline for the National Football League ’ s Dallas Cowboys , plus a look at the carrier ’ s history of flying and serving Latin America and its Military Airlift Command routes in the Pacific , Atlantic , and Caribbean — all told by the people who lived through it .
I attended a recent conference and was blown away by the impressive and diverse turnout , the compelling panel discussions , and the unexpectedly lively entertainment .
“ The past is the springboard of the future ,” Cass says ,
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explaining that the foundation and commercial arm will be positioned for years to come . Braniff Airways , Incorporated , oversees all current commercial aspects of the brand . This includes licensing the intellectual property and brand for film and TV , such as the recent series The Flight Attendant Murders . Very popular are hundreds of high-fashion Pucci , Halston , and Girard items , from luxury playing cards to clothing to luggage , sold through third-party retailers and BraniffBoutique . com .
The Braniff name is no longer adorning airplanes , but an online travel agency , FlyBraniff . com , is open to the public and provides special discounts and perks . “ This emphasizes our route structure , where we used to fly in South America , Europe , and the USA , with a unique Braniff brand experience ,” Cass says . To this day , former Braniffaffiliated hotel properties still
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What do the Lawrences and Mary Wells make of Braniff ’ s current keeper of the flame ? Sadly , Mary Wells Lawrence passed away on May 11 , shortly before this issue went to press . The foundation is entrusted with handling anything that deals with her career . Harding Lawrence ’ s grandson is a close friend and , in fact , is not only joining the board but inducting both Harding Lawrence and Mary Wells posthumously into the Braniff Hall of Fame in September 2024 .
While most think Braniff made its final landing 42 years ago , the Flying Colors are taking off for the future .
The author wishes to thank Ben Cass , Collin Ice , and Jessica Martin for their invaluable contributions to this story . Follow Braniff Online on Facebook at Braniff Flying Colors and online at BraniffInternational . com
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