Rich people from Texas paid massive money to fly Concorde from Dallas to Washington DC without knowing the truth about how fast the flights were

Back in the late 1970s, rich Texans were shelling out a huge amount to fly Concorde from Dallas to Washington DC – but they didn’t realize the truth about how fast they were travelling.

Braniff International was the only American airline to operate a scheduled Concorde flight.

That made it all the more appealing for a bunch of rich Texans who wanted to travel in style.

But there was one thing about these flights that set them apart from their European counterparts.

The Concorde is an indisputable icon of the aviation world

You say the name and everyone instantly knows what you’re talking about.

That’s the kind of prestige that comes with the name Concorde.

One former pilot of the supersonic jet branded it the ‘greatest icon of the 20th century’, and we can’t find fault with that line of argument.

Whether it’s footage of its first flight or video filmed onboard the plane itself, the Concorde has a rich legacy.

Yet, we’re still somehow finding out new things about it all the time – despite the fact that it hasn’t flown in nearly 23 years.

Now, the Concorde as we knew it was operated by British Airways and Air France.

But did you know that one American airline was running flights?

Flying from Texas to Washington DC in style

Braniff International ran Concorde flights between Dallas, Texas, and Washington DC from January 12, 1979 to May 31, 1980.

British Airways and Air France supplied the jets under an interchange agreement.

Braniff crews would fly them from Texas to the nation’s capital, then European operators would take the planes back over the Atlantic.

Braniff International was a fitting airline to operate the Concorde in the US, as it was considered particularly glamorous.

Crews working on the planes wore designer uniforms and their airport lounges were just as stylish.

It all sounds good on the face of it – but there was a catch.

Things weren’t quite as they seemed for these flyers

The Concorde broke the sound barrier while in the air – that was practically the whole point of it.

By going so fast, it would shave hours off cross-Atlantic flights.

But things weren’t quite so speedy for passengers travelling on Braniff International.

Why was that?

Well, in 1973, the US government prohibited civilian supersonic flight over land because of the disruptive sonic boom.

This meant that Braniff International had to keep cruising speeds below Mach 1.

Limited to Mach 0.95, this saved passengers only 20 minutes off their usual flight time.

We’re sure they didn’t mind, though.

After all, the prestige of flying on the Concorde was the main selling point.

And imagine having that bragging right for the rest of your life.

Key milestones in the story of the Concorde

1956: UK and France begin discussions for a supersonic passenger aircraft
1962: Official Anglo-French treaty signed to develop Concorde
1969: First prototype takes flight in Toulouse
1973: Hits Mach 2 for the first time during testing
1976: First commercial flights launch with British Airways and Air France
1985: First used for transatlantic VIP trips and iconic charters
1996: Fastest transatlantic crossing set – New York to London in 2h 52m
2003: Final commercial flight marks the end of supersonic travel