I worked at Wardair from 1980 -1989, leaving as a result of the merger with Canadian Airlines. Best job I have had. Great people, we are still in touch with one another through social media. The airline was focused on impressive customer service, our standard inflight service and meals would rival many Business Class services to this day. Customer's loved us, Max Ward was revered by many of his staff. Mr. Ward passed away earlier this year and former employees have been lobbying the Canadian Government to rename Edmonton International Airport in his name. Edmonton was where corporate offices were located, though Toronto was where the largest office was located and most departments worked out of. Being an employee, I flew on our entire fleet. My favourite to fly on was the A310, while my least favourite was the A300.
I flew CP between YYZ or YVR and Asia dozens and dozens of times. I loved this airline and would only take AC when there was no other choice. Their President's Club frequent flyer program was excellent. It's unfortunate they had to be absorbed by AC.
@@SwissMarksman Pre-pandemic whenever I flew between YYZ or YUL and Europe I would always go for KLM, BA, or Lufthansa over AC. They've never really made any effort to improve their service.
Wow, that was a blast from the past! I first flew on Wardair from the Old Terminal 1 at YYZ to PIK in Scotland and back in 1981. On board service was out of this world - I remember the airline fondly.
I was the Wardair UK sales manager in the early eighties and the high quality service they offered on transAtlantic charter flights from LGW, Prestwick, Belfast and Newcastle had an amazingly loyal customer base. They were great to work for and fly on.
Did they fly from Heathrow? I flew wardair on november 15 1989 from London to Calgary, i am thinking we flew out of Heathrow. Do you think it was Gatwick?
Thanks for this brings back memories. I had the pleasure of flying on a Wardair 747 to Hawaii, I would choose them over Air Canada any day of the week. Additionally had the honor of being seated beside Max Ward on a business flight from Edmonton to Toronto. If you are an aviation guy like me talking with Max Ward was a lifetime experience. A Canadian aviation icon.
When I was a young kid back in the early 80's, my family took CP Air to Scotland on what I believe was a DC-8. Can still remember that it was delayed to technical issues and we were stuck in Toronto, Pearson for 8 hours. Seeing that photo of CP Air brought back some memories! Thanks for the video!
I worked for Wardair for 2 years as a mechanic, left for a number of years and came back to work as a QC Inspector. It was a great company to work for, great folks to work with.
I was on one of wardairs jumbo jets going to visit family in England back in the late 80’s. I remember being a kid and being amazed by the size of the jet inside and out plus the spiral steps going up to upper coach. Seeing the cockpit with the pilots was awesome too. The food and dessert was nothing like today, infact better. I’ll never forget how cool the wardair company and hers were back in the day.
November 15 1989 I flew Wardair dc 10 from London Gatwick to Calgary. Later that year Canadian Airlines acquired them. Meal service was superb. I remember porcelain dishes!, expensive silver ware, and amazing meal service. I will never forget that experience. Nowadays you are lucky if u can get a bottle of water lol.
Wardair had wonderful service & is very fondly remembered. However, I think you need to address the airline deregulation issue in Canada that occurred around 1984 as one of the main causes of many changes & consolidations in the Canadian airline industry.
As a kid (I was 8 years old at the time) I went on vacation to Barbados.. We flew on Wardair's DC-10 from YUL to BGI and back.. I remember the experience like it was yesterday.. The flight attendants came around and gave kid's little wings, and the meal tray was bigger than my tray table, with real dinnerware and cutlery.. they gave a glass of champagne to the adults, and fizzy OJ to the kid's.. Many years later, I worked for Nationair (Canadian charter airline that flew form 1986 to 1993) as a flight attendant, and I flew the Boeing Jumbo Jet 747's CF-FUN and CF-DJC.. Nationair had took them on as their first 747's in the fleet at the time.. we operated DC-8's and 757's otherwise.. The 747's still had the same interior layout, and the same colored seats as it did with Wardair.. five different sections starting from the front of the aircraft to the back.. (pink-blue-yellow-blue-orange) and massive galley's at doors 2 and 4... it also had an upper-deck section with 16 wide-seats (two by two).. it was a great plane to work on.. Now, I'm pursuing my flight attendant career with Air Transat, with which I've been for the past 28 years this year.. I still remember the good old days.. but it sure is fun to fly on modern newer airplanes like the A330 and A321NLR..!:)
I flew from Winnipeg to London in 1970 - the first & best flight of my life. The service was amazing. We stopped in Greenland for refueling and (this is the days before security) all the passengers got off the plane to stretch our legs and visit the gift shop. Every passenger was a first class passenger.
"RG" was not a founding member of Star Alliance, technically joining only after the Alliance was already founded. Nevertheless, Varig would make for a great story, just like Wardair (and CP/Canadian)
Haha! I was always partial to the airline because of the name, but they were amazing as an airline. I've flown on their B747, A300, and A310 aircraft, and it was always a fantastic experience, even though I was quite young then. Best food and friendliest flight attendants around!
I did Wardair Gatwick-Calgary-Vancouver in 1980, then Ottawa-Gatwick back home. Excellent service, including a decent fillet steak on a China plate. Wonderful views of Greenland on the way out.
I flew on a Wardair 747 from Toronto to Barbados in 1985, fantastic experience. There was an ATC delay prior to departure and they came around with champagne and orange juice!
I had many great flights on Wardair, it was a fantastic airline. Unfortunately it expanded far too rapidly after deregulation and succumbed to having too much debt. After Canadian Airlines bought it and its debt it too succumbed to having too much debt, so Air Canada bought it and Air Canada went bankrupt from too much debt.
Yeah, I was always under the impression that their ambitious order of 12 A310s was too much for them and was the primary reason they collapsed. It was a great plane, but very sad to see the airline go under.
I only live 3 miles from Leeds Bradford Airport and Wardair was the first 747 I ever saw, they started a long haul service from Leeds Bradford to Toronto in the 86-87 when I was very young, I remember playing in my first school playground I must have been 4-5 years old and this huge machine just appeared over our heads…it was from that very moment I never stopped loving aviation and it was all thanks to Wardair!!!…what wonderful memories thank you 😊
I had my first ever flight on a Wardair 747 to Edmonton in August 1979. Spent a month touring Bamff, Jasper and the Rockies. before flying back to London. The service was great and the 747 was a joy to fly in.
Thanks Dave Sisson yes Ansett Airlines of Australia has been a great contribution to commercial Australian domestic aviation and international services 1936-2002. Now gone. I had great flights with quality service with AN across Australia 1970's Boeing 727-177 VH-RMD until November 2000 final flight on a A320. Ansett 727.
I flew with Wardair on their A310 from Calgary to Toronto and back. You got the salad first, then the hot entree, then the dessert. It was an amazing airline.
Remember Wardair was one of two 747s to land at Leeds Bradford Airport on the 4th of November 84. This was on the day the airport opened it's runway extension. It was a proving flight before commencement the following spring of flights to Toronto via Birmingham UK. The other 747 to land was one chartered from British Airways by Yorkshire Post Newspapers on the same day for pleasure flights. The BA plane was renamed the Spirit Of Yorkshire for the day. Sadly the BA 747 was later to be blown up while stranded at Kuwait airport at the start of the 1st Gulf War.
I never flew on them but used to see them a lot in Barbados (BGI). I also worked for the handling company that did Canadian Airlines flights after they took over Wardair.
@@SaturnCanuck They were branded as CP Air, then Canadian Pacific Airlines, and when they merged with Pacific Western Airlines they became Canadian Airlines. I always liked them much better than Air Canada. Here in the Atlantic Provinces, we also had Air Atlantic (affiliated with Canadian) and Air Nova (partnered with Air Canada). Before that, there was EPA.
@@SaturnCanuck They used to be "Canadian Pacific". It was only when the parent (rail) company rebranded all its divisions with the "CP" abbreviation that CP Air was branded. There was also a CP Ships division, and CP Hotels, etc. The brand colours also changed ... to orange, predominantly (very popular when seen in Amsterdam)
In 1990, I was due to fly Wardair from LGW to Calgary on one of their A310s. Shortly before the trip, we were told that Wardair had been merged into Canadian, but the plane was the same. Interestingly, one of your shots of a Wardair 707 showed a CP Air DC-8 behind it - the predecessor of Canadian. The service was fine and the crew friendly; I was a little surprised to find an A310 on a relatively long haul service, as my previous usage of A310s was within Europe.
I flown on WardAir from Edmonton to Amsterdam on March 2, 1978 at age 10 with my parents to Amsterdam C-FDJC Boeing 747-1D1. It was amazing service. I was flying in First class with my parents. The food was my favourite part, the crew served right in front of us. R.I.P wardair
Flew Wardair 747 from Gatwick to Toronto in 1975, Surprised by dropping in to Manchester on route to take on more passengers. One class comfort - spent some time in upper deck lounge. Good memories.
I flew to Hawaii in March 1977 on a Wardair 747 ( Wardair Vacations. ) I was only 19 and my travelling buddy was 18 and it was a fantastic experience. Incomparable service, I never saw anything like it again. It was my first trip to Hawaii and most memorable !
I would say it's the best airline that I have ever flown on. Four trips to Toronto all on 747 they would even come and ask how you wanted your steak 🥩.
I have very fond memories of flying to UK in the late 70s and early 80s on WardAir 747s. Amazing service. Single class but the service was better than 1st on that other Canadian airline. After the cabin crews were absorbed into AC, I could usually recognize the old WardAir crews. In the late 90s I flew YYZ - YYZ for quarterly meetings, often taking the red eye east. When I couldn’t sleep, I had opportunities to chat to the crew and was able to confirm my suspicions of their origins. The AC crew were easiest to recognize by their “we’re not happy until you’re not happy” attitude.
First flight of my life. Manchester to Toronto. The service was fantastic. Silver service meals . I've literally flown hundreds of times since that day but never got close to the impeccable service of wardair. I find myself reminiscing everytime I hear love's theme on the radio. It was played when taxi-ing in and out
From Edmonton, Alberta, As a child my Family flew that one stop to Europe for a two month summer vacation with friends that taught in Germany at the CFB base. Other fantastic later trips where to Hawaii from Edmonton non stop on the 747's. Oh man, Steak for supper and wines and liqueurs. It was all top notch. It was so sad to see the firm stop flying. I did some HVAC work at Max Wards house in the 80's here in Edmonton and meet him briefly. Good Memories...thanks so much! I understand he was a fantastic bush pilot.
Flew to England in 1985 outward on a 747, back on a DC-10. Service was amazing, meals served on china service. Was my first trip abroad and I loved it. Wardair is missed in my books.
Wardair was class all the way. Excellent service and the food was amazing all served on Royal Daulton China of course. When flying was a amazing experience as soon as you stepped on the aircraft. Just imaging the Queen of the Sky Boeing 747. Now your just packed in like a cow especially American carries. Cheers 🇨🇦
I had the pleasure of flying on them many times when I was a lot younger, I still have such fond memories of flying with them, the fantastic service and great flights. Years later I had the absolute privilege to fly Max Ward himself to Seattle, it was a hi light in my flying career.
I've heard of Wardair, but I wasn't yet alive when they folded into Canadian Airlines. Another major Canadian airline in my childhood was Canada 3000. Even had a MEGA BLOKS model of one of their planes. Perhaps do a video on that carrier's rise and fall? Fun fact: Cargojet was founded from the remnants of Canada 3000's cargo operations.
I took the first Canada 3000 flight that was available from Edmonton to Hawaii, it was a stretched plane I believe, WORST flight ever. Stopping in Vancouver to pick up passengers, it was 4 hours before we got a drink of water.....they were not prepared and did not know how to service the people on the plane..... Worst Experience.
@@fffanman that bad, eh? I do know they were the largest charter operator in the world by the end of the 90s, but I guess their service wasn't particularly great.
Wardair still the best for me. Flew 747 Gatwick-Calgary-Vancouver for 15th World Scout jamboree in 1983. All staffs truly amazing. Got invited to cockpit watching sunrise over Ireland prior landing at Gatwick (from Toronto) Deffo miss Wardair
My very first flight was on a Wardair B747-100 from Toronto to Orlando. It left a unforgettable mark on me which led me into the aviation business. I still have the place setting from that flight!
Flew with them 3 or 4 times in the 1980's. The last transatlantinc airline to make a traveller feel special. Flew both from Heathrow and Prestwick airports. Great crews, happy, helpfull cabin crew and ground support. An airline sorely missed.
Only flew their B747, A310. On the 747, sat in the upper deck, in the nose (row 2), and in the back. They had great crews and was the best leisure airline back in the day. Was sad to see then go!
Yep as a 14 year old U.K. to Canada, 1st trip was in 72 with air Canada. Next trip was with Wardair a couple of years later and even as a teeny bopper I knew it was all round better. Comfy seats and nice China instead of plastic.
Wardair was a superb airline in terms of customer service ... epitomized everything great about 1970s' air travel. I'm not sure if moving from its niche as a charter company to a scheduled airline was the beginning of the end, but it's a darned shame it doesn't exist anymore (for the its customers and as a "keep them honest" competitor to the existing airlines).
My first ever flight abroad was on Wardair 747 Herbert Hollick Kenyon. My brother who was just 15 and I got to go in the cockpit and we were also allowed to visit the upstairs deck via a spiral staircase. We went to Edmonton from Manchester and it was a trip of a lifetime. We were served meals on bone China and that was the norm.
I remember these, my mum took a Wardair 747 from a much smaller Stansted to Toronto, Canada in the 1980's..... 1986 i think. This was a time when you could get pretty close to the aircraft and runway, before the era of very tight aircraft and airport security .
Me too as a child I used to love seeing Canadian airlines something about their livery I just loved. Always had great experiences flying with them and their fleet variety was a treat for plane spotters! The aircanada buy out was ridiculous cause they soon after flied for bankruptcy protection and now the federal government has a stake in the airline
Barbados (Grantley Adams) to Toronto (Pearson) in 1986, DC10. Up to now, I have not seen better service on any airline. And I've been to Singapore on their flag carrier.
I flew Wardair to Hawaii from Edmonton in the eighties. That was back when there was a different standard of service. You glass was not allowed to be less that half full.
Wardair 747 (-100 according to this) Vancouver to London Gatwick and return July 1978. Big memory was being invited into the cockpit over Artic ocean on the return flight. Kids like that stuff. Not sure if flight deck or artic ice was more impressive. Canada seemed like a bigger nation with three big modern air carriers back then.
Wardair was purchased by Canadian Airlines International who was purchased by Air Canada .a very SAD day in Canadian air travel. Wardair was a class act as was Canadian...
I had flown Ward Air several times out of Edmonton. The best airline ever...none can compete with their service, the staff were top shelf, best stewardesses in the business, all female and sharp looking. They kept the fun times going and the booze flowing. Sadly the industry is failing.
I worked at Wardair from 1980 -1989, leaving as a result of the merger with Canadian Airlines. Best job I have had. Great people, we are still in touch with one another through social media. The airline was focused on impressive customer service, our standard inflight service and meals would rival many Business Class services to this day. Customer's loved us, Max Ward was revered by many of his staff. Mr. Ward passed away earlier this year and former employees have been lobbying the Canadian Government to rename Edmonton International Airport in his name. Edmonton was where corporate offices were located, though Toronto was where the largest office was located and most departments worked out of. Being an employee, I flew on our entire fleet. My favourite to fly on was the A310, while my least favourite was the A300.
Wardair had amazing service. And the food was exceptional. Air Canada was considered the cheap airline here when CP and Wardair were flying.
Still the same with Air Canada or did they level up?
I flew CP between YYZ or YVR and Asia dozens and dozens of times. I loved this airline and would only take AC when there was no other choice. Their President's Club frequent flyer program was excellent. It's unfortunate they had to be absorbed by AC.
@@SwissMarksman Pre-pandemic whenever I flew between YYZ or YUL and Europe I would always go for KLM, BA, or Lufthansa over AC. They've never really made any effort to improve their service.
Ward air was fantastic. Flew on them several times between Canada and the UK. Exceptional service.
The Royal Canadian Air Force actually operates 5 former Wardair A310s, used for transport, air refueling, and VIP transport.
I flew on Wardair in the mid-80's. No one today could hold a candle to their service. No one.
Wow, that was a blast from the past! I first flew on Wardair from the Old Terminal 1 at YYZ to PIK in Scotland and back in 1981. On board service was out of this world - I remember the airline fondly.
Great'
PIK, wasn't that the airport code for the old Prestwick airport? Been there done that! But mine was on a CP Air flight and then later Air Transat.
@@garykee1 Yes it was (or I think it still is).
@@SaturnCanuck And the elevators didn't go to the top level - you had to walk up the stairs to get to the roof. But what a view!
@@SaturnCanuck it sure was!!
I was the Wardair UK sales manager in the early eighties and the high quality service they offered on transAtlantic charter flights from LGW, Prestwick, Belfast and Newcastle had an amazingly loyal customer base. They were great to work for and fly on.
Did they fly from Heathrow? I flew wardair on november 15 1989 from London to Calgary, i am thinking we flew out of Heathrow. Do you think it was Gatwick?
Thanks for this brings back memories. I had the pleasure of flying on a Wardair 747 to Hawaii, I would choose them over Air Canada any day of the week. Additionally had the honor of being seated beside Max Ward on a business flight from Edmonton to Toronto. If you are an aviation guy like me talking with Max Ward was a lifetime experience. A Canadian aviation icon.
When I was a young kid back in the early 80's, my family took CP Air to Scotland on what I believe was a DC-8. Can still remember that it was delayed to technical issues and we were stuck in Toronto, Pearson for 8 hours. Seeing that photo of CP Air brought back some memories! Thanks for the video!
I worked for Wardair for 2 years as a mechanic, left for a number of years and came back to work as a QC Inspector. It was a great company to work for, great folks to work with.
I was on one of wardairs jumbo jets going to visit family in England back in the late 80’s. I remember being a kid and being amazed by the size of the jet inside and out plus the spiral steps going up to upper coach. Seeing the cockpit with the pilots was awesome too. The food and dessert was nothing like today, infact better. I’ll never forget how cool the wardair company and hers were back in the day.
November 15 1989 I flew Wardair dc 10 from London Gatwick to Calgary. Later that year Canadian Airlines acquired them. Meal service was superb. I remember porcelain dishes!, expensive silver ware, and amazing meal service. I will never forget that experience. Nowadays you are lucky if u can get a bottle of water lol.
Worked as a Flight Attendant with Wardair .... a wonderful job!
Wardair had wonderful service & is very fondly remembered. However, I think you need to address the airline deregulation issue in Canada that occurred around 1984 as one of the main causes of many changes & consolidations in the Canadian airline industry.
As a kid (I was 8 years old at the time) I went on vacation to Barbados.. We flew on Wardair's DC-10 from YUL to BGI and back.. I remember the experience like it was yesterday.. The flight attendants came around and gave kid's little wings, and the meal tray was bigger than my tray table, with real dinnerware and cutlery.. they gave a glass of champagne to the adults, and fizzy OJ to the kid's.. Many years later, I worked for Nationair (Canadian charter airline that flew form 1986 to 1993) as a flight attendant, and I flew the Boeing Jumbo Jet 747's CF-FUN and CF-DJC.. Nationair had took them on as their first 747's in the fleet at the time.. we operated DC-8's and 757's otherwise.. The 747's still had the same interior layout, and the same colored seats as it did with Wardair.. five different sections starting from the front of the aircraft to the back.. (pink-blue-yellow-blue-orange) and massive galley's at doors 2 and 4... it also had an upper-deck section with 16 wide-seats (two by two).. it was a great plane to work on.. Now, I'm pursuing my flight attendant career with Air Transat, with which I've been for the past 28 years this year.. I still remember the good old days.. but it sure is fun to fly on modern newer airplanes like the A330 and A321NLR..!:)
I flew from Winnipeg to London in 1970 - the first & best flight of my life.
The service was amazing. We stopped in Greenland for refueling and (this is the days before security) all the passengers got off the plane to stretch our legs and visit the gift shop. Every passenger was a first class passenger.
You should talk about Varig, one of the star alliance founders
What is the star alliance?
Star Alliance is a group of airlines that support eachother through codesharing and other means. Other major alliances include Oneworld and Skyteam.
"RG" was not a founding member of Star Alliance, technically joining only after the Alliance was already founded. Nevertheless, Varig would make for a great story, just like Wardair (and CP/Canadian)
Is Varig the Brazilian former flag carrier that went bust in the 2000s?
@@NeonSamurai4381 Yep it is, VARIG was Brazil's former flag carrier, sadly they went bust in 2006
Thanks for publishing this story, they had such superb service
Thanks for the feedback! - TB
As someone with the last name Ward, how am I just now learning this airline existed??
Haha! I was always partial to the airline because of the name, but they were amazing as an airline. I've flown on their B747, A300, and A310 aircraft, and it was always a fantastic experience, even though I was quite young then. Best food and friendliest flight attendants around!
What a pleasure it was to fly Wardair. Better food on real plates and stainless steel cutlery!
Short, but sweet. Thank you this.
Wardair was the best flying experience I've ever had. Large comfortable seats, real plates and utensils, delicious food - all on an economy ticket.
Miss them dearly. Best airline ever.
Thanks for this. .... Most comprehensive Wardair story have ever viewed.
I did Wardair Gatwick-Calgary-Vancouver in 1980, then Ottawa-Gatwick back home. Excellent service, including a decent fillet steak on a China plate. Wonderful views of Greenland on the way out.
I flew on a Wardair 747 from Toronto to Barbados in 1985, fantastic experience. There was an ATC delay prior to departure and they came around with champagne and orange juice!
Flew by Wardair in 1978 wonderful experience great food still got memorabilia from that flight
I had many great flights on Wardair, it was a fantastic airline. Unfortunately it expanded far too rapidly after deregulation and succumbed to having too much debt. After Canadian Airlines bought it and its debt it too succumbed to having too much debt, so Air Canada bought it and Air Canada went bankrupt from too much debt.
Yeah, I was always under the impression that their ambitious order of 12 A310s was too much for them and was the primary reason they collapsed. It was a great plane, but very sad to see the airline go under.
I only live 3 miles from Leeds Bradford Airport and Wardair was the first 747 I ever saw, they started a long haul service from Leeds Bradford to Toronto in the 86-87 when I was very young, I remember playing in my first school playground I must have been 4-5 years old and this huge machine just appeared over our heads…it was from that very moment I never stopped loving aviation and it was all thanks to Wardair!!!…what wonderful memories thank you 😊
I had my first ever flight on a Wardair 747 to Edmonton in August 1979. Spent a month touring Bamff, Jasper and the Rockies. before flying back to London. The service was great and the 747 was a joy to fly in.
Simple Flying: “Air Canada flies most Canadians, while WestJet and Air Transat fly the rest.”
Porter: 😕
Porter is the spiritual successor to Wardair. Both being the greatest for customer experience in their era.
Interesting video. Could we please have something similar for Ansett, the largest airline in Australia in the second half of the 20th century.
Thanks Dave Sisson yes Ansett Airlines of Australia has been a great contribution to commercial Australian domestic aviation and international services 1936-2002. Now gone. I had great flights with quality service with AN across Australia 1970's Boeing 727-177 VH-RMD until November 2000 final flight on a A320.
Ansett 727.
Thanks for the feedback! - TB
Ansett and Greta...?!
I flew with Wardair on their A310 from Calgary to Toronto and back. You got the salad first, then the hot entree, then the dessert. It was an amazing airline.
Wardair was the Pan Am of Canada. My parents loved flying with them
Remember Wardair was one of two 747s to land at Leeds Bradford Airport on the 4th of November 84. This was on the day the airport opened it's runway extension. It was a proving flight before commencement the following spring of flights to Toronto via Birmingham UK. The other 747 to land was one chartered from British Airways by Yorkshire Post Newspapers on the same day for pleasure flights. The BA plane was renamed the Spirit Of Yorkshire for the day. Sadly the BA 747 was later to be blown up while stranded at Kuwait airport at the start of the 1st Gulf War.
I never flew on them but used to see them a lot in Barbados (BGI). I also worked for the handling company that did Canadian Airlines flights after they took over Wardair.
Seawell Air Services (SAS)?
Can you do Canadian Airlines? They were my favourite airline.
They were my airline of choice right up until the end. My only flight on a DC-10 was with Canadian Airlines.
@@zombiedodge1426 I flew to Hawaii on a Canadian DC-10
@@SaturnCanuck the flying pumpkins with their orange paint scheme.
@@SaturnCanuck They were branded as CP Air, then Canadian Pacific Airlines, and when they merged with Pacific Western Airlines they became Canadian Airlines. I always liked them much better than Air Canada.
Here in the Atlantic Provinces, we also had Air Atlantic (affiliated with Canadian) and Air Nova (partnered with Air Canada). Before that, there was EPA.
@@SaturnCanuck They used to be "Canadian Pacific". It was only when the parent (rail) company rebranded all its divisions with the "CP" abbreviation that CP Air was branded. There was also a CP Ships division, and CP Hotels, etc. The brand colours also changed ... to orange, predominantly (very popular when seen in Amsterdam)
In 1990, I was due to fly Wardair from LGW to Calgary on one of their A310s. Shortly before the trip, we were told that Wardair had been merged into Canadian, but the plane was the same. Interestingly, one of your shots of a Wardair 707 showed a CP Air DC-8 behind it - the predecessor of Canadian. The service was fine and the crew friendly; I was a little surprised to find an A310 on a relatively long haul service, as my previous usage of A310s was within Europe.
I flown on WardAir from Edmonton to Amsterdam on March 2, 1978 at age 10 with my parents to Amsterdam C-FDJC Boeing 747-1D1. It was amazing service. I was flying in First class with my parents. The food was my favourite part, the crew served right in front of us. R.I.P wardair
Flew Wardair 747 from Gatwick to Toronto in 1975, Surprised by dropping in to Manchester on route to take on more passengers. One class comfort - spent some time in upper deck lounge. Good memories.
I flew to Hawaii in March 1977 on a Wardair 747 ( Wardair Vacations. ) I was only 19 and my travelling buddy was 18 and it was a fantastic experience. Incomparable service, I never saw anything like it again. It was my first trip to Hawaii and most memorable !
Great info...thanks
Thanks for the feedback! - TB
They had the best Mai Tai drink on the Hawaii routes. Loved them.
I would say it's the best airline that I have ever flown on. Four trips to Toronto all on 747 they would even come and ask how you wanted your steak 🥩.
I recall that. China plates too if I recall correctly.
I have very fond memories of flying to UK in the late 70s and early 80s on WardAir 747s. Amazing service. Single class but the service was better than 1st on that other Canadian airline.
After the cabin crews were absorbed into AC, I could usually recognize the old WardAir crews. In the late 90s I flew YYZ - YYZ for quarterly meetings, often taking the red eye east. When I couldn’t sleep, I had opportunities to chat to the crew and was able to confirm my suspicions of their origins.
The AC crew were easiest to recognize by their “we’re not happy until you’re not happy” attitude.
I flew Wardair in 1982 to Calgary in a 747, returning to Prestwick from Vancouver in a DC10. Great flights, excellent meals and wine, great airline!
First flight of my life. Manchester to Toronto. The service was fantastic. Silver service meals . I've literally flown hundreds of times since that day but never got close to the impeccable service of wardair. I find myself reminiscing everytime I hear love's theme on the radio. It was played when taxi-ing in and out
From Edmonton, Alberta, As a child my Family flew that one stop to Europe for a two month summer vacation with friends that taught in Germany at the CFB base. Other fantastic later trips where to Hawaii from Edmonton non stop on the 747's. Oh man, Steak for supper and wines and liqueurs. It was all top notch. It was so sad to see the firm stop flying. I did some HVAC work at Max Wards house in the 80's here in Edmonton and meet him briefly. Good Memories...thanks so much! I understand he was a fantastic bush pilot.
Awesome and Nice video 👍☺️
Flew to England in 1985 outward on a 747, back on a DC-10. Service was amazing, meals served on china service. Was my first trip abroad and I loved it. Wardair is missed in my books.
First time I’ve heard of them, very short & informative 👌🏼
Could you make a video about CP air please? Thanks
Thanks for the feedback! - TB
Interesting video! Would love to see a video on Air Berlin, even though their story is relatively new.
More videos about defunct airlines please!
Thanks for the feedback! - TB
Ive flown on WD 707s and 747s. Thanks to Captain George Nicol, I became an Airline Captain later in life.
Wardair's schtick was "every seat is first class". They delivered.
I flew with them several times on their 747s when I was younger. Good times :)
I remember flying Wardair on a couple of occasions from Calgary to Hawaii, they had great service and I really enjoyed flying with them.
Flew Ward Air on a B707 to St Lucia back in the 1970s. Best service I have ever experienced.
Wardair was class all the way. Excellent service and the food was amazing all served on Royal Daulton China of course.
When flying was a amazing experience as soon as you stepped on the aircraft.
Just imaging the Queen of the Sky Boeing 747.
Now your just packed in like a cow especially American carries.
Cheers 🇨🇦
I had the pleasure of flying on them many times when I was a lot younger, I still have such fond memories of flying with them, the fantastic service and great flights. Years later I had the absolute privilege to fly Max Ward himself to Seattle, it was a hi light in my flying career.
I flew from Newcastle to Toronto on Wardair 747 in 88
Thankyou for doing that video ,it was my first site of the jumbo jet heer in Birmingham .at one point the 747 sp came in with wardair .✈️✈️✈️
I don’t think they had SPs
Thanks for the feedback! - TB
I have recreated this airlines in Air tycoon online 3 and it’s thriving like they did 😁
I flew on a wardair 747 around 1980 from London to Ottawa return. Economy class service was superb from what I remember
Good video
Damn; that 707 looked really sexy in that livery
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I've heard of Wardair, but I wasn't yet alive when they folded into Canadian Airlines.
Another major Canadian airline in my childhood was Canada 3000. Even had a MEGA BLOKS model of one of their planes. Perhaps do a video on that carrier's rise and fall? Fun fact: Cargojet was founded from the remnants of Canada 3000's cargo operations.
I took the first Canada 3000 flight that was available from Edmonton to Hawaii, it was a stretched plane I believe, WORST flight ever. Stopping in Vancouver to pick up passengers, it was 4 hours before we got a drink of water.....they were not prepared and did not know how to service the people on the plane..... Worst Experience.
@@fffanman that bad, eh? I do know they were the largest charter operator in the world by the end of the 90s, but I guess their service wasn't particularly great.
Wardair still the best for me. Flew 747 Gatwick-Calgary-Vancouver for 15th World Scout jamboree in 1983. All staffs truly amazing. Got invited to cockpit watching sunrise over Ireland prior landing at Gatwick (from Toronto) Deffo miss Wardair
My very first flight was on a Wardair B747-100 from Toronto to Orlando. It left a unforgettable mark on me which led me into the aviation business. I still have the place setting from that flight!
Nice video!
Thanks for the feedback! - TB
Wardair use to fly to Leeds/Bradford airport during the summer seasons.👍
Flew with them 3 or 4 times in the 1980's.
The last transatlantinc airline to make a traveller feel special. Flew both from Heathrow and Prestwick airports. Great crews, happy, helpfull cabin crew and ground support. An airline sorely missed.
I did fly on Wardair to Europe during the 1970's and was very satisfied with it's service and convenient fares.
Only flew their B747, A310. On the 747, sat in the upper deck, in the nose (row 2), and in the back. They had great crews and was the best leisure airline back in the day. Was sad to see then go!
Flew WardAir a few times as a kid between YVR-LGW.
Yep as a 14 year old U.K. to Canada, 1st trip was in 72 with air Canada. Next trip was with Wardair a couple of years later and even as a teeny bopper I knew it was all round better. Comfy seats and nice China instead of plastic.
I travelled numerous t with wardair,. Just the very best alongside cp. Service (wow) brilliant!!
November, 1973 ....Wardair 747 flew us Winnipeg to Hawaii for our honeymoon. Was great.
I remember this airline, although don't recall flying on them. A couple other CDN airlines where Canadian Pacific and Canada 3000 (charter).
Remember spotting their 707's, 747's and DC-10's in Miami and Tampa.
Wardair was a superb airline in terms of customer service ... epitomized everything great about 1970s' air travel. I'm not sure if moving from its niche as a charter company to a scheduled airline was the beginning of the end, but it's a darned shame it doesn't exist anymore (for the its customers and as a "keep them honest" competitor to the existing airlines).
My first ever flight abroad was on Wardair 747 Herbert Hollick Kenyon. My brother who was just 15 and I got to go in the cockpit and we were also allowed to visit the upstairs deck via a spiral staircase. We went to Edmonton from Manchester and it was a trip of a lifetime. We were served meals on bone China and that was the norm.
I remember these, my mum took a Wardair 747 from a much smaller Stansted to Toronto, Canada in the 1980's..... 1986 i think.
This was a time when you could get pretty close to the aircraft and runway, before the era of very tight aircraft and airport security .
I still have a plastic cup with the Wardair Logo on it.
Flew Wardair from Vancouver to Gatwick in 1983 great experience and ,also a lot cheaper than flying from Seattle.
Wardair was amazing service. CP was ok. Now we're stuck with Air Canada.
My step father's first flight was on a Wardair 747 from London to Canada in 1974.
I hope you will talk about Canadian Airlines as well, deeply
Canadian Pacific's orange and red livery will always be better than their last livery.
Me too as a child I used to love seeing Canadian airlines something about their livery I just loved. Always had great experiences flying with them and their fleet variety was a treat for plane spotters! The aircanada buy out was ridiculous cause they soon after flied for bankruptcy protection and now the federal government has a stake in the airline
I remember they were bought by air canada. I started flying in feb 96'
But i was only 3.5 years and only remember due to documents.
Thanks for the feedback! - TB
Barbados (Grantley Adams) to Toronto (Pearson) in 1986, DC10. Up to now, I have not seen better service on any airline. And I've been to Singapore on their flag carrier.
Does anyone have simple flying or any other whatapp group link
I flew Wardair to Hawaii from Edmonton in the eighties. That was back when there was a different standard of service. You glass was not allowed to be less that half full.
Wardair 747 (-100 according to this) Vancouver to London Gatwick and return July 1978. Big memory was being invited into the cockpit over Artic ocean on the return flight. Kids like that stuff. Not sure if flight deck or artic ice was more impressive. Canada seemed like a bigger nation with three big modern air carriers back then.
My dad did. He said it was the best airline he ever flew on
When they filled for bankruptcy they most have said sorry just like every Canadian(like me)
Yes I had the opportunity to fly Wardair 747 from Toronto to Barbados and return.
Yes I did fly with Wardair they were vary good it was on a DC10
What happened to Nationair Canada?
Nationair folded and Airtransat emerged from the ashes.
I flew Wardair 747 in 1983 from Calgary to Hawaii and back.
polaris is much better nowadays 😆
*happy United noises
Wardair was purchased by Canadian Airlines International who was purchased by Air Canada .a very SAD day in Canadian air travel. Wardair was a class act as was Canadian...
I had flown Ward Air several times out of Edmonton. The best airline ever...none can compete with their service, the staff were top shelf, best stewardesses in the business, all female and sharp looking. They kept the fun times going and the booze flowing. Sadly the industry is failing.