It took years for the effects shake out, with early experiments like Laker Airways fizzling, fabled names like Braniff and Pan Am disappearing, and the now-familiar Big Three—American, United, and Delta—finally consolidating their control. They did it with a strategy few anticipated at the time, funneling traffic from smaller cities into big hubs like Chicago and Atlanta, and from there directing fliers on to their final destinations. This would require many more small jets making frequent flights.
