While probably of little interest to the average person, here’s something I find to be interesting regarding how airlines choose to brand themselves.
In this post:
Airline, airlines, air lines, and more…
Airlines brand themselves in different ways, and I find that distinction to be noteworthy, especially given how often airlines are referred to incorrectly in the media. For example, you have American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Emirates Airline. There are options beyond that as well, as you have companies like Qatar Airways.
I know these distinctions might sound minor, but you’d never guess how much it irks people at some airlines when you get these things wrong. For example, if you apply for a job at Delta and refer to the airline as “Delta Airlines,” your odds of landing a job offer will go down drastically. Sure, that might seem silly, but in fairness, I suppose it’s a basic test to see how detail oriented people are.
Is one term more logical than the others?
Private companies can market themselves however they’d like to. But is there one form that’s more correct, between airline, airlines, and air lines? I’ll share my take, but y’all are welcome to correct me and chime in.
Looking at dictionary definitions, it seems like an airline is defined as “an organization providing a regular public service of air transportation on one or more routes.”
So if you’re using a strict definition like that, I’d say Emirates has it right, referring to itself as Emirates Airline. It’s one organization providing regular public air service on one or more routes.
But this is also a bit more nuanced. For example, most of the major US carriers are actually combinations of many smaller airlines through mergers over the years, so it’s not unreasonable that they would add an “s.” For that matter, many airlines have wholly owned subsidiaries, so I suppose there are multiple organizations providing transportation under the larger airline branding umbrella.
And I get the Delta Air Lines branding as well. An “air line” can also be defined as a single route or connection between two points, and Delta provides many different “air lines.”
So yeah, the moral of the story is that airline, airlines, and air lines, are all correct, it’s just a function of how you want to look at it, and how a company wants to market itself. But if you’re applying for a job at one of these companies, be sure you get that detail right.
Bottom line
It’s not something a non-aviation geek will typically put much thought into, but not all airlines market themselves the same. Even taking “airways” out of the equation,” you have “airline,” “airlines,” and “air lines.”
There’s a logical explanation for each of these. I think “airline” is the most traditionally correct, in terms of one organization providing many routes. But the other two work as well, it’s just about how you frame it.
Where do you stand on airline vs. airlines vs. air lines?
Let’s not forget Aer Lingus!
As "john" mentioned earlier as an "issue", most USA airline companies started business as "Airways".
The main exception was Delta who referred to themselves as "Delta Air Services" (they started life as a crop dusting service, later adding carrying mail & passengers to their services).
The 'issue' "john" referred to was related to collusion in bidding for mail contracts from the government. I think it was 1934. All of the 'trunk' carriers were implicated,...
As "john" mentioned earlier as an "issue", most USA airline companies started business as "Airways".
The main exception was Delta who referred to themselves as "Delta Air Services" (they started life as a crop dusting service, later adding carrying mail & passengers to their services).
The 'issue' "john" referred to was related to collusion in bidding for mail contracts from the government. I think it was 1934. All of the 'trunk' carriers were implicated, the exception being Braniff Airways. The other "airway companies" lost the right to bid on mail contracts. The loophole was to rename the company.
... Pitcairn (SP?) Airways became Eastern Airlines
...American Airways became American Airlines (ditto for United & others)
...Transcontinental & Western (TWA) became Trans World (TWA)
... Delta Air Services became Delta Air Lines (maintaining the the 3 word format)
The list goes on.
Braniff Airways kept their original company name all the way to the 1982 bankruptcy (tho eventually marketed themselves as Braniff International).
And then there is Finnair, as it simply likes to be known.
I've managed to live my whole live without ever noticing that there was a difference between American Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
DuaneU2, to add substance to your post, please be advised that American Airlines is simply a U.S. air transportation company which is only rated at number 83 in the World Rankings.
Delta Air Lines on the other hand is a misrepresentation of the ENGLISH LANGUAGE by an uneducated Delta Airlines employee, who does not know the difference between an air transportation company and a compressed air supply line or hose.
An air line is usually...
DuaneU2, to add substance to your post, please be advised that American Airlines is simply a U.S. air transportation company which is only rated at number 83 in the World Rankings.
Delta Air Lines on the other hand is a misrepresentation of the ENGLISH LANGUAGE by an uneducated Delta Airlines employee, who does not know the difference between an air transportation company and a compressed air supply line or hose.
An air line is usually a metal tube in which compressed air is conveyed. An air hose is a flexible tube in which the air is conveyed.
One is now expecting Tim Dunn to name and shame the Delta airline company employee responsible for this faux pas.
Air lines is more accurate since it’s distinguished from marine lines
I'm pretty sure it's just Emirates, and so sometimes referred to as Emirates airline or "Emirates (airline)", where airline is just a description to be clear what you're talking about.
Yeah I said the same down below. As far as I can tell they're just Emirates.
For those who actually speak and understand English, the definitions are simple to understand.
Airline: An airline is a company that provides a regular service of air transportion for passengers or freight.
Airlines: Plural of Airline.
Air Line: A tube, or hose, that contains and carries a compressed air supply.
Now those who depend upon that old Noah Webster’s dictionary, or, the likes of Google or even TikTok for definitions …. any corruption could be possible.
You finally realized that saying "English Language" instead of "English" isn't a way to look any more British.
Nice attempt, Tim's BA alter ego.
Some people’s fascination with my nationality and association with Tim Dunn is simply misplaced and an obsessional misapprehension. Mason, your post has all of the same characteristics as the other commenters who you impersonate. Clearly, whomever you are, you are someone who possesses very little intellectual capacity for rational reasoning. You poor darlink, you must be such a disappointment to your family members.
That said, the entertainment value you trolls provide is diverting and for...
Some people’s fascination with my nationality and association with Tim Dunn is simply misplaced and an obsessional misapprehension. Mason, your post has all of the same characteristics as the other commenters who you impersonate. Clearly, whomever you are, you are someone who possesses very little intellectual capacity for rational reasoning. You poor darlink, you must be such a disappointment to your family members.
That said, the entertainment value you trolls provide is diverting and for sure the clicks for Ben’s website revenue will be appreciated by him.
I'll make it easy for you to understand.
I don't care whether are you really Tim or not.
What I care is that you never fail to take the bait and waste your time like this. Although it is hard to believe that you can do anything more productive with that time either.
And no, I am one of the most successful member of my family.
And I have invested way less...
I'll make it easy for you to understand.
I don't care whether are you really Tim or not.
What I care is that you never fail to take the bait and waste your time like this. Although it is hard to believe that you can do anything more productive with that time either.
And no, I am one of the most successful member of my family.
And I have invested way less effort, probably less than you using your full capacity of brain filled with BA DEN-LHR and alphabet poop to write that nonsense that you think is cool, to get through my way.
I mean, like I said, you never realize what is a bait and what is not.
Now keep crying harder.
…. :-)
You are the bait swallowing ignoramus Mason, who must be choking on my words while one simply laughs at your pathetic attempted sarcasm.
Impossible to know who Aero is and is not but he writes in such ridiculously tell-tale tim dunn absolutes, brags about "baiting: that is non-existent, and LOVES to talk about everyone's obsession with him. And the way he simply just ends a conversation with random idiotic insults to the other poster? very very Tim Dunn. But, Tim is also a verified person on this site with multiple personalities, per the website owner.
Plus, if you've...
Impossible to know who Aero is and is not but he writes in such ridiculously tell-tale tim dunn absolutes, brags about "baiting: that is non-existent, and LOVES to talk about everyone's obsession with him. And the way he simply just ends a conversation with random idiotic insults to the other poster? very very Tim Dunn. But, Tim is also a verified person on this site with multiple personalities, per the website owner.
Plus, if you've ever looked at Aero's diction, it's clearly a chatGPT version of British with syntax and terms from 50 years ago in the UK.
Aero has said he's young and 70+ with a wife simultaneously.
Maybe it's not Tim, but Aero has to be reminded which time zone he lives in numerous times... ;)
And please Aero. Do your usual homonym attacks on me. It couldn't be dumber or more tim dunn ;)
Well, well, welcome plain Jane Bubber.
It did not take you very long to sign out of your alternative trolling accounts in order to provide entertainment for the troops under this Bubber incarnation. Your brain cell must have missed having me living inside your tiny Kopf recently. It is simply smashing having a flight inside your empty skull presently …. :-)
hard to even know if it's you with the way you go between logged in and guest profile ;)
but no surprise. It must be tough remembering which fake profile to log into.
You never disappoint with the awful comebacks. It's impressive how bad they are.
Also always quite fun to see how your British syntax comes and goes. As does your bedtime and age.
One notes that it must be you flopping in and out of your alternative logins, to get helpful comments from both Mason and Eskimo …. you are fooling nobody but yourself darlink.
Funny you'd say that, since you're now logged in. It's obvious to everyone why you log in and out between various usernames.
But it is nice to see your paranoia about me and two other posters I have nothing to do with. You spend far too much time conspiring about me and my posts. But I seem to occupy your mind the way you obsess about who I am and, apparently, Mason and Roberto.
...Funny you'd say that, since you're now logged in. It's obvious to everyone why you log in and out between various usernames.
But it is nice to see your paranoia about me and two other posters I have nothing to do with. You spend far too much time conspiring about me and my posts. But I seem to occupy your mind the way you obsess about who I am and, apparently, Mason and Roberto.
Pass along my regards to Tim since he's clearly drunk and posting, per usual. Amazing how little you two respond to each other given how much you love to compliment him. It's almost like he doesn't want to respond to make it look like it isn't him posting from Atlanta.
"darlink", you're in your 70s (per you) but you speak like a drag queen and it's well past time for you to go to bed time.
Speaking of fooling no one except yourself...
I'm just here to have fun with this knob.
I mean... we all are. Aero and Tim are incredibly easy to spin up over nothing
It's just amusing to see tim (sorry. Aero) lose his mind over nothing
Eskimo, Mason and the plain Jane Bubber login names are undoubtedly used by one and the same imbecilic website troll. Quite possibly a trailer park smack head of very little brain and quite obviously no breeding whatsoever. Being compared to a “Knob” is actually a huge compliment as it implies usefulness. Whereas, there is clearly nothing useful in being a simple minded troll.
Carry on trailer trash, continue with your trolling nonsense, as you...
Eskimo, Mason and the plain Jane Bubber login names are undoubtedly used by one and the same imbecilic website troll. Quite possibly a trailer park smack head of very little brain and quite obviously no breeding whatsoever. Being compared to a “Knob” is actually a huge compliment as it implies usefulness. Whereas, there is clearly nothing useful in being a simple minded troll.
Carry on trailer trash, continue with your trolling nonsense, as you prove yourself to be, with every post, the most entertaining of the obnoxious trolls on Ben’s website.
Thank you once again for this opportunity to verbally expose you for what you really are …. an insignificant nobody …. Xxxx
Eskimo, trailer trash troll, racist and sexual deviant, whatever next will the poor darlink, admit too? …. :-)
In the early days in the US, “Air Lines” was more common, distinguishing their service from “Rail Lines”, and perhaps reflecting the origins of airline service as an adjunct to commercial mail routes. I doubt “airline” was even a single word before the 1930s. When I worked for Delta, they still used lots of old fashioned terms the rest of the industry changed, so no surprise they proudly resist “airlines”.
When founded, most carriers in the US used “… Air Lines”. Sometime in the 1930s or 1940s, there was some issue that arose--I can’t remember if it was cross ownership with aircraft manufacturers or route monopolies or what—so the original companies had to close, and then a split second later emerged with new names. United Air Lines became United Airlines.
Fun fact, commercial aircraft manufacturers are not allowed to manufacture anircraft engines and v.v....
When founded, most carriers in the US used “… Air Lines”. Sometime in the 1930s or 1940s, there was some issue that arose--I can’t remember if it was cross ownership with aircraft manufacturers or route monopolies or what—so the original companies had to close, and then a split second later emerged with new names. United Air Lines became United Airlines.
Fun fact, commercial aircraft manufacturers are not allowed to manufacture anircraft engines and v.v. Competition needed across both industries.
“Fun fact” is John, the use of ‘air lines’ to describe an ‘Airline’ (Air transportation company) came about out of sheer ignorance of the ENGLISH LANGUAGE meanings of those words.
When commercial air lines were getting off the ground some of their competitors were bus lines, not buslines.
Then there's carriers whose names start with "Air" which is also kinda silly. We're used to it now, but they're not, actually in the air business. They don't make air (they foul it) nor do they buy, sell, or trade air.
One could argue that the most logical names are FlyDubai, VietJet and the like.
If you want to annoy a fussy company, spell porter or oneworld with a capital first letter.
Would you add jetBlue to that?! heh
Just like how you spelt flydubai FlyDubai.
LOL @Mason caught DenB with his pants down.
And one actually has to be in bold.
Fair cop!
This article seems silly in my opinion because it is in fact Delta airlines. If you google Delta it will come up on their official website as Delta Airlines
@ Travelwithdavid -- Where are you seeing that? When I search "Delta," the first result is the official website, which shows this description:
"Delta Air Lines | Flights & Plane Tickets + Hotels & Cars"
It shows up as Airlines here in the UK - have emailed you a pic Ben
Ben, FYI,
© 2025 Delta Air Lines, Inc.
https://www.delta.com/gb/en/about-delta/overview
In very small print at the bottom of the page.
What a faux-pas, yes?
@Travelwithdavid let's have a URL Sir. Should be easy
FYI DenB
© 2025 Delta Air Lines, Inc.
https://www.delta.com/gb/en/about-delta/overview
So! Delta ARE in the compressed/hot air business …. :-)
FYI DenB
© 2025 Delta Air Lines, Inc.
https://www.delta.com/gb/en/about-delta/overview
That is a Google screw-up that shows up on the search results page.
Go on Delta's actual website and they refer to themselves as Delta Air Lines.
@Travelwithdavid
Did you talk to someone with a foreign accent?
How much did you pay that website or number to refund your Delta ticket?
Did you say $17,328?
Nigerian Prince says hello.
You must be new here. As someone that’s been around a few years living in Atlanta if you say airlines vs air lines you are bound to get corrected. Even at their offices it’s spelled Air Lines.
just to be clear "if you say airlines vs air lines", there isn't a noticeable pronunciation difference while speaking, right? I always just thought it was a spelling issue vs a conversation where you could tell?
I'm also in the UK and if I type Delta Air lines into Google, the first sponsored link to the Delta homepage says 'Delta Air Lines', while the second, unsponsored link to the exact same homepage is entitled on Google 'Delta Airlines'. Very odd.
To all Americans, or, American English speakers who use Google to offer unadulterated English definitions …. think twice. Google is an American corporation which employs thousands of American English speakers who like many who post herein, have absolutely no idea of how to spell or use the ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
Please refer to @Tim Dunn for all matters pertaining to Delta for an authoritative discourse.
Just my observations.
'Air Lines' seems to be some older form of 'airlines'. United was also called United Air Lines in its early days.
Meanwhile the difference btwn. 'airlines' and 'airways' seem to be mainly a matter of American or British influence.
Countries with higher American influence (like East Asian countries) prefer 'airlines' over 'airways' (besides CX, for an obvious reason and ANA - but their Japanese name doesn't include 'airline' (航空)...
Just my observations.
'Air Lines' seems to be some older form of 'airlines'. United was also called United Air Lines in its early days.
Meanwhile the difference btwn. 'airlines' and 'airways' seem to be mainly a matter of American or British influence.
Countries with higher American influence (like East Asian countries) prefer 'airlines' over 'airways' (besides CX, for an obvious reason and ANA - but their Japanese name doesn't include 'airline' (航空) either, but rather 'air transport' (空輸), which may be why).
You'll find some 'airways' in the former British colonies and protectorates but some 'airlines' as well, which I guess is due to the US leading the aviation industry in general.
I'm just going to point out why ANA isn't a good example for your country theory.
Japan Airlines.
Or your overall theory.
US Airways, AirTran, Braniff, Breeze, JetBlue or Pan Am.
Even IAG is not airways.
@Eskimo - I'm just wondering if I've ever said that every airline on this world is 100% in accordance with the trend I've seen and I'd be responsible for the incorrect data.
Commenters like you, ConcordeBoy and ImmortalSynn makes me think that I should add disclaimers to my comment. These three can never pass a chance to tackle users over.
@NS
Don't be a snowflake.
Just pointing out obvious flaws in your observation.
Eskimo …. don’t be RACIST “Just pointing out obvious flaws in your (post)”.
I'm not sure Emirates ever refers to itself as Emirates Airline. It's virtually always just "Emirates."
The first thing that come to mind with Emirates would be the airline and not the country. The UAE is more known for the country rather than Emirates.
Last year a friend of mine, (pilot), was having their Delta application reviewed by an interview prep service. His resume had “Airline” on it, he was told he needed to change it to Air Line for his application to be considered. Funny how different each company is.