My gold standard is the old Piedmont Airlines that went out with the merger into USAir, they exemplified a customer-centric philosophy. They went above and beyond, extremely helpful in every instance that I ever had requiring intervention. Their planes weren’t always the latest and greatest but by golly you got fed well if it was a meal flight, with silverware and hot towel service afterwards, in coach. I was on the very last Piedmont flight, pilot took it low and slow, pointing out landmarks, passed over the NASCAR track at Concord with a race ongoing, then landed at Charlotte. They all thanked us profusely for being their customers, several were crying. Then, Piedmont was no more. USAir was miserable.
Continental Airlines, BEFORE their merger with United, was a pretty good airline, as well. Very customer-centric, excellent meals in First Class...nothing like the garbage they serve, now.
On one of our last Continental flights, our flight crew told us that, unfortunately, Continental would be lowering standards, down to United’s level....and, sadly, not the reverse. They were 100% right.
I grew up in NC and Flew Piedmont as a Child many times... it was a different era in the 70s... all around when it came to air travel, so I can’t speak much to it... and I was a youngster at the time.
Really not fair to compare anything air travel pre 80s with post 80s, deregulation changed the industry completley