North Atlantic charter flights were in theory not allowed so the affinity group charters which were really a scam started but then ABC charters (advanced booking) were allowed and sort of regulated - this all was all pre-Laker Skytrain's entry into the T/A field. Laker was already doing his own ABC charters to the USA & Canada with Lord Brothers (then Laker holidays) which lead him to think up Skytrain and demand deregulation on the routes.
Skytrain sort of saw the deregulation and end of ABC charters but the charter flights still carried on for a while and still do in the likes of Canadian Affair using Air Transat today
all the UK, USA and Canadian charters airlines started flying affinity group charters into LGW MAN BHX STN & PIK
some from LTN too
Jetsave were the major ABC player in the mid 70's to book with for cheap travel to USA & Canada they used Dan Air Caledonian CPair BeaAirtours and some others too.
LGW from the late 60's thru 70's saw many USA and UK charter companies using the DC8 727 707 then DC10-30 and 747 . the Tristar did not have the range until the 200 & 500 series came along which British Airtours both used for a while but Court Line did some ABC charters with their -1's in 73 and 74.
BUA did use their VC-10's on the T/A on charters and G-ARTA was in an all Y 140 seat config.
CPair was flying into LGW and MAN/PIK initially with Conway DC8's from the late 60's on charter flights, then with -55 & -63 then 747 & DC10-30 a/c.
often you could see 2 or often 3 each of CPair and wardair a/c at LGW at any one time during the summer
Wardair was already a major player at LGW since 1966 with their new 727 operating the first regular T/A flight to LGW but I cannot recall who they sold their seats through but it was not Jetsave. they had 2 new 707's delivered by the late 60's, followed by 747's in early 70's again a first for LGW
Golden Lion Travel was BCAL's ABC charter division
Globespan was another Canadian ABC tour operator - maybe they used Wardair
Last edited by rog747; 8th May 2016 at 09:53.