What's likely to happen to United in the aftermath of the recent takeover by its employees? Why is Southwest thriving when so many other carriers are failing? What can be learned from its Cinderella success story and from the innovations of its pioneering CEO, Herbert Kelleher? Are some of today's most successful airlines doomed to be tomorrow's failures, following in the footsteps of such once-profitable carriers as Eastern, Braniff, and Pan Am? If so, which airlines are they likely to be?

These are just some of the issues that are examined in Airline Odyssey - a probing, behind-the-scenes look at an industry that is only now beginning to emerge from the cauldron of domestic deregulation, while, at the same time, wrestling with the intense conflict raging internationally over the issues of protectionism and free trade.