▁with ▁passenger ▁seats ▁on ▁over night ▁fl ights ▁scheduled ▁for ▁cargo ▁from ▁thirty ▁fre ight ▁companies . ▁The ▁fl ights , ▁which ▁operated ▁between ▁mid night ▁and ▁ 7 ▁am , ▁served ▁ 1 8 ▁cities ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁connecting ▁mainly ▁to ▁Houston ▁( IA H ). ▁Eric ▁Sch mitt ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁services ▁were ▁" a ▁hy brid ▁of ▁late - night , ▁red - ey e ▁fl ights ▁and ▁the ▁bare b ones ▁People ▁Express ▁approach ▁to ▁service ." ▁The ▁holds ▁of ▁the ▁aircraft ▁were ▁reserved ▁for ▁cargo ▁such ▁as ▁express ▁mail , ▁machine ▁tool ▁parts , ▁and ▁text iles . ▁Because ▁of ▁this , ▁the ▁air line ▁allowed ▁each ▁passenger ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁to ▁two ▁carry - on ▁b ags . ▁The ▁air line ▁charged ▁$ 1 0 ▁for ▁each ▁checked ▁bag , ▁which ▁was ▁sh ipped ▁stand by . ▁The ▁air line ▁charged ▁between ▁ 5 0 ▁c ents ▁and ▁$ 3 ▁for ▁be ver ages ▁and ▁sn acks . ▁Bun ny ▁D uck , ▁an ▁Eastern ▁flight ▁att endant ▁quoted ▁in ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁passengers ▁on ▁the ▁special ▁fl ights ▁were ▁" a ▁cross ▁section ▁of ▁families , ▁college ▁k ids , ▁illegal ▁al iens ▁and ▁weird os ▁from ▁L . A ." . ▁ ▁Eastern ▁began ▁losing ▁money ▁as ▁it ▁faced ▁competition ▁from ▁no - fr ills ▁air lines , ▁such ▁as ▁People ▁Express , ▁which ▁offered ▁lower ▁far es . ▁In ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁differenti