Airline Food During the Golden Age of Air Travel

[@b.a.d.2086]

I was a stewardess for Western Airlines from 1963-69. Yep. I'm old, 80 to be honest. Western was a quite conservative airline that catered to businessmen and celebs. I flew on the 4 engine DC6b, the Lockheed Electra and the jet powered 720b. I adored the DC6! The food ranged from really awful dry sandwiches with a bit of ham and cheese to some to die for loin cuts of beef and pork or fresh Alaskan salmon. Most food was prepared at flight kitchens and Denver won my heart for great food, beating San Francisco. For my entire career plastic cutlery was NEVER used. Instead there was real cutlery (coin silver?) like hotels used to use. They were much smaller than standard. The dishes were melamine like. We used real cloth everything, including head rest covers. The blankets were real wool. Please, never forget that flight attendants are not there to "serve" you, they are and always have been mandated by the govt. to keep you safe. On one of my first flights we had an in cabin fire and guess who's your trained fire department? (Trained by the excellent LA fire department.)

[@Zelielz1]

Thanks for sharing your amazing story!

[@eily_b]

I remember the real silverware on planes. We had quite a collection as students... 😇 They were smaller and shaped slightly different than regular cutlery and of course they had the name or the symbol of the airline on them.

[@Last_Green_Man]

Thank you for sharing such an interesting bit of history! Love your story.

[@androckon]

Thank you for sharing your story with us! That's awesome!

[@phyllisendicott6538]

I was also a stewardess for Western 1968-71. I had a few flights of the Electra but most on 720b. Your comment is right on. I still say we had the best uniforms, except summer.

[@MourningGlory67]

My grandmother worked as a stewardess at Delta in the 50s-60s! She originally was trying for a job with American Airlines but they rejected her cause she ‘wasn’t pretty enough’ for them so she went and applied at Delta instead. They actually paid for her honeymoon trip with my grandfather before they fired her for being married lol

[@stinkytoy]

Oh my god the end of that story hahaha thank you

[@DesdichadoKnight]

That's nutter butter, thx for sharing 😊

[@rairyu7528]

Certified 60s moment...

[@Onetwothreepeanuts]

That's so wrong! But hilarious at the same time.

[@BoopSnoot]

Stewardess? Ehem, its 2024, that's "Flight Attending Engineer".

[@2MuchPurple]

Hi Max! I'm 74 and both my parents were airline employees in the late 1940s and thst is how they met. Dad was in marketing and my mother, well, she was offered a stewardess job but since she was afraid of flying became a ticket agent for United. Fast forward to 1961 when they were both travel agents, and were given two free tickets on one of the new jets flying from SF to LA. But mom was still afraid of flying, so I got to go. Don't remember the food, but it was an exciting trip!

[@RisoSystems]

I started flying in the 1950s and in my experience meals topped out in the 1960s. I clearly remember being served meals chosen from a menu and presented on metal trays with cloth mats, ceramic plates, and silverplate utensils. Roast beef, green beans, mashed potatoes and salad would have been typical. Chicken breast was a frequent option, along with scalloped potatoes. Nothing was wrapped in plastic or sealed in bags. I remember American, United, and TWA as having really good stuff.

[@goosiechild]

sounds like working for an airline really could help a gal find a husband. that's really sweet!... i mean, offensive. terribly sexist and offensive haha. since your dad worked in marketing, he should have apologized twice! :-P

[@warellis]

​@@RisoSystemsThat sounds like flying first class today. The ceramic plates and cutlery.

[@kristengatt3709]

Mine too!

[@bjdefilippo447]

I was lucky enough to have my dad working for the airlines. The food, service, lounging area, etc. really spoiled me, especially on the transoceanic routes. Those were the days. I still remember the ice cream sundaes with macadamia nuts and hot fudge.

[@kjmav10135]

I remember Air Canada in 1967. Cloth napkins! We didn’t even use those at home! And Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy! And mashed potatoes and green peas. And Apple Strudel! Even the flatware was metal. I was seven, on my way to Expo 67 in Montreal with my family. My very first flight. The “stewardess” thought I was adorable and she gave me wings. I remember her saying, “Maybe you’ll be a stewardess someday, too!” And, for about five days, I dreamed of being a stewardess. Glad I gave that dream up!

[@Jorgee-]

Such a sweet memory! I remember being a little baby in the 2000’s and getting sooo excited to see the cockpit and to look out the window! First meal I remember really having was a shepherds pie on a transcontinental flight to Las Vegas. Was delicious, and the nice lady who was our stewardess even snuck me a few extra Snickerdoodle cookies for desert! I’ll never forget her smile, she was very beautiful.

[@beautyonabarnbudget]

Salisbury steak 🥩 🤮. It’s the cheapest “steak”, shouldn’t even be called steak.

[@Ben-xe8ps]

@@beautyonabarnbudget Being from the UK I had never heard of Salisbury steak and had to look up what it was. Basically a hamburger. So a hamburger with some mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and peas with apple strudel for desert. Nothing special. Would have expected better and a starter as well. I assume flatware means cutlery, again metal cutlery was perfectly normal. The only thing even vaguely impressive is the cloth napkins in Economy.

[@Ben-xe8ps]

@@Jorgee- Didn't know Americans even knew what Shepherds pie was let alone had it served as an in-flight meal on a US domestic flight. But what on earth is a Snickerdoodle cookie?

[@Feroce]

@@Ben-xe8ps It's a soft cookie with cinnamon flavouring. Very delicious!

[@flygirlfly]

Hi Max! I had to pause the video to share my 2 cents. I'm an "old maid" in my 36th year of flying. Back in the late 80's, Northwest [orient] Airlines had 'Royal Imperial' first class, Chicago-Tokyo -- a route I worked regularly. We had a 7 cart dish- up service for First Class. 7 separate carts of meal courses, served at your seat. 1. Hot & cold appetizer.... ...also, caviar or sushi, depending on the route direction. 2. Tossed to order salad 3. Entree choice of beef bourguignon, roasted squab, teppanaki, or lasagna 4. Four choices of hot sides 5. Elaborate desserts, of pastries and ice cream sundaes ....and a palate cleanser of sorbet offered between courses. All served up on beautiful china and cut crystal glassware. My favorite work position was Galley. I plated all the entrees and set up the carts. It took about 2-1/2 hours to serve 18 first-class passengers. ...it was the first time I ever tasted caviar. Now, few airlines offer real FirstClass. It's mostly Asian/Middle Eastern airlines, who are government subsidized. U.S. carriers can't compete financially. It's now an expanded version of business class. And I STILL LIKE MY JOB! Still having fun, seeing the world and interacting with people from all over. P.S. Do I eat the food? Not really. We rotate the menus about 3 times a year. I can't eat the same thing over & over. So I bring my own food from home -- or Popeyes chicken..lol.

[@Nunofurdambiznez]

That food you described sounds fantastic!

[@pretzel2272]

Absolutely delicious! 😍

[@randomsupporter9430]

Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@SEAZNDragon]

I was thinking there's still decent meals on flights until I realize those were my overseas trips to Europe and Asia pre-COVID. My family still has actual silverware from Singapore Airlines from the 80s or 90s.

[@DKF_oli]

Maybe this is a crazy question and the answer is obvious, but with all these courses served on china and glassware, what is the dish washing situation? Are they washed on the plane? Is there an airport industrial kitchen? Lol!

[@SunTzuSeeYou]

As an avid aviation geek, I'd also like to add that Flight Attendants are not just there to get your drinks. They are rigorously trained in safety/emergency procedures and are responsible for ensuring the safety of all passengers on the plane. In many of the air accidents and disasters in history, flight attendants have been instrumental in saving countless lives and doing it under immense pressure, with many giving up their lives to see that through. So please give your flight attendants the respect they deserve, follow their instructions, and show your appreciation.

[@splendidcolors]

And on Southwest, they need to be comedians too.

[@immikeurnot]

That's why the had to be RNs in the early days.

[@jillianc949]

In my opinion flight attendants don't get _near_ the respect that they deserve, and I think a lot of that is due to those sexist ads from the Golden Age of air travel influencing how the job is perceived.

[@b.a.d.2086]

Old WAL stew here. I think I love you!🥰

[@sew_gal7340]

@@jillianc949 It's still sexist now, but also back then people had a LOT of SEX , sex and cigarettes were literally the thing that everyone did. Especially as we head in to the 70s , every movie and tv show u watched from back then radiated sexual energy it was super intense to watch some of these family films back in those days lol!

[@sharonfauber9253]

I am so surprised that very few stewardesses responded in the comments. I am 78 now, started flying in 1968 as a flight attendant. It was a wonderful life. I never knew when I went to work when I would return home. Every day was different and we met the most wonderful people. I still remember conversations with GIs going to Nam, women meeting new families. Two of us would serve 75 people hot lunch and beverages in 65 minutes from the time we took off and it all had to be stowed before landing. I also wore white gloves for boarding and deplaning. The world is different now. Thanks Carl and Frank

[@be6715]

Carl and Frank?

[@b.a.d.2086]

Western stew here from the 1960's.

[@ekrewer]

​@@be6715 Carl Icahn and Frank Borman maybe? (If "thanks" is meant sarcastically)?

[@be6715]

@@ekrewer Thank you, didn’t who was being referred to.

[@eily_b]

That sounds wonderful...

[@cbiasizzo]

Max I love you, brother!! As a seasoned flight attendant I have to tell you another unknown fact about airplane food that is prepared in a kitchen. For many years, meat was never completely 100% cooked in the catering department kitchen. They would cook meats 50% and then flash freeze them. The reason is because the FAA restricted our ovens from exceeding 250 degrees. This created a challenge for flight attendants. For your next airline food video I think you should experiment with completing a flash frozen meal at 250. It is certainly doable, and you can deliver with quality and taste..... But it takes practice!!!

[@donneverae3050]

In the early 50s flying was considered so posh, my mother felt she had to wear a hat and GLOVES to board a plane. Unfortunately, I do not remember the food, but I do remember being taken to the cockpit and the trip when they sent our cat to the wrong airport. We found out later the pilot and copilot felt so sorry for him, they took him to the executive dining room and fed him steak and cream. It's a wonder he wanted to come home. Those were the days.

[@nerag7459]

great story

[@cyclos12]

If I was allowed to bring my own drinks I would but TSA says "No".

I'm glad you recovered your cat. Great story, thanks for sharing it!

[@z-beeblebrox]

I have a vague memory of flying in the 90s as a 10 year old, and I got to briefly visit the cockpit as well. It's absolutely tragic no kids will ever be able to do that sort of thing again, all because we refuse to give up the ridiculous BS we put in place 20+ years ago.

[@ianhomerpura8937]

​@@cyclos12 this was because of a terrorist attack on a Philippine Airlines flight back in 1994.

[@chopperdeath]

Max, you are a prime example of how independent creators are running laps around mainstream and cable programs. Great stuff as always.

[@tankman66]

Yeah I think about that as well, it's an interesting time

[@نجمة-ت8د]

Nobody watches cable

[@Metalkorpse]

Max's YT channel is like if the History channel and the Food Network had a baby!

[@VocalMabiMaple]

Running laps? More like mainstream broke their legs, and then didnt even make it to the starting line, then paid the referees to sit them on the podium made of cardboard and glue.

[@yarpen26]

I actually blame YT for having so much diverse content, you pretty much never can get bored. Back in the only cable days, you really couldn't watch TV all the time because at some point there just wouldn't be interesting broadcasting anymore, and if there was, it was hard to find. So you were likely to get out and meet people. I'm only half joking now. But seriously, the ongoing epidemic of loneliness with 50% or so people not having meaningful relationships... you can't put the Internet in general and YT in particular out of the equation.

[@caseycudmore3725]

My Grandfather was a Delta mechanic from the 50s to the early 90s, and it was absolutely the golden age for the employees as well. A guy with a highschool education was making the modern equivalent of $46 dollars an hour with full benefits and a pension that still provides for my Grandma to this day. He also got free standby tickets for life. Dad would regularly come home from highschool in the 70s to a note on the fridge reading "Gone to Vegas, lasanga in the fridge, love Mom and Dad."

[@admanios]

I blame Ronald Reagan.

[@chasbee]

@@admanios Always intrigues me that plain old corprate greed is blamed on the politicians. While I certainly don't think they are on the side of the average American citizen, it is corporate America and big business who are the true enemy of the people in my opinion. Whether employee or customer, they bleed us dry and give less and less in return.

[@TaigiTWeseDiplomat--Formosan]

0.0

[@resourcedragon]

@@admanios: And you'd be correct. Add in Margaret Thatcher, who encouraged the same sort of hatchet job on workers' rights and economies in a lot of European countries and that's why we're running like mad just to avoid going backwards too fast these days. I always think that Regan and Thatcher should have been hoping very, very hard that there is no afterlife, because if there were, they'd have a *_lot_* of penance to do for the amount of misery they caused untold numbers of people.

[@michalformanek2676]

I think we are in golden age of flying NOW. Flying is much cheaper, than in past. In past, it was elitist experience, only few people could afford it.

[@gustavoscalabrin5028]

My aunt was a stewardess in a now gone Brazilian airline company. The amount of stories she has about her job is amazing - from meeting famous people and serving caviar to almost crashes, such a career!

[@somepixie]

Was it VARIG? I worked for them in NYC in their heyday. My cousin was a flight attendant for over 25 years until the company folded It's sad to see how bad management could wipe out a first-class airline so quickly. By the way, they didn't change to plastic utensils in Economy Class until the late 90s. Iconic company. Its demise left the country heartbroken.

[@jeegupopli1871]

How many sausages do air hostesses consume in the span of their career, I guess your cousins must have multiple sausage manufacturers for them isn't it...

[@bunkie2100]

My father was the director of Catering for Scandinavian Airlines for North America in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a European Chef who began his career as one of the airlines first Pursers in 1946. He was strikingly handsome (being a red-headed Dane) which resulted his being featured in SAS advertisements as the face of the airline's culinary experience. In one of these ads (which appeared in major magazines, he is seen in full chef regalia serving breakfast to a gentleman in a canopied four-poster bed on the ramp next to an SAS DC-6. He is assisted by a lovely SAS Stewardess and there are smiles all around. I, essentially, grew up in his flight kitchens during the late 1950s and 1960s. My Mom initially worked for my Dad in his flight kitchen, having come from Sweden to do so. I have a really wonderful promotional photo from 1953 of the kitchen crew working with both my Mom and Dad preparing the meals for the next flight. My father was a central figure in airline catering during this era and was very highly-regarded for his work.

[@smogdanoff7053]

Häftigt!

[@lisaray9404]

That is a wonderful story about your family; and I know you must be very proud of them. I appreciate you sharing the story with us. Thank you! 😊💖🙏🏻

[@MM-TheEnd]

Would you be kind enough to share the name of your father? I would really like to see a picture of him online.

[@LunaVioletta7]

Me too I’d love to search up a pic!

[@PassiveAgressive319]

Wow that’s amazing. What a great story😊

[@D0Gdidthemath]

1:41 I really like that the makers of the book included the names of the chefs and where they worked with each recipe, it gives it a nice personal touch.

[@Gamer2k4]

That's not uncommon for recipe books that are compilations, rather than all from one cook. I've got plenty of modern recipe books that give the recipe, the name of the person who came up with or submitted it, and even a blurb with the recipe's origin or history.

[@julietsmith5925]

It is lovely to see the chefs who created these recipes getting proper acknowledgement.

[@isabellind1292]

Lol, seeing the images of a chef in the aisle makes me wonder how difficult it is a job for airline stewardesses, especially. They don't just have to take care of everyone's safety and accommodate passengers throughout the flight but they're essentially waiters/waitresses to an entire restaurant of patrons. And in the past they'd have only had like two stewardesses to do all this work. I don't blame airlines for not providing full meals. People can wait until they reach their destination, they'll be fine, lol!

[@uncalendula]

My grandmother was a stewardess for American Airlines in the 1950s - I still have her wings and pins she saved with the classic AA and eagle on them - and this is precisely how she met my grandfather! She went through the training and was a stewardess for all of 8 months before she landed in Phoenix and saw a handsome man in the terminal sitting across from the Coke machine; he was on leave from the U.S. Chemical Corps. Very "subtly," she asked him to point her to the Coke machine, which was only about ten feet away. The rest is history.

[@jfruser]

Go, go, GRRRandma! Smart cookie your g-maand g-pa would have been smart to be in the Chmeical Corps.

[@anjulikamins6420]

I bet she was lovely 😍 in her uniform

[@budgetcommander4849]

I would 100% think she was just blind lmao

[@psychokinesis3090]

cute :3

[@eily_b]

😆 I love her!

[@KShip148]

My husband and I recently flew Delta from the U.S. to Amsterdam. We were in Comfort +, which I believe gets a slightly better menu than Main or Economy. Having flown American to Italy a few years ago, my expectations for the in-flight meals and snacks were low, but I have to say that Delta delivered! Butter chicken, mixed veggies that were flavorful and appetizing, a cold Mediterranean salad of chickpeas, edamame and feta cheese, hearty crackers and cheese, a crusty soft dinner roll, and a killer truffle brownie. Plus, Delta always serves Starbucks coffee, which is no small thing when you've flown other airlines where you're lucky to get a tiny packet of almonds or Cheez-Its and a bottle of water. My husband had the vegetarian lasagna instead of the chicken, and he loved it. Delta is also moving away from single-use plastics, so all of the utensils were bamboo. We were both so impressed!

[@yayafilms2099]

yes! to be fair i think airline food still makes a difference. Id never flown delta before, and my first time was london to atlanta and i was so cheesed about how good the food was + fresh baked cookies + snacks and more snacks at the back/ host station that i actually filled out one of those airline surveys for once because i wanted so badly to say that i liked it haha. ANA and Thai airways also have great food as long as you order the Japanese/ Thai options respectively : )

[@m420-nd1if]

Starbuck? 😂 no thanks

[@mikevandebunt811]

I'm a little older than a lot of the commenters here, so I have great 1960s airline story. When I was 11 (1967) I flew from the Midwest to the East coast to spend a month with my cousins. Because I was flying as an unaccompanied minor, I was boarded before everyone else and placed under the charge of a flight attendant. I was flying coach, but because there was room in first class, and it was easier for her to keep an eye on me, I was put in the front row of first class. I expected to be served the economy lunch (cold sandwich), but evidently if you get upgraded to first class for ANY reason, you get the first class meal. The lunch on that flight was steak. I think the adults also got wine, I got milk. (The flight home was packed, so I was in economy, eating a sandwich.)

[@cammobunker]

I did this in the early 70's several times. Flying United back then was AMAZING for ten year old me. I still have the tin wings they gave me once. The Stewardesses were always so nice and friendly and made sure I got where I needed to be. The food was always awesome. (Now I wouldn't give it to my dog to cure worms).

[@MICHAEL-vi4pj]

You are hot

[@corinaplacious5000]

Same story when flying from Santiago Chile to Sao Pablo Brazil 😂😂😂😂😂

[@Ben-xe8ps]

It was always normal policy that any passenger who was upgraded got the meal of the class in which they were seated. One reason was the possibility that the passenger would accuse the airline of embarrassing and humiliating them by upgrading them and then making sure that every other passenger saw that they were not a real First Class passenger when they were given an economy meal. Another reason was that airlines would not wish to advertise to First Class fare paying passengers that Economy passengers had been upgraded. Such upgrades were supposed to be discreet. A third reason would be to avoid embarrassment to any First Class passenger sitting next to the upgraded passenger who was getting a much better meal. There was a concept that, aside from variations caused by special meals such as vegetarian meals or menu option choices, all passengers within a class of service should receive the same standard of service.

[@tu134pilot]

Love this video. My Mom was a United flight attendant back in the 1960s. She started on the DC-6 and worked the "Executive-For Men Only" flights on the Caravelle. She met my Dad, a United pilot, and had to retire when they got married. The rest is history and I am honored to carry on their legacy as a United Captain, today.

[@xxmidnight12xx18]

That’s so cool!

[@giovannicervantes2053]

Hell yeah

[@noonedude101]

Not nearly as cool of a story as yours, but when I was 5 my classmate brought her dad in for show and tell. He was a United captain. I knew what I was going to do that day. Although now I fly for American because South Florida 🤣

[@havefuntazarasu5367]

True, i missed the era when flight was easy and fulfilling, before allah came and turned twin towers into dust

[@cjn585]

Good story. Lucky!

[@bwktlcn]

My great aunt wanted to be a flight attendant. She was born in 1929, so by the end of WW2, she was in love with airplanes. In the very beginnings of commercial air travel, the first stewardesses were often RNs - there wasn’t an airport every 100 miles, so you could have to fly for hours if you were in a bad location or going over the ocean and someone started having a MI. So she went to nursing school, (during which time the “RNs preferred” thing changed). She remained in nursing, because she didn’t meet the height cutoff - she was 6’ tall, and they didn’t want anyone over 5’8”-5’10” - but flew every chance she got. Miss you, auntie.

[@morotr_co]

Love the thematic Pokémon plushes in the background of each video! I always get a kick out of which ones you pick, but Latios for airplane food really tickled me this time so I had to comment my appreciation.

[@EliotChildress]

The way you described your childhood experience of air travel made me realize we are probably exactly the same age 😂

[@animemaster195]

Same here. God, I'm so old lol

[@Firegen1]

And a fine age it is! Well done my slightly seniors!

[@TastingHistory]

😂

[@TastingHistory]

41 here

[@arnewengertsmann9111]

@@TastingHistorySo one year older than me. I got 40 today.... the magical age when men grow up.... or so I heard.^^

[@tonysladky8925]

Fun topical story, since you mentioned the Concorde: On June 30, 1973, scientists in a modified Concorde loaded with scientific equipment and with portholes cut into the top of the fuselage followed the path of a total solar eclipse and managed to observe it in totality for 74 minutes.

[@emmadraws14953]

That's so cool

[@isabellind1292]

@@emmadraws14953 Very cool! 💓✈💓

[@cv990a4]

But commercial service on Concorde didn't start in 1969. First flight was 1969, but commercial service had to wait until 1976. It was fun while it lasted. I got to fly it twice, once on Air France, once on British Airways. Only 20 were ever built and I think only 12 or something were ever used in commercial service.

[@wendyrock4260]

Wow

[@be6715]

@@cv990a4 Thank you! I thought it was later, as I remember it being a big thing when the Concord started flying commercially.

[@lisahinton9682]

I've been reading through the comments for two hours now - it feels just like an engrossing and fascinating novel that you simply cannot set aside, even though your alarm for work will go off in five hours! I can't stop reading, and enjoying, all of Max's viewers' comments about their own - often childhood - experiences. Such a lovely community, Max's channel has!

[@be6715]

Here, here!

[@tinavalentina6256]

Same!

[@joshspadeicey1473]

23:35 I thought that was just an old photo, so seeing you pull out the tray itself was a crazy cool reveal. You would be the one with a flight meal tray too

[@emmadraws14953]

One of the coolest features of this channel is how it brings together so many people to tell their stories. The comment section is incredible!

[@lisahinton9682]

@emmarounsville1479 I've been reading through the comments for two hours now - it feels just like an interesting novel that you simply cannot set aside, even though your alarm for work will go off in five hours! I can't stop reading, and enjoying, all of Max's viewers' comments about their own, often childhood, experiences.

[@miablossom73]

Yes I was just thinking that. Love the comments

[@tiberclanonly]

agree!!

[@RisWish]

I'm German and my grandpa was an engineer at Lufthansa, he traveled all over the world to inspect buildings and stuff like that. My mom told me that he always brought them yogurt in glass jars and nuts from the last flight before he came home. They also had red gingham cloth napkins with buttonholes in first class back then (so you could attach the napkin to your shirt) and my grandparents used those at home. Employees back then got lots of perks, my mom can still get a discount for Lufthansa flights because of her dad (who retired in the 90s!).

[@afm2024]

I fly Lufthansa often. So unfortunate that all that care went away but at the same time more people get to fly, I guess. Now, all airlines care about is their bottom line.

My grandmother started travelling in the mid 50s and kept travelling all around the world until the early 2000s when she got sick and had to stop. I'm not old enough to have witnessed her earlier travels but I do remember her complaining about Iberia and another company because she only got a sandwich & something passing as dessert in her trip from Madrid to Buenos Aires. She was almost _offended_ that she didn't get a proper meal. I didn't get it, it seemed reasonable to me. She did that flight again, now a different company, and again she was so upset with the food she didn't bother eating it. I got to try dry sandwich and sad fruit salad, both wrapped in plastic. It wasn't good but again, it didn't feel all that different from what I knew (ferry trips from England to France, and ferry trips from Montevideo to Buenos Aires). Now watching your video... I understand WHY she was so upset. THANK YOU! A long time mystery solved.

[@pembomassive1394]

Iberia is grim

[@Ben-xe8ps]

You don't state the date of your grandmother's unfortunate experience with Iberia on her flight from Madrid to Buenos Aires but I strongly suspect that you haven't got what happened quite right. Could it have been that it was an overnight flight with a very late departure from Madrid and the Sandwich/Desert was a supper snack with the main meal service being breakfast later in the flight?

[@MicheleOverton-mb8it]

Im 62. I flew on two pre-jet airplanes as a little girl from San Francisco to Houston to visit the cajun relatives in Orange. It took about 5 1/2 hours and i was mesmerized by the propellers!! Our lunch was smazing, served on china and i saved all the little sugar rectangles that were individually wrapped with the TWA logo. I felt so grown up! Third trip was a jet (i was petrified because they didnt have the propellers!). And i still had my lunch served with china and i was flying alone at the front of coach and felt SO grown up!! Im very grateful to have been a small girl in a time where flying was so magical and special and the attendants were so pretty and life was so very good. Great episode Chef!!💖🥰

[@debbiegilbert1585]

I'm 67 and I remember PanAm as a luxury flight serving great meals. My 2 sisters and I would wear matching outfits and the flight attendants would give us wings (a pin) and let us carry the tray of gums and mints to offer the passengers. We flew a lot internationally. I found a menu from one of the flights and a cocktail was about $1.50! This was in the early 1960s.

[@RobertR3750]

Your parents obviously had a lot of money, much more than the average person.

[@debbiegilbert1585]

@@RobertR3750 no my parents were not wealthy at all. We were very middle class. My father was in the peace Corps and maybe they paid for our trips to underdeveloped countries. I was 5 years old so I don't know.

[@jamesyoungquist6923]

You also got those little pouches with dental care, etc. Now instead of sardine appetizer, it's the people who are sardines packed in the plane

[@RobertR3750]

@@debbiegilbert1585 The point is that all those international flights you went on were NOT something the average person could afford. In 2024 dollars, each flight would have been several thousand dollars. I had no idea the Peace Corps threw so much money around to "help poor countries" (luxury flights for a middle class American family sure don't sound like the way to do that).

[@JimoftheSlim]

@@RobertR3750 All flights back then were "luxury" flights. Airlines did not realistically compete on price due to industry regulation, so they competed on the experience. If one had to be doing a lot of flying in the 1960s, it was by default a much finer experience than anything outside of Emirates today.

[@peabody1976]

I feel like I need that 50's orange plastic tray, for reasons. 😃 I am old enough to remember when they had to cook airline food on the ground and seal it before flight, before they added "kitchens" for reheating pre-made meals, and I kinda miss it. It's weird to think that everything has to be that much saltier/sugary/sour/bitter at high altitudes because our taste buds are dulled by air flight. I bet hardtack **clack clack** doesn't change its flavour up there.

[@meshuggahshirt]

We'll find out when airlines start serving it in a few years

[@spacehead74]

Those trays are great for sledding.

[@maeve4686]

Hey, in our family , because it's orange is good enough reason to need it. For some reason, it's our favorite color, & became our family meme. "Why? Because it's orange !"

[@joanhoffman3702]

Considering hardtack (clack-clack!) doesn’t have much flavor to begin with, how could you tell? 😂

[@joanhoffman3702]

@@maeve4686 Because it’s orange is a good enough reason for anyone! Personally, I’d go for blue.😂

[@veesimmons2464]

What fun! My dad worked for Eastern Airlines for 35+ years. I am sixty now, so I recall MANY an inflight meal, served on actual ceramic dishes with stainless steel flatware, glass glasses, and tiny glass salt & pepper shakers. Those were the days. I LOVED airline food! Thanks for sharing this video and helping me bring up many fond travel memories from my childhood.

[@janp2800]

My Dad did too! Mom was a travel agent. When Dad died, we joked that before he got to Heaven, he had to go through Atlanta!

[@berelinde]

I might or might not have stolen a rectangular airline plate at some point...

[@be6715]

@@berelinde Confession may or may not be good for the soul. LOL

[@karma33152]

I love learning about how people prepared and stored food. Especially frozen or t.v dinners. The airline plates were the start of the t.v meal.

[@BornofIron]

"Dont est a whole bay leaf". I feel like the universe continues to jab at me for a mistake I've made during my 5th grade history trip. We were aboard a replica 17th century sailing vessel and the kids were split between types of crew members to recreate some of the jobs found aboard. They even had a smaller mast, sails, and rigging for boatswains. The cooks in the galley made this incredible beaf stew just FILLED with bag leafs and me, not knowing what they were, being as polite as i could... ate 6 of them. My family, even as a grown man, continues to rebrand my soul with that incident and here we are again. Thanks Max for a wonderful, thorough, and interesting episode!

[@Aubreykun]

The Guts icon really makes this story hit a whole notch higher lmao

[@ijustneedmyself]

Lol! My mom sometimes will cook with them, but she takes them out before serving the dish.

[@lethfuil]

Oh, hahaha, I might laugh at you, a little bit, but for the most parts I'm really impressed and I think it's kinda cute too (the politeness). So, I'm sorry. But lol. ^^ Great story though! :D

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

Had the same experience with edamame beans at a Japanese restaurant (in NZ), back when I traveled occasionally for work. Never seen them before so spent a good 10-15mins politely but grimly gnawing away at their incredible stringy pods.... Had NO idea you were supposed to pop the inner beans out and eat them, discarding the pods!! 🤣

[@coor0kun]

What kind of school has a historic cruise with chefs for 5th graders?! 😂 Wish mine did that!

[@antoniobroccoliporto4774]

I worked for 34 years for airlines and within that time 17 of those years as a Flight Attendant. Back in the late 80's and 90's was the pinnacle of food quality. I remember once I was traveling to Caracas, Venezuela on Viasa Airlines that no longer exists, in First Class they actually served me a soufflé as an appetizer. My family are great cooks and even I was really impressed by this.

[@Grubnessul]

This feels more ancient than any other recipe you've ever done. Any flight being remotely comfortable seems outlandish and ancient.

[@rogerk6180]

Business class is still pretty comfy and usually with decent food and drinks and stuff.

[@gavinjenkins899]

It never went away. Like he said, the old tickets used to cost $1200 and that was your only option. Now, today, if you really want lots of legroom and a hot good meal, you can STILL pay $1200 for business class and get that. Nobody took anything away from you. The fact that you choose not to means you value the $600 more than comfort and a hot meal, so you are benefiting.

[@RKNGL]

@@rogerk6180 That's more conditioning than it is reality.

[@RKNGL]

@@gavinjenkins899 Are you kidding? The quality is terrible no matter how much you pay. Unless you're on an airline's marketing team, calling what they serve "quality" and the leg room provided "comfy" compared to what was formerly provided is simply deceptive. What pay $600 extra for still uncomfortable amount of leg room and garbage $5 TV diner if you're lucky, oh sign me up sister!

[@rogerk6180]

@@RKNGL what are you even talking about lol. How is a lie flat bed to little legroom? And on a proper airline the food is just as good as any decent chain restaurant on the ground served on proper plates and silverware. Stop flying north korean air or something.

[@nellieknifton]

My mum flew from 1957-1963 as an air hostess for BOAC. I still have some of the menus from her flying days, along with her cine films of her adventures. For a long time we used her uniform as dress up when we were little in the 70’s, which included white gloves. She used to tell us of the famous passengers she had on her flights.

[@amyspeers8012]

I remember flying from Atlanta to Kansas City in 1971-I was 4. My grandmother had just died and my father was flying with me and my sister, 8 years old. As my dad used to tell the story, we got first class seats as those were available and the check in lady felt horrible for the reason we were flying and that my father had to take of us. We were the only ones in first class and got fabulous service. I remember eating delicious food and getting more juice when I asked. We got pins and a hug from the captain. I was excited to fly again and did when I was 10. Economy NYC to Rome-one row away from the smoking section. I knew then how special my first flight had been!

[@jfruser]

Back when we had a real America and a hug from a pilot like that was not creepy.

[@ravenbell3918]

Several years ago, my parents brought several dozen bagels and bialies from a certain bagel bakery onto a plane and "smelled up the cabin". We were done of the first to board, and people kept coming up and commenting on the wonderful smell. My dad got asked several times "You got bialies from Western Bagel, didn't you? I can smell it!", then the person took a big whiff with a huge smile on their face. Anytime someone mentions "smelling up the cabin, it reminds me of this story. Thanks for the memory. 😊

[@genevadonley5874]

Sadly, I smelled up the entire cabin with kimchi once. It was sealed in a jar. I had no idea that would happen. I wouldn’t claim it from the overhead bin until everyone else was off the plane. I feared for my life for forcing that stench on the passengers, not to mention the flight attendants, on a long flight from Seattle to Atlanta. 😂

[@tanyah.9131]

​@@genevadonley5874 that sounds like something I would do 😅 I live in Seattle, was it a local brand?

[@genevadonley5874]

@@tanyah.9131 sadly, it was so many years ago I don’t remember

[@witsonsmom729]

My dad used to live in Alaska and every time he visited his former hometown, he would get local French bread and milk bread fresh from a local bakery to take back to Alaska...he would load up. Your story reminded me of that.

[@Maggies87]

@@genevadonley5874 I used to ride my bike to Western Bagel in the SF Valley.

[@lawriefoster5587]

I am 71 and my first flight was Kennedy to Gatwick in 1969. Marvelous Plenty of room in the seats, three meals, just three people on each side of the aisle and EVERYONE WAS DRESSED. Coat and tie, dresses or suits for the girls. Spent three months studying in Europe....I shall never forget it...at 17 years old

[@SireneKalypso]

Sounds miserable 😂😂

[@charlesjay8818]

You and your family were clearly wealthy, lucky air travel has changed and young people can fly from £20-30 nowadays(short haul)

[@SassyyjuicyMaria]

That's how it should be done

[@LamarcusElwood]

@@charlesjay8818 is that supposed to be a bad thing? Sound jealous.

[@MaximusChivus]

The space and room sound nice, but I'd rather not be wearing a suit and tie for a long flight. Sure it's more proper looking, but has zero benefit outside of public image. Much rather be wearing something comfortable.

[@BylineBelife]

We still eat that salad over here in Sweden. It's called Mimosa Salad and today you most commonly buy it premade in small packages. It's delish to bbq chicken or spare ribs or with some smoked ham. A staple in my house.

[@MsTimelady71]

As a child, I remember flying to the East Coast from the Midwest and getting my hot meal in economy-usually chicken or pasta and a dessert. Very exciting for an 8 year. Now for breakfast, I got two packets of Biscotti cookies and flying during the afternoon, I got small bag of pretzel and a soda. No second pretzel bag was offered.

[@Chocobo0Scribe]

I remember as a kid in the 90’s when dad was getting out tickets for the flight, I shouted “I want six meatballs on my spaghetti please!” Then came the trip I got my dinner in a colorful carton and when I opened it, six fat meatballs on spaghetti greeted me

[@karaamundson3964]

Yep! But I can request, and receive, "hot tea and tomato juice"!

[@leafiiloran]

The only airline that flies out of my area to my home state is Allegiant. They used to offer free water and a complementary baggie of pretzels, but last time I flew (about 5 years ago) it cost money even for those. They gave you absolutely nothing, lol.

[@SCIFIguy64]

My experience with budget lines is ruined because my first flying experience was on Delta to Paris. Two hot meals, with complimentary drinks passed out 3 times and no inflight purchases.

[@joshc5613]

i flew to Europe this summer and we did get chicken, pasta, and steamed vegetables for one of our meals. Not quite as good as a home cooked meal, of course, but for as much as people complain about airline food, it was pretty good

[@jamessalomon9343]

In 1979 I was in the Army. I was transferred to Germany and flew from Fort Dix to Frankfurt, Germany. The flight was on a military contract airliner. The food consisted of a box of cold lasagna an overripe apple and warm container of milk (just like elementary school). The Army was nice enough to provide a screaming baby in every third seat.

[@wandapease-gi8yo]

The AirForce from Andrews was the same, with possibly the same babies, or their twins.

[@cynthiawofford-wc1mf]

Hi Max! I'm 63 and I remember a flight when I was in college, so the very early 80's. I don't remember the meal, so probably it wasn't fantastic. What I DO remember is being given an entire bottle of wine to go with it. I was underage at the time and was stunned to learn there was no drinking age in the skies. I didn't drink any of it, but I did take that bottle of red wine home and gave it to my Grandma who enjoyed it. 😄

[@旭球]

Perhaps it wasn't codified yet, but my understanding is that airlines follow the laws of whichever country they are registered in. Or maybe you just looked grown-up!

[@mads_in_zero]

Boy, they sure patched _that_ loophole.

[@Ben-xe8ps]

You are the same age as me so even if this was 1980 you would have been over 18. You don't specify which country this was in but remember that anywhere else in the world other than the US the drinking age is at most 18. Also the US National Minimum Drinking Age Act didn't come in until 1984. If you were in college then you probably looked old enough to drink. But surely not a full size bottle of wine? Surely you mean one of those small bottles of wine that airlines offer to their passengers. Alcoholic drinks were charged for in those days in Economy/Coach. The only time an airline would have had full size bottles of wine would be for the First Class service if they offered wines by the glass from full size bottles.

[@cordialspirit]

I have a fond memory of the sandwiches we had in economy during my childhood in the sixties. They were turkey or chicken meat sandwiches with butter or mayonnaise (I don't remember clearly), and were cut in triangle halves, with the crust cut off. That small detail made a difference.

[@limeparticle]

A friend of mine trained as a flight attendant, and one thing they teach is how to subdue and tie up a passenger that causes disturbance. How to be a good housewife, indeed 😁

[@clothar23]

Now if they only trained them to serve coffee while it's still hot we'd be set.

[@goosiechild]

get outta here! lol

[@lesliewells-ig5dl]

Why didn't they teach that in high school home ec? That was a skill I could have used back when I was married. Keyword: was.

[@deborahdanhauer8525]

They should teach that to every young girl in the country lol❤️🐝🤗

[@bewilderbeestie]

If you know any modern cabin stewards, ask them to demonstrate Command Voice to you. It's a style of shouting when you need to get a panicky passenger to do something in an emergency situation _right now_ and it's terrifying.

[@JanKowalski-wb8ih]

Another reason why food in airplanes doesn't taste the same is...sound. They discovered that specific noise frequency and volume causes our brains to process smell stimuli differently. I really, really, really recommend the book I know this from, 'Gastrophysics' by Charles Spence. He is an experimental psychologist who specializes in how our different senses interact with each other to create perceived experience.

[@shawnmiller4781]

Yup, with altitude flavors become more bland

[@rachelmitchell2144]

Oh wow! Thanks for sharing that book!

[@cryrustmusic]

Weird because I love food on airplanes and trains 😅

[@Green24152]

So what's the optimal volume?

[@luigivincenz3843]

what's the frequency, Kenneth?

[@esepdb8qk5]

My first flight was in 1966, still the Golden Age of flying. My mom and I were going to Italy to spend the summer with our relatives. I was 13 and so excited to be flying. We flew Alitalia Airlines and the food was magnificent. I felt so important being served by the pretty stewardess who could speak 5 languages! But what I remember most vividly were the barf bags in the pocket of the seat in front of me. I had need of them after the meal. I still suffer from motion sickness to this day.

[@micol7490]

Unfortunately Alitalia now don't even exist anymore. I flew with them lots of years ago when my parents chose to make a "second honeymoon" since their first one was kind of backpack trip around Grece. I'm an Ancient Egypt nerd so we choose Egypt and on the plane I vivedly remember the barf bags too, since we all saw our first mummies in disguise of salads and rotten tomatoes on the pasta. Then they lost our luggages... Egiptian air on the other hand was really confy and everyone was so kind and attentive. Btw of course I'm not blaiming the people working for Alitalia at that time because I know the conditions they were subject to, and the fact that most of them were already in furloughed work, so... È stato triste vedere come hanno lasciato fallire la nostra compagnia di bandiera e trattato gli impiegati senza alcun rispetto!

[@MaterialMenteNo]

@@micol7490 also Alitalia had the best possible name for our national airway company, and they wasted it. I'm still so sour

[@micol7490]

@@MaterialMenteNo I know (lo so) Such a waste (che peccato). But the thing I'm more sorry about are all the people who lost their jobs because of it! (La cosa peggiore è che troppe persone hanno perso il lavoro). Only because corporate greed (solo per l'avidità dei dirigenti) The italian side is not a literal translation

[@29trent]

My mom and I flew Alitalia from NYC to Milan in 1967 to spend most of the summer in Italy. I was 13 and Mom had extracted a solemn promise that I would cheerfully eat anything set before me on the trip, but it was never even remotely a problem. I had my first prosciutto con melone on that flight and remember it still with great pleasure.

[@TeachinTV]

This episode really grabbed me. My first flight was in the late 1950s, Miami to Nassau aboard a Vickers Viscount. It was a pretty short flight, almost two hours where they only served snacks and drinks. In the early 1960s I flew Miami to Boston on Delta on a Boeing 707. They gave us a hot lunch, something completely forgettable that I'm sure I ate completely. Early 1970s I flew Miami to Amsterdam on KLM, and THAT was a great flight with good food. London to Paris via Air France. (Great cheese!) I had flown domestically on flights to California, Detroit and short hops between Tallahassee (college) and Miami (home) mainly on Air Florida. Food was virtually nonexistent. The best on those flights came with a present to me by one of the finest stewardesses who ever lived--she returned the magazine I loaned her with two perfectly-rolled joints tucked inside. It was WAAAAYYY better than the food. I wanted to marry her.

[@caitlinleehorner]

The face drop at "retirement age... of 30" got me laughing 😂 Love these videos

[@TastingHistory]

Seriously. It’s just depressing

[@imperfectpairing2000]

Agreed, I have been working since I was 17 and still have about 20 more years to go. My dad retired at 59…still older than 30 but closer than late 60’s. Lol I just found your channel and have been binging. Love the history.

[@AmyC28713]

@@imperfectpairing2000 Regular retirement isn't the punchline - she's saving the spoiler for the viewer!

[@jzyyz]

@@imperfectpairing2000 I didn't interpret it as they get to retire from working at 30, but rather that they're deemed "too old" by the airline and forced out of being a stewardess/executive bait.

[@naamadossantossilva4736]

DiCaprio Airlines

[@a.b.creator]

Mr.Max, i just got out my 1940s milk glass mug printed with a green "Irish Coffee" on the front and washed it to display it this morning, and you posted this about 20 mins ago...and here you are talking about the origin of Irish Coffee !! Ahhh, I love a good synchronicity. So cool.

[@ekyom]

My dad has been an airline pilot all my life. As a child in the 2000's, I remember being excited when he got home and brought a treat for me and my brother from the crew meals provided on longer flights. They ranged from chocolates to a bag of cinnamon cookies, but one of the most coveted things he would bring back (and was ENFORCED that my brother and I split in half, it was so sought after!), was a full fruit and cheese plate for us to share. They were leftover meals from the plane, but once pre-ordering meals caught on, the airline would only stock what was pre-ordered and a couple extra onto flights. It wasn't exactly five-star food, but it was a special thing to have when my dad would come back home after days straight of being gone.

[@georgecantley7297]

I'm 64 and my first flight was on an Eastern 1049 Constellation, then later on a Martin 404. First Jet Flight was a Delta Convair 880 that had ONLY First Class in two cabins. I went to Corporate Flight Attendant Training at the first school of its kind, founded by a former Pan American 707 - 747 Stewardess. Never flew commercial, but learning the elegance of Private Jet Meal Service from a truly Grand Lady from that era really advanced the way I think about food service in a compact space as well as the Pan Am standards I do everything to emulate.

[@MrThegamer695]

Born too late to enjoy good airline food Born too early for 20 minute transcontinental flights Born just in time for some disgustingly salty but still flavorless pasta and whatever weird side dishes the airline can dig up

[@YDV669]

Don't knock the surprise side dish. It clear a clogged toilet at 33,000 feet.

[@pfft8858]

You forgot fiesta mix. The palate cleanser that actually gives you bad breath.

[@Flacco-p5k]

Don’t forget the in flight fights!

[@YDV669]

@@Flacco-p5k Wait, the what now?

[@SireneKalypso]

Nah you're just flying domestic. Fly international

[@not_just_any_geek]

My mom, 74 (who loves your videos too), definitely calls desserts like that salad. We have a "salad" like that at every major holiday and I love all of them. We're huge fans of Watergate salad, for which you can still find the recipe on Jell-o pistachio pudding.

[@Generik97]

I just got out of culinary arts program a few months ago. My Chef used to work in the ground kitchens and make the food for the planes and worked for a variety of airlines back in the old days.

[@furiousdestroyer2.050]

Cool

[@Firegen1]

That's very cool. What is the favourite thing he taught you?

[@Generik97]

@@Firegen1 Sorry for the late response but honestly it's hard to say. It might be a cop out but I honestly enjoyed learning everything (except puff pastry) if I had to pick one thing I really enjoyed it was the frenched and roasted lamb rack with a mint jelly.

[@sherribrtn]

My grandmother from Western Pennsylvania used to make that apple "salad/dessert " just because and watching your face as you ate it made me feel so nostalgic for those bygone days. I swear that you are related to me by the way you celebrate each and every bite of whatever you are tasting!

[@jameshutchinson3672]

Dude, the frequency/saturation of your videos coupled with their depth of research and overall quality is incredible. Thank you for making such amazing content that I get to watch for free for some reason.

[@Jason4Star]

Dude, you are great at walking your audience through history on a specific subject. You educated yourself on multiple aspects of this subject, and your delivery was backed by photos and video clips and fun in the telling. I loved this video!

[@Melissa.Garrett]

So often I open the new video for this week and think “This topic doesn’t really interest me”, and EVERY SINGLE TIME I find myself drawn in by your fantastic storytelling ability. You really do make everything fascinating, Max. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@didisinclair3605]

So so true!!!!!

[@angelinaduganNy]

I watch every single episode. His storytelling is so captivating....even if I am not interested in the subject I get entertained. I am fasinated with planes through.

[@waxedearth5425]

My dad used to throw southwest peanuts at me when he got home from business trips. Boy that took me back.

[@comraderaichu6940]

I love all those weird dessert salads. Dream salad, ambrosia, Waldorf salad, etc. Good stuff.

[@PeoplePlacesRocknRoll]

I must be old. I didn't even realise that the desserts weren't fashionable! 😂 They were around for my entire childhood and possibly the 80s. 🎉

[@yellodragon]

Cherry Pie salad is my favorite!

[@dunodisko2217]

1. Sometimes the Concorde could fly from London to New York so quickly that you would technically land before you took off. One example is leaving London at 5:00 PM GMT and landing in New York at 3:30 PM EST. 2. Concorde flight 001, in partnership with the Queen Mary College Astrophysics Department, once flew at Mach 2.2 to chase the umbra of an eclipse, staying in the shadow for over an hour as it screamed across the Sahara Desert.

[@abcdef20]

My dad worked at the airport as a summer job cleaning out planes with his brother. When the Concorde would land, they'd rush the galley to drink as much half finished bottles of Dom and leftover gourmet meals as they could before catering got to the plane to take it away.

[@davidcarr7436]

I remember a trip I took in 1974. It was an early morning flight, leaving at 6:45 a.m., on a Lockheed L-1011. After the flight had commenced and the seat belt light was turned off, a full hot breakfast was served. It was a complete meal; scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, or sausages, hashbrowns, toast, orange, or apple juice, coffee, or tea. After which, the bar opened. Great flight!!

[@Sashazur]

L-1011 planes were huge. Lots of people remember the 747s but the L-1011 was also a wide body. I remember I once flew on one that had a semicircular couch across the rear of the cabin.

[@user-ye2ge4zo5lhennypenny]

Hi from Australia 🇦🇺 I am 67 my late Father was a Aircraft Maintenance Engineer for 21 years! Flew with TAA I was able to purchase some great cultury from that time its not plastic but stainless steel has the TAA emblem! In honour of my late Father! He would love all this!

[@kylibailey3806]

I work at an art museum, and about a year ago we had an exhibition including some women's clothes from the 20th century, and one of the pieces was the gold foil stewardess dress seen on the far right flight attendant at 12:30!! Pretty cool!

[@anarey-oktay2683]

I am that old and my dad worked for the airlines and we got special employee rates to travel, so we traveled a lot. We were required to adhere to a dress code, no jeans, or casual clothing. We had to dress in the equivalent of “Sunday best.” And I looked forward to the food! My favorite was “Chicken Kiev.” It’s my most vivid memory of flying in the seventies.

[@kray3883]

There was a somewhat recent thing going around where an airline wouldn't let someone fly on a family ticket because they were wearing leggings and they needed to be dressed more nicely, with all the normal "in MY day..." along with it....but honestly it feels like lipstick on a pig these days.

[@immikeurnot]

@@kray3883 How people dress for a flight can actually be argued from a safety standpoint. For example, I get why people will wear basic slip-on shoes or sandals to make the security theater easier, but if there's a problem with the plane, you might want to be wearing something sturdier. I'd argue that leggings are really dumb to wear on an airplane. Let's wear skin-tight fabric that will melt to our skin at the first sign of fire? Keep that stuff on the ground.

[@YaaLFH]

@@immikeurnot Cotton leggings are much more comfortable to wear on long flights AND safer in an emergency because skin-tight fabric is less likely to catch on something. If there's a fire inside an airplane that could cause synthetic fabrics to melt to your skin, this will be the least of your worries. So actually it's exactly the opposite of what you're saying.

[@kray3883]

@@immikeurnot Aside from the not catching on things aspect (which, can confirm, you can notice a difference just walking down the aisle), my leggings are not any more synthetic than a lot of "nice" clothing these days. And, in the event of a water landing, I will easily fit the life vest over my clothes, kick my shoes off, and be able to swim with not much trouble. Good luck with staying afloat while you're wearing shoes and a polyester boat anchor.

[@leapingkitties]

I recall my first memory of a stewardess, forget which airline, she was dressed in blue, very smart, but it was the white gloves and pill box hats, that caught my attention. Had to be about 1964, 1965. I thought it was so glamorous. Thanks Max I look forward to all your content.

[@julieannelissehyland9205]

Light blue? Definitely Pan Am if so. The best airline in the world.

[@eily_b]

Yep, that was Pan Am

[@boblowney]

I love this history, but also love that it is coming back. okay, the chef rolling down the aisle with a leg of beef, Turkish air does this now! I was in business class and we had that experience and so much more. as well as a handmade sundae.

[@kmabythesea]

I was born in 1964 and began flying internationally at six months thanks to dad’s work. I remember all of what you described- dressing to fly, the reclining berths, the meal carts and service. It was wonderful. I have printed menu cards, drink stirrers and a certificate when I crossed the timeline t the ripe age of four, signed by the entire cabin crew.

[@laurendamasoruiz]

My favourite themed flight is the Golden Samovar Service from Alaska Airlines. A advert can be found on KZbin. An excerpt from a newspaper: Stewardesses in boots and Cossack minitunics serve borsch, beef stroganoff and "Bolshoi Golden Troikas" (coffee, vodka and coffee liqueur) from gilded samovars.

[@anaihilator]

Sometime in 1991ish, I traveled to Grenada in the Caribbean. The first leg of the journey was a flight from Newark, NJ to Miami Florida. It was a morning flight and we actually got served breakfast and I'll never forget. We got whole grain pancakes, bacon, eggs, milk and juice(and coffee) oatmeal and toast. The return fligt from Miami to NJ was at night so we got dinner which was steak, roasted potatoes, salad, and jello with fruit for dessert. Both meals were fantastic and I saw "Driving Miss Daisy" as the in-flight movie.

[@johnsteele2986]

I to got to go into the cockpit as a kid! What an incredible experience! It was night time and above the clouds, the clouds looked silver and there was another plane coming the opposite direction way in the distance with lights on... Incredible.

[@elysek1]

Chef's tip: The best way to slice the potatoes very thinly for a gratin, like paper, is to use a mandolin. Benriner or Oxo brands are good ones and not too pricey. If you decide to try this method , I recommend also purchasing a cut-proof glove in order to avoid unforeseen trips to the local ER.

[@YaaLFH]

Börner V-Slicer is the best.

[@evil1by1]

Oxo is shit, get a feemster

[@terryeiss8469]

Important utensil in my kitchen.

[@MsLeenite]

Thank you, Max! That was one of the best "Tasting History" episodes ever! The history part was even more interesting than the cooking. I enjoyed seeing you sampling the meal from your nifty tray. Those enormous planes, with their multiple levels and actual ROOMS were unreal! No sardine-tin seat assignments there. Enough room for people to move around comfortably. No airline would take off nowadays with so few passengers on board, it just wouldn't be feasible economically. Also, thank you for including the pictorial essay on Sexism in the Sky. I'm old enough to remember when newspaper classified ads for office staff were not only separated by gender, but openly specified the physical appearance, age, and willingness to travel on weekends of the successful [female] candidate. "Good old days" my foot.

[@mlewis8579]

As an Air Force brat I flew a lot in the late 50’s and 60’s. Then I became a stewardess of UAL in the late 60’s ( think the flat hat! ) I learned a lot about food. Loved working first class, table cloths and great food!

[@DjVortex-w]

I really love your style of going through the historical facts in an interesting manner and, most importantly, without being judgmental. There's really no need to make a cooking show about historical foods into a sermon.

[@kathrynmast916]

I’m 77 years old am my mom made Heavenly Hash as far back as I can remember which is around 1950. Her recipe is almost the same as Heavenly Delight except she used pineapple in place of apples and added bananas and walnuts, but no honey. It was so yummy!😊

[@DeeVet1]

I was not lucky enough to experience that level of yummies but I did travel in the 70s when they still served meals. At first, I would just order from the regular menu, beef, fish or chicken. I’d always order beef. Stringy, dry beef with a glob of brown stuff, some limp string beans and gritty mashed potatoes all served in a tiny tray. Then someone suggested I order the Kosher menu. DANG! I ordered the pot roast and it was served a platter, the size of the pull down tray. The pot roast was delicious! Roasted potatoes, baby peas and chopped salad, along with curious looks from the other passengers. I continued to order Kosher until they stopped serving meals.

[@matthewkane1188]

An interesting fact on that, most Kosher meals would have been contracted out to a Kosher kitchen ( in house would have to many conflicting ingredients or dishware) so the meals were usually cooked to a higher standard in the 70's or 80's as airlines cut costs. This is why airlines stopped or didn't serve Kosher meals after a while.

[@goosiechild]

too many people caught on. we had to shut it down.

[@arethmaran1279]

​@@goosiechild Oy vey

[@michelehood8837]

Now, THAT is an OG life-hack!

[@Xiroi87]

Former flight attendant here, European airline. There were no kosher meals in our European flights but when we started to fly to the US, we were taught how we should serve those, which had been ordered by the passengers when they had made their reservations. We would bring the tray to them and the hot dish came in a sealed container that the passenger would open, then we would take it back to the galley to warm it up. It happened that a young couple unsealed it and ate it cold before I came back to pick it up, as they didn't know they were just expected to unseal it themselves, now I'm thinking maybe they ordered kosher food just because they'd heard it was, better quality, as you said. They even said it was really nice, despite being cold!

[@Nikiix95]

My grandma traveled a lot with her dad. I unfortunately don't remember asking about her experiences, and now I wish I had. But I do remember she adored flying. She wanted to take me on my first plane ride. We flew from Maryland to Wisconsin to visit my aunt and uncle. The twinkle in her eye and her excitement bled over to me. I've loved flying ever since! I wish I could've experienced what she probably did back in the day (she was 90 when she passed in 2017). I always think of her when I fly🥰

[@jimcox3380]

I flew first class from San Francisco to Beijing in 2005 - ordered from a menu (albiet limited) and was served on china. Best airline meal I ever had.

[@nancyreid8729]

My ex-husband’s dad died and left him a pile of money, so in 1986 we embarked on a round-the world trip for 7 months. Despite the windfall he was still a cheapskate so for the most part we traveled coach. In those days it was pretty much sandwiches, but depending on the airline (Thai Air!) there could be some really nice food, even in coach. Japan Air was pretty legendary too! Fast forward to 2020 in February, just before the world changed, and my best friend and I were headed to Iceland. As she said to me, “I’m old now, I ain’t flying steerage. It’s a special occasion, and not that much more, let’s go first class!” And we did. There was champagne and nibbles as soon as we sat down, and fabulous hot meals, including roast lamb. Big reclining seats, eye shades, the whole 9 yards; I will forever be grateful that she talked me into it.

[@healinggrounds19]

I will always travel Japan Air when given the chance!

[@sntslilhlpr6601]

If it's not that much more than hell yeah dude! One of my mother's friends recently did the same on a trip to Hawaii. First class is often several times the price of coach but every now and then you can get it for a decent price.

[@luigivincenz3843]

@@healinggrounds19 Same. I head to SE Asia every year and I really prefer to fly any Japan OR Singapore airline.

[@Ben-xe8ps]

I am very surprised by your statement that in 1986 you were served pretty much only sandwiches during your Y class round the world trip. Other than perhaps on some very short, like 1 hour, sectors I don't believe that this is correct. I am old enough to remember. Which airline offered First (F) Class on flights to Iceland in 2020? Don't you mean Business Class?

[@nancyreid8729]

@ I appreciate the correction on the flight to Iceland; you are correct, it was Business Class and not first. It was however the best that Iceland Air had to offer at the time, so in casual use, it was the equivalent. As to your memories of 1986, I would submit that I was on those planes eating that food, and taking notes in my travel diary; your experience apparently differed from mine.

[@firefighter1c57]

There's a bar in Dublin Airport that claims to have invented Irish Coffee about 30 years earlier. According to the plaque, in the open cockpit days of aviation, pilots would land, and come into the base frozen stiff, and the airport whipped up Irish coffee to warm the body and soul.

[@RyllenKriel]

I'll have what the captain is having!

[@neliusbresnan3766]

There are multiple versions of this story but allegedly it was originally-invented for the passengers coming-off water-planes and it would be pretty cold and this warmed you back up again.

[@firefighter1c57]

@neliusbresnan3766 as is typical with most things. Several claim to have invented the Hamburger, the chip, French fries, etc. I do hope my comment didn't come across as an, "actually", or a "you're wrong because of", I wasn't attempting to do so, just sharing an anecdote , not attempting to claim it fact.

[@SN-sz7kw]

What I miss most is not the food. It’s getting on a plane with zero TSA lines. Simply checking my bag and heading to my flight, family or friend in tow right up to the moment I actually boarded the plane. Sometimes lounging in a restaurant prior (I had lunch with Al Jarreau that way - on the day I went into the Army!). I remember taking my brother to a Denver flight - he rushed on with his skis in hand. 😂 And I remember coming off a plane directly into a terminal & into the arms of family or spouse. While security had been increasing somewhat, it was 9/11 that really took all that away in a flash. And generations who followed will never know how hassle free & light hearted travel could be. Occasional hijackings excepted. 😳

[@_cosmic_void]

I flew to NY from LAX on 9\9\2001 and then home about a month later. It was a stark contrast.

[@ravioli_826]

@@_cosmic_voidthat’s some timing

[@MegaZeta]

Fair enough. The era of luxury eating on airplanes was also an era when there were far fewer flights and access to air travel was much more restricted for many people. But there was also an era after that, when safety and access were improved, yet it was quicker to get from street to gate. The reaction to 9/11 put an end to that, for better or worse.

[@archervine8064]

Same. Any actual pleasure in flying, at least within or to/from the US ended on 9/11.

[@be6715]

Yes, I remember being able to go right to the gate to see them off when my grandparents were flying out of Detroit to FL. Those were the days.

[@healgrowlovecommunity8397]

Best airline meal I've had was on a 1999 Christmas Eve Virgin flight from London to JFK - exquisite! They ran a competition - announcing that one of rhe stewardesses was wearing stockings. First person to identify her got upgraded. Don't think they could do that now!!

[@hilarymoonmurphy]

I was a child when I had the most amazing meal of my life on Air France. I had Duck a l'orange with baby new potatoes, crisp asparagus and a mini pre-packaged creme brulee. I remember thinking at the time that we should fly Air France more often!

[@JKwakulla]

In 1971, there were 3 levels of sanitation in the food industry. First was local restaurants, local health inspectors. Second level was anyone selling food across state lines. Third, with vastly tougher requirements, was an FAA inspection.

[@HaesslichG]

FAA inspections back when it meant something beyond "rubber stamped by the company, we're safe, we promise.".

[@shawnmiller4781]

In 1971 it still would have been the Civil Aeronautics Board

[@jang7675]

Growing up I remember that some of our stainless steel butter knives and spoons had the united logo on them. Since no one in my family worked for the airlines, I think that either my grandmother or my parents kept them from when they were on a few united flights from the 60s or 70s.

[@frankb1]

I'm 69. My first flight was Braniff from Oklahoma City to Austin in 1970. I don't remember the meal, but I do remember the back half of the plane was a gray haze from all the cigarette smoke. The front half of the plane was only slightly better.

[@lakrids-pibe]

18: 00 Scandinavian Airlines had a point. The Danish "open sandwich" (smørrebrød/butter bread) is really just a slice of bread with a lot of toppings. Well, sometimes not that much topping, but it's not out of the ordinary to buy more elaborate version in a shop if you forgot your if you have forgotten your packed lunch. SAS was kind of a big deal for another reason: In 1954 they were the first to fly over the north pole and offer a non-stop connection between Los Angeles and Europe. Copenhagen was a connection hub for the Hollywood stars who went to Cincinnati in Rome to make biblical epics.

[@beth12svist]

We do open-faced sandwiches in Czechia as well. They're different from yours, but yep, can make a pretty good meal. Some have things like potato salad on top so that's pretty filling for being one slice of baguette-like white bread. 😊 No idea if they ever served them on airplanes...

[@beth12svist]

P.S. I think you mean Cinecittà, not Cincinnati. 😅

[@craisins95]

The SAS flight I was on in 2019 was not nearly that stylish. I was in economy so I guess you get what you paid for. I prefer to fly Norwegian instead of SAS when I’m traveling in Northern Europe. Much better experience, at least for me.

[@hilarymoonmurphy]

I loved the open face sandwiches on SAS.

[@terr777]

I flew BOAC NY->London 1972. They served tournedos in coach class, very nice! On my return flight, Little Richard was aboard and I don't remember the food, but he consumed a whole bottle of Smirnoff. My autograph said To Ya with love Little Richard.

[@dk4598]

I really enjoyed this episode because it reminded me of the first time I flew on an airplane in 1967. I think it might have been Pan Am. We were in coach and I remember they served me and my sister a wonderful hot roast turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy. It was delicious! Since we only ate turkey once a year on Thanksgiving, I was in hog heaven. But I remember my mother declined it and only ate a sandwich she brought. I was confused because I could see she really wanted some. Later I found out it was because she thought we had to pay extra for it, but it was her first flight too and she didn’t know any better. So this memory is bittersweet.

[@lisahinton9682]

@dk4598 Aww, how precious your mom was! She didn't make you and your sister have sandwiches from home and was willing to sacrifice so you two could enjoy the experience all the more. I had a mom like that, too. Here's to our lovely moms!

[@ahole5388]

what a great story

[@ryuusei1907]

The only thing I could really add to this is that at home we have a tea spoon from Japan Airlines and a knife from Thai Airways (both some kind of quality metal) that my grandma probably took from long-haul flights in the late 80s-early 90s. I'm disappointed that the only cutlery I ever got whenever I flew were plastic and not worth keeping.

[@CharlieTheSupersaurus]

Just a small little thing but you have no idea just how much I appreciate you taking the time to put things up in Metric as well for us Metric using heathens, Max. Thank you so much.

[@marybretired]

I am old enough that I flew frequently between 1964-1970. As a college student I took advantage of “student standby” which as it sounds like was a much reduced ticket price where you got a seat if there was one unsold. I well remember getting on and being in first class for a coast to coast flight where it was a champagne breakfast. Then there was the huge plane with a second floor where there was a piano bar!

[@Animangagirl27]

Hi Hi!! Current airline employee here!! I was wondering last week if we would ever see the golden age of flying in one of your videos and was super pleased to see this today! A few things to add on: 1. Coffee and tap water is always a bad idea on a plane because the valve to fill the potable water is right next to the valve to empty the waste. The potable water is also the same water used for the sink and toilet in the plane, which is why it's low quality. 2. Some airlines still give silverware and ceramic plates for their first class meals, so you probably didn't need to use the plastic fork. 3. Some planes still have ovens on board, tho they're smaller and are use to heat up multiple meals at once. Kinda like a quick convection oven. 4. Some airlines still prefer pretty young women for their inflight crew, though they're from other countries. I remember being curious about an Emirates position until I read "must have a healthy BMI" and clicked out. Great video!! I can't wait for next week!

[@lornacy]

We flush our household toilets with potable water. You have managed to scare me ... What is "low quality" potable water? I was under the impression that the rules for pathogen and pollutant loads were very strict.

[@Teddingtin]

"must have a healthy BMI" is no different than "must be clean shaven" or "must maintain personal cleanliness" . It's all about representing the airline well and maintaining whatever image they think they have.

[@Xiroi87]

The main task of a flight attendant is saving lives in case of an emergency and you need to be fit for that, so of course a healthy BMI is needed. You can't save lives if you are so overweight that the smaller effort leaves you breathless. Also a minimum height is necessary, as you need to be able to reach the emergency equipment, which might be stored in the ceiling, like it was the case for rafts.

[@KatiePie111]

The Chicken and Soba noodle salad I had in economy on a QANTAS domestic flight was so delicious, I’ll never forget it. That was the 1990s.

[@dcseain]

Hi! I’m 53 and started flying on Northwest Orient Airlines in 1975, and i remember excellent three-course meals on the 45min hop from CLE to DCA.

[@FanaticalJ1]

Perhaps I am older than most of Max's viewers - mid-60s - but I do remember meals on flights. We did not fly a lot when I was young, but flights I took in the 70s and early 80s did have full meals and they were okay. You did not expect gourmet food, but you were always fed a complete meal and sometimes with silverware, even if you weren't in first class. But like Max, I prefer cheaper flights and I will eat before or after I get on the plane at a restaurant. Great episode as always Max!

[@hulakan]

The first time I had an absolutely delicious airplane meal was in 1978, on the Soviet airline Aeroflot, from Moscow to Bangkok. It was a sort of goulash and dumplings that reminded me of the food my Hungarian grandmother used to make. The only airplane meal I had subsequently that compared was on a WestJet flight, in what as I recall was called something like "enhanced class", from Vancouver to Winnipeg, in 2023. It was a simple roast beef with Yorkshire pudding that was absolutely delightful. I am not sure what, if any, conclusions can be drawn from these experiences.

[@ekrewer]

It seems odd that Aeroflot would have such high quality food service when their planes (at least in the Soviet era) had a reputation for being not so high quality....

[@ledarthplanet]

​@@ekrewer some, not all.... Some Tupolevs and Ilyushins were workhorses, like the Tu-134, Tu-154, Il-96, Il-62....

[@irenesupica5571]

My dad worked in the United Airlines kitchen in Chicago iin the 50s! So much fun to watchbthis episode.