What It Was Like During The Golden Age Of Flying

[@WeirdHistory]

Do you love or hate flying now? Was it better back in the Golden Age?

[@e39exclusiveclubpanama33]

Hate it, tsa are a bunch of arseholes,

[@Lrkjdk]

Weird History Cheaper Safer Faster It's much better today

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

I dislike it but I rarely travel by ✈. If I had the 💲, I'd buy 2 seats, so I'd have more room, privacy...

[@AI-cp1jg]

@@e39exclusiveclubpanama33 I don't disagree but they are not the only arseholes. A lot of the passengers are arseholes as well as well as airline employees.

[@RambleGamble03]

You should do more stories about golden ages hijackings

[@Jasmine-pv8cw]

Luxury food? A smoke? And a more likely chance of dying? COUNT ME IN

[@shelbybooker1478]

I needed a good laugh. Thank you.

[@ubercoolnamehere]

Unfortunately statistics prove otherwise. No there was not a mass amount of deaths from flying commercial airplanes during these periods as compared to now.

[@y0ugur741]

@@ubercoolnamehere keep in mind that planes now fit more people than ever before, and there are shitton more aircrafts in the air, which means more moving parts in the whole "air travel machine", which means eventually something will go wrong more likely

[@ryujinxyyeji]

I would wanna travel during the golden ages cuz economy food sucks

[@asdkotable]

The millenial dream, just replace the smoking with vaping lol

[@GlamorousTitanic21]

My grandmother was a hostess with Continental in the 60’s. She met my grandfather by chance when his flight was delayed and she invited him to sit down with her for a cup of coffee at LAX. Funny that had his flight not been delayed my grandparents would’ve never met. She quit when they married in ‘68. They celebrated their 50th anniversary 2 years ago.

[@vitormlb1199]

I got worried about the "by accident" part.

[@samridhikaila2676]

So cute

[@ammar4879]

wholesome 💖

[@urban_gse_]

Awww. So cute

[@robertd9850]

I don't care. Not even a little bit. How do you know they wouldn't have met?

[@peggy2983]

Flight attendants on normal flights back then: would you like some baby back ribs and a martini, sir? Flight attendants on normal flights now: you have one peanut and like it

[@sanctuaryism]

lol but I am still hungry...

[@2MeterLP]

Well he did say that the tickets had cost the equivalent of ~1200$. If you pay that much today youre gonna get legroom and ribs, too.

[@pandas9803]

Riesenfriese true. People are acting like it was perfect and amazing. Nope, you had to rich and white or your not getting on the plane. 😂

[@mumunist2580]

Peggy! Angelicaaaaa, elizaaaaaaaaaaaaa AND YGGEP!

[@patricktrent2531]

@@pandas9803 they didn't have to be white that is extremely racist

[@thomaswilson3437]

At the age of 3 (1963) I flew from Okinawa Japan back to Los Angeles with my military parents on a civilian airliner. The flight took us from Naha, to Honolulu, and thence to LA. This took over two days. Upon arrival in LA my parents spent a week recovering before moving onto my father's next posting. I remember it as a great adventure. My mother however referred to hereafter as the "Hell Trip", going down in family lore as the time "when I actively thought about leaving your father and jumping ship in Hawaii because I was not going to get back on that plane." She needed the week just to get her hearing back from sitting 8 feet away from a Wright Cyclone R-2800 engine for 36 hours (Lockheed Constellation). This was the "Golden Age" of flying.

[@syguzman5739]

Just by reading your comment, I both sympathize and like your mom!

[@thomaswilson3437]

Oh, so would I!

[@davecrupel2817]

@@syguzman5739 :(

[@-caesarian-6078]

The DC-7 Was better :)

[@jstrahan2]

The R-2800 was a Pratt & Whitney engine called the Wasp. It was only used on the Constellation prototype. Production, civilian airliners used the Wright R-3350 Duplex Cyclone.

[@Awakeningspirit20]

So imagine a smoky, turbulent Hooters with gourmet food and possibility of hijacking? Those were the days...

[@itsmeGeorgina]

I guess you had to be there .... ☺

[@EnchantedSmellyWolf]

Can't blame on them. They felt left out.

[@writershard5065]

@mxt mxt Ahhh, the spirit of misogyny.

[@emilycanfield2634]

Funny how the "Golden Age" of America was actually really really awful and only good if you were a white upper middle class family and above LMAO

[@Noneofyourbusiness2000]

@@emilycanfield2634 you're so woke.

[@gregvassilakos]

Yeah, I remember wearing a button-down shirt and tie for airplane trips when I was a kid in the 1960s. I also remember choking on cigarette smoke all through the flight. There were separate rows for smokers and nonsmokers, but there was no bulkhead between them, so the cigarette smoke drifted throughout the cabin.

[@KayleeCee]

It seems like people used to dress nicer back then no matter what. Most men wore hats, women would often wear gloves and dresses when leaving the house, even if they were just going to the store. People dressed up for church. Now many people wear jeans to church and pajamas to the store. I like to dress pretty casual most of the time, but I draw the line at wearing pajamas in public.

[@MotherSoren]

@@KayleeCee but y, if you like wearing formal attire that's fine but I'd choose Pajamas 100% any day over it unless it's actually required

[@Anonymousplayer-vw4kj]

@@KayleeCee It is because people back then were more judgmental and social classes were expected to maintain a certain standard of dressing. Still, I think we all judge people who wear pajamas in public. Seriously.

[@a-drewg1716]

@@KayleeCee mate when its 2 AM and I am going to the local 24 hour convenience store to pick up some late night snacks and maybe a energy drink I am not gonna be going out of my way to put some clothes on. Its pajamas or nothing.

[@itsMe_TheHerpes]

shut up commie

[@katiesmith1062]

My grandmother dropped out of college in the 60’s and started flying for United. She was going to school for electrical engineering, and I’m about 99% positive she does not regret it. She loved flying, and did it for 40 years. She’s been retired for almost 20 years now, and she still misses her job.

[@BRWfilms]

I've always wanted to become a pilot but seems like you have to go through a lottttt of expensive schooling to do it or join the air force

[@MrBassmann15]

@@BRWfilms Even if you join the Air Force, it is hard to get in. All pilots are officers and everyone needs a Bachelor's Degree to become one. Not to mention all the other cadets you have to fight against to get into Piloting School.

[@BRWfilms]

@@MrBassmann15 yeahhh that makes sense

[@major_lag2643]

Lol your grandma didn’t have the brains nor toughness to be a college graduate

[@jmk0574]

I’ve done both and bring a flight attendant is MUCH more difficult than graduating college!

[@Mirokuofnite]

Born too late to experience the Golden Age of Flying Born too soon to experience the Golden Age of Space Travel Born at the right time to experience the Golden Age of the Internet (1994-2007)

[@Confusing-rq1og]

Mirokuofnite x to doubt

[@LaDivinaLover]

john boss not really it’s always been this toxic. You’re just aware of it now

[@therealm4944]

hear hear! now thats looking at the bright side. Oh and not to mention the boom of the cellphone, though at this point its more like a mini computer. If our ancestors could see these now. I bet they'd think we're dabbing in witch craft, hahaha.

[@Poop-nu1so]

You're bringing a tear to my eye stop

[@MrLeary73]

@john boss No it hasn't you boomer

[@baracksays9401]

Getting absolutely blasted in business class while my plane gets hijacked, hell yeah son

[@beccaminkin8399]

They conventiently left out what a hijack meant back then : Take me to Miami and give me 2 pizzas and a car!

[@Anonymousplayer-vw4kj]

@@beccaminkin8399 Still I would be pissed off.

[@tjnaples]

Talk about getting your money’s worth! 🍺🥳

[@Christianthemagician_]

A true trip

[@supremechiptunes2108]

@@beccaminkin8399 fr?

[@WaltzingAustralia]

I was a passenger in the '50s and '60s. First flight was when I was 3 years old. (Dad had been an aviator in WWII, so he figured planes were the way to get where you were going.) I liked the fancy meals, dressing up, and extra seating space -- but I definitely do NOT miss everyone on the plane smoking (they even put cigarettes on your dinner tray). And I don't miss the turbulence. Not mentioned was the boarding process -- you walked on and they checked your ticket after you were in the air -- so you might actually get on the wrong plane. Also, since men took off their jackets (where they'd usually stashed their tickets), and flight attendants hung them up in a closet, there was a mad scramble to get those tickets when it was time to check them. There was what I consider a truly golden period -- between the flying described above and recent decades -- in the '70s. They still served good food, seats were still more spacious, and jets were replacing prop planes and were quieter and smoother--but keeping prices down and making planes more affordable to all, plus dealing with increased air traffic, brought that to an end. Glad I got to experience it all, because it definitely makes one appreciate the improvements.

[@lisalu910]

Yes, I remember the late 1970s which is the first time I flew. It was like you said, still a nice experience, but we flew in jets by that time.

[@MaSoNGaMeR115]

what improvements? i wanna fly retro air now lol

[@elgasalme9331]

@@MaSoNGaMeR115 me too! Why no any retro flight?

[@abandonedtnhistory7488]

Being a past smoker myself, I still never understood how people back then could sit in endless clouds of smoke. I couldn’t stand it when I was with friends and when one person lit up everyone had to.. it was beyond annoying. Quit five years ago and never looked back.

[@hunter70558]

*cancer disliked this post*

[@storrho]

@Africa is the future Vaping

[@113dmg9]

Yay for you quiting smoking and not going back to that "terrible" (please insert your own adjective) habit!. Do many really succeed in staying quited? (Is that correct grammar?)

[@9airpods917]

113 DmG Try one of those substances used as a “alternative” to smoking! (Never smoked in my life, but I’m still trying to help!)

[@kalleskaviar6281]

@Africa is the future snus

[@jimsmith9853]

Planes have become the equivalent of City buses that fly.

[@Luzonyoutube]

I wish my city had the buses of your city then

[@AlbertAlbertB.]

You only have to know which aeroplane to fly with..

[@johnbockelie3899]

Ware your PJs on a plane. You couldn't do that in the golden days of flying.

[@noahpartic7586]

At 30,000ft in the sky & minus signaling for a stop every 500feet. As someone who uses public transit buses (& not by choice mind you), it's bearable with earbuds plugged into your favorite tunes & a quick nap, sucky otherwise😤.

[@AGMTB.]

I think that might be the reason Airbus is called Airbus....

[@victorjohnson7512]

The first 747's had a piano lounge with cocktail bar on the upper deck.

[@johnscanlan6337]

When I was 15 I flew back to New York from California with my parents in first class on a TWA 747. Due to a hurricane on the east coast we couldn't land for an additional four hours after crossing the continent. Fortunately the beautiful stewardesses entertained me in the upstairs lounge with massive amounts of all types of liquor - by the time we finally landed at JFK they poured me off the plane!!!

[@Junokaii]

A piano on board? Oh man I love relaxing piano.

[@jacksons1010]

Victor Johnson That was mostly because the 747 was far too large for US domestic routes and the carriers were trying gimmicks to fill all those seats. I’m pretty certain only AA ever had the piano bar, and not for long.

[@alexspuswiss]

@@jacksons1010 I used to work for Flying Tigers in Zurich, Switzerland. Yes, those silver B747s and DC8s were real beauties.

[@jacksons1010]

@Adam Brady That's a longstanding myth. Boeing believed the huge airplane would not be a long-term success in passenger service and chose to design in freighter features, thinking that would be the ultimate use of the aircraft. They were off by several decades, but I suppose now we see the value of that decision. There was a Boeing design for a large military transport (which Lockheed won with the C-5) but that was a very different aircraft - not the 747.

[@cyyrious]

I miss the days going straight to the gate or watching my grandpa take off waving like he could really see me in the window

[@L0VELoops]

I know right. I’m 30 now but I remember when I was like 8 I was able to just walk right up to the gate with grandma and stayed with her until she needed to board.

[@TheColorfultrash]

Then everything changed when the fire nation attacked

[@sprintershepherd4359]

the only constant is change . its inevitable , embrace it

[@bangie3]

perfect

[@Sandishee]

LOLOL you had to be THAT person 🤣

[@The_zenithgod]

Funny? Nah

[@greatandmightykevin]

Everything changed when the oil nation attacked

[@ohword9541]

Can I have more pean- Flight Attendant: ONLY ONE.

[@baumkuchens]

*gives you only one single peanut*

[@iingardinhio6173]

That'll be: $300.

[@acsalemus2406]

A flight attendant once gave my siblings & I all the left over chips, crackers, & peanuts! It was also almost an entire box 😆He was so fun to be around!

[@KayleeCee]

Now it's pretzels or cookies because of allergies. Peanut allergies can be so bad that people can have a reaction just from being near them.

[@M3TA763AR5071D]

Good luck opening the bag

[@LIFEWITHTHEJONESES1]

I remember before 2001 you could walk to the gate with your family and see them off

[@huaiwei]

Pretty sure that was not possible in 2001. It was not even possible by the 1980s when Changi opened in Singapore and there was already clear segregation of landside and airside sections.

[@huaiwei]

@et Unless you have a different definition of what a gate means. You manage to bring your entire non-travelling family right up to the start of the Jet bridge without any checking of travel documents or security checks? Where are you travelling from (and to?)?

[@gknowles9172]

@@huaiwei Yup! Exactly that.. My mom was able to walk me directly to the gate and she wasnt flying...or better yet, greet me at my arrival gate upon arriving back home

[@huaiwei]

@@gknowles9172 I finally realised why there are contrastic experiences. That is possible in the US (not sure if for all flights or only domestic), and from what I checked, also in Australia domestic. But not so for most international flights. Singapore only has international flights, so yeap. :D

[@gknowles9172]

Huai Wei Edmund Teo no prob! Happy New Year to you . If it’s not already the new year there!

[@jeffhreid]

I remember flying before TSA security theater. You could see people off at the terminal, you didn’t have long waits. Kids got tours of the cockpit and flight wing pins for a souvenir. There was was more room and people dressed nicer to fly. The food was passable to good (US domestic flights never seemed to have as good food as foreign airlines) . It was an all around better experience. It was also statistically less safe and more expensive.

[@78beast]

Security theatre without american hijackings since the 2000s. Not bad for a bunch of clowns in blue uniforms.

[@Violent_Wolfen]

Also, your stuff didn't get stolen by the staff or the TSA themselves.

[@sarcasm8007]

@@Violent_Wolfen Or "lost" or "broken"

[@Violent_Wolfen]

@@sarcasm8007 Oh yeah, forgot that.

[@gabrielle-AVFloyd]

Less safe or not they were great times..I remember all the things you spoke of, plastic wings and a deck of cards, magazines, pretty good food, a smokey cabin, flying was great back then!

[@petpurrveyor895]

Getting prime rib and champagne while I'm here with a peanut pack with a salt ball in it and a guy sleeping on my shoulder.

[@Tetleysupplement]

You can always pay that x5 more they paid those days to get into business class and eat better food

[@burntzapato8446]

Yeah but you're in the air, you are experiencing the miracle of human fligth! It used to take people months just to go across the country and people would die on the way.

[@krissydiggs]

I remember there being food all the way up until the early 2000’s actually. Kind of a bummer now. I feel like you should get more than peanuts for anything longer than an hour.

[@CyberMachine]

You do on international flights. You also get free drinks and more food than you could possibly want to eat

[@texasred2702]

At least it's not the guy behind you resting his bare feet on your armrest.

[@dlcubacub]

I like how you tried to emulate the transatlantic accent during the beginning of your video

[@Cranbob]

That’s how my grandpa always talked

[@RodrigodeSalvoBraz]

​@Emmanuel Macron Ah oui oui It is also called "Mid-Atlantic accent": en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_accent

[@iingardinhio6173]

@@RodrigodeSalvoBraz that's just wiki

[@ilovegoodsax]

Kelsey Grammar (Fraser) speaks with a mid-Atlantic accent. I mention him because he does a lot of commercial and historical documentary voice-over work. I've never heard it called a "trans-Atlantic" accent.

[@AJR-zg2py]

@@ilovegoodsax I'm an actor - it's almost always referred to as "Trans-Atlantic" among actors but the two terms are identical. It's a manufactured "accent" from a much older school of acting, mostly used now in snooty American characters (like Frasier Crane).

[@maryanngrayson4862]

I was a passenger on flights in the 50's and 60's, and you're making it sound a heck of a lot worse - and better - than it was. Miss he leg room, though. :-D

[@tommyvercetti9434]

I remember getting dizzy when I was little due to all the smoke, God bless that ban.

[@passiveaggressivenegotiato8087]

That's what I was going to say. My parents flew me each summer as a kid (1970s) nervous people were chain smoking

[@eggshells652]

Yulia Loshkareva you're going to be old one day, be quiet

[@hairdryermanson6955]

@Yulia Loshkareva you're*

[@hairdryermanson6955]

@@eggshells652 and?

[@Ex0rz]

Never flew when smoking was still allowed, but went to bars & pubs when smoking was still allowed there and I do as well remember being extremely dizzy after a night out.

[@imeize]

9/11 was the real killer in air travel. As someone who has flown many times pre and post 9/11, there is just no comparison. People were nicer, security was nicer, seats were bigger. Food was great, my family could see me off and pick me up at the gate. It was heavenly compared to today’s nightmare. As much as I hate it though, the teeming masses have spoken, they are willing to put up with just about any amount of shit for cheap airfare. So nowadays I drive whenever possible.

[@Lady_LC]

It actually started to get strict after Lockerbie in 88. I used to travel between the US and UK in the 80s, and I remember the lax security up to that time. After that, security got tighter on the US side, the UK side was still very relaxed. But of course 9/11 marked the end of complacency for all.

[@PickleRicksFATASSCOUSIN]

@MusicalElitist1 He's actually telling the truth, So you're the one that's a real idiot here...

[@blackworldtraveler3711]

imeize Stopping people without a ticket at security was the the best thing after 9/11. Now I can actually get a seat at the gate restaurant,go to restroom and not crowded with families,dogs,people.trying to sell stuff,asking for money,stealing,etc.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

@@blackworldtraveler3711 i seem to recall you got stopped in about 1990. If you worked there, you didn't have ID, but ALL your stuff had to go thru the x-ray.

[@marionardailloux6553]

BlackWorldTraveler i never saw a dog in an airport in the 90 s or the 2000s. Now in the us everybody needs their pet. You can t go anywhere without seeing some dog

[@murillontra]

"people would save up for tickets in that time" ah yes cause nowadays I can take 500$ outta my ass

[@sprintershepherd4359]

I guess that makes you people . unless you actually can ? my guess if you can pull $500 outta ya ass , that would make you an ass money growing on trees person

[@Almostill]

@@sprintershepherd4359 Shut cho dumb ass up

[@MrVuckFiacom]

Right? It's still expensive as hell just not _as_ expensive as before but is much more inconvenient to fly these days. It could be a good experience if it wasn't for needing to leave hours in advance to wait at TSA checkpoints violating your privacy and the cramped and uncomfortable seating among other things.

[@Deeznutsmynamejeff21]

You should have 500 bucks saved no matter what, you gotta a problem awaiting if you don’t

[@MrVuckFiacom]

@@Deeznutsmynamejeff21 A new study from NORC at the University of Chicago, an independent social research institution, found that 51% of working adults in the United States would need to access savings to cover necessities if they missed more than one paycheck. Some people don't have that luxury.

[@dennisvance4004]

A well made and informative video. I like the narrators style; just a hint of 1940s - 1950s mid-Atlantic dialect that perfectly accentuates the material. Flying before 9/11 was an adventure; flying after 9/11 is an ordeal.

[@zillsburyy1]

american airlines security is a joke to israel airlines. they NEVER open the cabin door during a flight

[@dennisvance4004]

Tommy Sands at the height of airline hijackings it was recommended that commercial aircraft have no connection between passenger seating and the flight deck, that there should be separate exterior doors for the pilots and passengers. That was never done. If it had, 9/11 would not have happened.

[@0000-z4z]

@@zillsburyy1 I'm a European, so: What is a Mid-Atlantic dialect and where do you speak it? In the middle of the Atlantic?

[@yaci7945]

0000000 0000000 Non-American here .But if I had to take a guess I will say the mid Atlantic region is from Virginia to the New England states.

[@areyoujelton]

Dennis Vance lol 9/11 was planned by more than a couple cave dwellers.

[@quinnjim]

When you look at the services provided, the inflation adjusted price of $1,200 is about right. That's what you would pay today for a first class ticket (which is the kind of service those people were receiving). People like to complain about the airlines but if you are willing to pay for a first (or business class) seat, you will still be treated to a big, comfortable seat (maybe a bed) and nice food too. You can't demand first class service when you are paying $99 to ride on a $175,000,000 jet! The money just isn't there to pay for it.

[@forestsoceansmusic]

"...if you are willing to pay for a first (or business class) seat..." -- most people can't AFFORD to pay that.

[@quinnjim]

@@forestsoceansmusic That's fine. I know I never buy first class tickets. My point was that people long for the service of the "good old days", but the fact that people want to pay LESS now for tickets than they did 50 years ago has driven the airlines to reduce service. It's a pretty good deal to get on a jet worth over 100 MILLION dollars and travel at over 500 miles per hour to you destination for only a few hundred bucks (or less if there is a sale).

[@forestsoceansmusic]

@@quinnjim Yes, good point. I will only fly again if I can afford Business Class.

[@jazzfan1994]

Can they at least make the legroom enough that I can sit normally? Sure, I'm tall but I'm not pro-basketball tall and it's not like I can hit the gym to work off my height.

[@Cuinn837]

@@forestsoceansmusic I wish they had an in-between class, not just business and coach.

[@pasajerodelabrujula8261]

“One surprise bump and trip to the bathroom became an impromptu stunt spectacular” That’s brilliant writing ✍️

[@jerrynewberry2823]

I have flown since the. mid sixtys. Everything from TransTexas Airways DC3 to BOAC 747s, American AA, Continental, Delta, Braniff, Southwest , and many commuter flights. Top two were Braniff and BOAC. I was always treated with respect and courtesy. The one airline I had no comment about is Flying Tiger Airlines in and out of Vietnam. I arrived and left without being killed. That I was most grateful for.

[@jonathantan2469]

The irony is Flying Tiger was the name of an Allied WW2 squadron based in China. It was considered lucky if you weren't shot down or crashed.

[@lauraz2896]

My first flight was in 1973. I remember that it was very expensive and it was a big deal. I also remember very few direct flights. I hated the smoking. Great video!

[@briankelly9347]

I love the smoking

[@adriangabris413]

You guys are too old to comment on KZbin videos, go pay your mortgage before you die of old age

[@nishchaysrivastava6251]

Mine was in 91 and I was just 1 haha

[@andrewbui8295]

Brian Kelly Too bad those people would die of lung cancer several years later and the surrounding passengers at the time died from secondhand smoking. But sure, love smoking.

[@weeksweeks9552]

@@adriangabris413 cant believe the old people are going to ruin KZbin as well like how they ruined facebook. Just a matter of time before they found out about tw**ch

[@lornaduwn]

Back in 1965 my entire extended family was flying from Rhode Island to Virginia to attend a cousin's wedding...in a blizzard. Our flight was delayed so long that we missed our connecting flight in Philadelphia. There were 17 of us and 3 or 4 others who had also missed the flight. They chartered a DC7 to fly us there...in a blizzard. I was too young to realize how scared I should be. My parents on the other hand prayed all the way there.

[@JetskiDex]

I remember when I was a kid and the flight had just landed, everyone clapped and cheered. Good Times.

[@MirzaAhmed89]

That's so annoying.

[@devrajchangkakati4994]

That was the most basic thing I ever heard

[@kat3325]

Still a thing in Russia

[@diannefaith7866]

People still do on a flight to Puerto Rico... 👏🏽🇵🇷🙋we are grateful for a safe landing, appreciation for a safe landing 💕

[@YOCOSMINMAX16]

Standard Frequency Romania still vlapping.

[@RichardCox0]

I'm glad D.B. Cooper had a cameo in this

[@pyr0maniacyt363]

Planes then: 5 course meal, comfy seats, basically luxury everything Planes now: A i r B u s

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

But at least it's cheaper now and safer than driving

[@getass3290]

@@kittykittybangbang9367 at least in a car I can buy my own food and stuff in a airplane you get 1 peanut complain and you shall walk the plank

[@getass3290]

@@kittykittybangbang9367 at least in a car I can buy my own food and stuff in a airplane you get 1 peanut complain and you shall walk the plank

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

@@getass3290 I've only been on an airplane 3 times (well technically 6 if you count the ride back home), but whenever me and my family went on the airplane we always brought snacks with us on the plane to eat. Because we wanted to save money.

[@getass3290]

@@kittykittybangbang9367 im sure it wasn't as good as what they served in the Golden age of flying and also I forgot to mention planes had beds back then

[@illmade2]

Sounds pretty good to me, after a few trips cross country on today's airlines with people who haven't washed in days, kids who can't behave, and the person next to me nearly sitting on my lap, hours spent in lines and add to that a few nights spent on the floor in Atlanta because of flight delays sounds damn good.

[@andrewfarley5127]

illmade2 sounds like you fly too much

[@illmade2]

@@andrewfarley5127 not by choice, and hopefully not again for a long time.

[@-caesarian-6078]

Which airlines were you flying? If you were picking budget ones, they end up costing the same with far worse service

[@treborironwolfe]

Ah, the good 'ol ATL.. home of Delta..they love to fly without you and it shows. Home, Sweet Home.

[@illmade2]

@@treborironwolfe Yep Delta it is, late, early or not flying at all. Issues with united as well. Got much better service from budget flights.

[@astrofrk]

I went to Hawaii in 1977, it was pure luxury.

[@Cuinn837]

I remember 1977 as a very comfortable year for flying.

[@bry117]

Pan am?

[@astrofrk]

@@bry117 I think so. I was too young for the alcoholic drinks but the food was fantastic as well as the music channels and movie. Even adults had plenty of legroom in our 747.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

I went in 2012. It was like Dante's 9th circle of hell. Like 8 hours on a plane. Ick. Then we land and there were no flower leis. They DO have them at the airport, tho. For 50.00. Yeah. From trees that drop the flowers every day, foc. They have an outdoor airport which was kinda neat.

[@syedjelani7273]

i was born in 1999, feelsbadman.jpg

[@elizabethreed5178]

I traveled multiple times during the sixties as my dad was military. We traveled both domestic and international. Absolutely loved it. Best airlines were Lufthansa and Northwest Orient. Stunning stewdesses and first class service. Oh the days.

[@springertube]

^^ This. Similar experiences, mine United and PanAm early on -- DC-8s, 707s and later 720s and 727s, and a 747, L1011 and MD-11 or two in the mix as well. Even a four prop DC-6 very early on.

[@khaccanhle1930]

What was the golden age like? Very expensive, most people today would not have been able to afford it.

[@yili3339]

If you want to spend that much of money, the golden age is still with you. So don't complain the golden age is gone, we are lucky today to be able to afford the once luxury travel method.

[@preciousjose]

Exactly, I don't understand why people whine over this? Want the 'golden' experience? get a first class ticket. People want to pay highway motel prices and expects a stay at the four seasons.

[@ModernFreak123]

@Burleon Yes, the salary was around 2k. But ANUALLY, not monthly. Todays average anually salary is around 50k. It's like you never heard something about Inflation.

[@ModernFreak123]

@Burleon What I tried to say was that your Statement "people were paid better back then" necesarilly true.

[@kazunabe4288]

@Pixelside usually when people talk about things costing more or less they understand inflation. Some always comes and points out the obvious. Even adjusted for inflation people were living with less than they require now. I mean people had tons of kids, no college degree, and had houses cars and middle class lives with work stability. Now things are very different. I’m not complaining though, I’d never wanna live back then over now. It’s just that people definitely could make their lives work easier than now. I think products got cheaper though, but necessities got more expensive while wages went down each decade. (Yes yes adjusted for inflation)

[@Crosshead1]

I’m so glad I got to fly in the 1950s and 1960s. It was a so much more pleasant experience than flying today.

[@ATLcentury334]

My first flight was when I was 9 years old. My parents and I traveled to California to spend the entire summer with my mothers sister and her family. The year before, my parents let me decide which I would like best, the trip to California, or an in ground pool. Living in Michigan, I thought we’d get to use the pool 3 months out of the year, and I would be expected to keep the pool clean the rest of my life, so of course I picked the trip which I still remember, 50 years later. I was so excited about flying the first time, I was hoping we’d get to travel on the new Boeing 747. Unfortunately, we flew to San Diego which was too small to accommodate such a large jet. We flew to California on a 707 which I found exciting enough. We had a memorable summer visiting everywhere from Disneyland to Tijuana. We even saw the Blue Angels squad perform, and my parents attended a Burt Bacharach concert. My dad returned home to get back to work, my mother and I stayed another month until I was to go back to school. When we returned to Michigan, our flight plans were different, but I didn’t know why. My mother and I flew to Los Angeles, to connect to our flight home. The reason was a surprise my father arranged after he returned home. My mom and I were flying back on a new American Airlines 747. I was so excited and couldn’t wait to board. We were in coach, and when I asked the stewardess if we could see the upper deck, she replied it was for 1st class passengers only, but my mother and I were welcome to use the lounge in rear of the plane. “LOUNGE IN THE REAR OF THE PLANE?”. We went back to see what this was about. It was a full size cocktail lounge with club chairs, chrome table lamps, a bar and a bartender. I couldn’t believe it. My mother and I settled in, she ordering her favorite whisky sour, me a coke. We enjoyed the lounge looking out the window at the Grand Canyon. It’s an experience I’ll never forget. If you Google 1971 American Airlines 747 lounge, ads for this particular 747 come up, you can clearly see the chrome lamps between each club chair. What a way to fly, gone for good.

[@rubenventer5235]

sounds like the pool was a good trade for such an experience : )

[@bobcobb158]

trapped in a box of cigarette smoke, couldn't handle that.

[@CameronM1138]

I'd gladly put up with it in exchange for not being charged out the ass to simply luggage with me onto the plane.

[@jake4379]

Just roll the window down

[@johndoherty487]

@@jake4379 You could row down plane windows back then?

[@thepizzaelf]

John Doherty no he’s trolling 😂

[@johndoherty487]

@@thepizzaelf I'm also trolling him.

[@throow]

I remember there being a weight and height criteria for becoming a stewardess in the 70's. We would listen in to the older girls talking about it and they said, that even if you fit those criteria, only 1 in 100 would get the job, so it was very prestigious to be an airplane stewardess. You could apply for work as a stewardess on a ship and that could give you some credentials if you later applied to be come airline stewardess.

[@wvFrequenzkontrolle]

I began Flying in the year 1967... as a child.. I still can remember my first flight out of Pittsburgh PA... My grandparents, along with other people, were outside of my planes window waving at us, until the plane was fully boarded.. The seats were HUGE! 2 seats rows, left and right... very WIDE isle for the air crew to bring the large food carts down... And yes, they did serve you food upon Real Plates with Real utilizes.. no plastic... As I grew older, and still traveling by air, as my father was military, it was always an enjoyable experience for me. The "ONLY THING" I detested was that the cabins were not pressurized very well.. As the plane would begin it's decent, everyone's ears would start popping.. it was very painful too me.. By 1983, I had joined the USAF and off to Europe I was sent.. Still the same wonderful service was received. I flew upon TWA from the USA to Athens Greece... A couple of months later, TWA aircraft was always getting hijacked when leaving Athens... Security began appearing in the picture.. I had stayed in Greece about 8 years.. ... When it was time for me to return to the USA, upon my arrival to Philadelpia PA, I noticed so many changes. The aircraft were cramp sitting quarters, the flight attendants were RUDE, not the smiling happy people I was use to seeing.... and the Food was not that great.. it was Prefab prior to the flight and came upon a tray.. And my fellow passengers... OMG!!! Talk about a bunch of JERKS... In the past, fellow passengers, even though they did not know one another, we always chatted and shared our travel experiences and recommendations. But later, when I returned to the USA.. you dared not even speak to a fellow passenger, as they would become upset that you were talking to them. As time progressed, it just went downhill further to the point, today, I do not fly anymore. I would rather take a slow cruise ship to another nation and get there in much better condition, then risk flying anymore. It is nothing more than a cattle cart transport today...

[@yeahbutontheotherhand]

You can always buy a ticket for business class or first class to get the same experience

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

@@yeahbutontheotherhand for five times the money...?

[@psy9199]

Dangerous? Probably comfy? Definitely

[@valmarsiglia]

When I was a kid in the 70s flying was still something you dressed up for, and yeah, the smoke was everywhere. The smoking section was in the back but there were no partitions.

[@roxannepaine2600]

Hard drives and SSDs have partitions, as well.

[@OHOHJOHNNY]

Vintage are so cool. Musics, fashion, the people, the places. I wish I could time travel to see that Golden age era.

[@MsJassi13]

As I women I prefer having rights and liberties 😅 But I do get the nostalgic appeal

[@waterheaterservices]

@@MsJassi13 The 'right' to jerk babies in prices out of the womb is real progress.

[@Blu3B3rri3s]

Last time I flew I had to pick between pretzels and peanuts...🤔😑

[@thomash4578]

You had a choice? Must have been in business class

[@henryhaynes8962]

Stop bragging

[@zenvanden991]

You bettet have picked pretzels tf

[@marxmaratpaine]

Fabian M Next time you might have to pick between tazer or cavity search.

[@poetlenoir2328]

Must have been a long flight to have a snack at all.

[@BuddySweyzer]

5:41 Jesus, that guy nearly got decapitated!

[@knucklehoagies]

Camera angles.....I don't think he's that tall.

[@vitormlb1199]

I was like WTF with this scene too

[@elijahhashem4100]

You should do The Golden Age of the Railways next

[@itsmeGeorgina]

Restaurant compartment, with white cloths, until 1982

[@b9y]

YES.

[@0000-z4z]

@@itsmeGeorgina In Germany, trains do still have bord restaurants. And in Austria, there are still night trains with sleep cars.

[@suned6750]

Coming soon, The golden age of space travel

[@saulgarcia7083]

So it was the golden age for drug smuggling too then No security? Well no wonder

[@alphavegas1]

No that was the 80s when Ronald Reagan used government planes to fly in drugs.

[@BrainDeadz]

*wheezes*

[@GooseGumlizzard]

up until like the 80s you could do pretty much whatever you wanted in America it was like the wild west.

[@kellyshomemadekitchen]

I remember flying out of Columbus, OH to Ft. Lauderdale in 2000. My husband and I were going to scuba dive and elected to take our dive computers/regulators in two carryon bags. When going thru security, the guy checked my husband’s bag and then when he saw my bag looked identical, he just said, “you’ve got the same thing inside?” I affirmed that and he waved me thru. When 911 happened the following year, I remember thinking it was a miracle that it hadn’t happened sooner.

[@1SaG]

It's be enough for me to re-live my early experiences with air-travel. That was the 1970s (as a small child) and the 80s when I first flew across the Atlantic on my own as a teen. When I look at pictures I took on those flights today, I have to remind myself that I was actually flying economy back then. The seats were still incredibly wide and offered ample leg-room when compared to today's cattle-carts.

[@GV-gr9qm]

I remember the tail end of the 80s. The worst thing that could happen in an airport terminal was forgetting your passport. You’d keep your clothes on and pass through a metal detector. Only if it buzzed did you empty your pockets. The duty free had very nice things to buy. The gates had comfortable chairs and it wasn’t crowded. Everyone dressed well. When you boarded the plane, first class was to the left and economy to the right. On one 14 hour flight to Switzerland, they fed us three times, not including all the snacks in between. Now you’d need to fly business or first class to receive the service I used to get with a normal passage.

[@radry100]

Sounds like a normal flight today. Maybe you shouldn't fly budget airlines...

[@christianfreedom-seeker2025]

I noticed that too. It's almost like the airlines are trying to squeeze blood out of a turnip. Well the flying public is probably going to end up taking the bus if traveling the USA or flying on Norweigen Air or some other non-American carrier if going overseas. Hint: You'll get better treatment!

[@leerwesen]

I've flown pre and post 9-11 and have to say that Turkish Airlines is the BEST. Their lemonade is super delicious. One time I wanted the lemonade but they had run out, so I had a beer, but only cause I had to! They still have tight seating, but that's to be expected.

[@hanniballecter4283]

Depends. Since Pan-Am went down all the American airlines have gone to shit.

[@Mpearl8084]

I flew Qatar the last time I traveled and it was great. They fed us 3 meals and lots of snacks and drinks in between. It was very clean and everyone was nice. The only downside was that it was a 15 hour flight 😅

[@ellasmommy9278]

Regarding smoking, there was an amazing air filtration system where the smoke wasn't that bad. My sister, at 6', was too tall to be considered as an airline stewardess. She was turned down by multiple airlines. One thing you didn't mention is how often luggage was lost. My sister flew to Spain (from the U.S.) and her luggage went to Hong Kong! Everyone had a story about where their luggage ended up for some trip or another. One time I flew to Ft. Lauderdale and my luggage went to Pittsburgh from Baltimore.

[@orgami100]

Flying used to be like a treat to Disneyland... in fact flying to Disneyland was Double treats...✈✈✈

[@itsmeGeorgina]

😎😎 1979 From Norway to Miami

[@ritwikreddy5670]

And as expensive as Disneyland too

[@tacticalgreengecko7369]

no checkpoints man that sounds great I wonder who ruined that...oh right.

[@sparx180]

Scott Drahos Ronald Reagan!

[@tacticalgreengecko7369]

Chloe wilson I was also gonna say terrorism too. like in germany the USA and other parts of eroupe. also people like Cooper. probably didn't help.

[@sparx180]

@@tacticalgreengecko7369 Homeland Security? What a joke they are. Some terrorism I agree but who is Cooper? Are you speaking of Cooper Anderson. Tks!

[@tacticalgreengecko7369]

Chloe wilson D.B. Cooper he hijacked a plane asked for a ransom 2 parachutes then proceeded to jump out of the back of the plane never to be seen again....that would be a reason to step up security there was also the Lufthansa Flight 181 incident there good reasons why they stepped up security. I'm not saying it's good infact the TSA is pretty bad at there job. I was allowed to bring a hunting knife in my suitcase that I bought on my trip but my freind got his e cigarette confiscated from his suitcase....cause that makes sense

[@jonathantan2469]

Chloe wilson DB Cooper was a man who hijacked a flight back in the 70s. Once the plane landed for fuel, he demanded money for ransom. Back in the air, he later parachuted out and escaped with the money. His sketch appears in 3:02.

[@rosellaaalm-ahearn1760]

I was a passenger on a flight from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1955, and I have to say that I enjoyed it very much. I was only 12 years old, and flying alone, but I wasn't fussed over or anything. I didn't have to change planes, just got on in Chicago, got off in L.A.'s Mines Field. The big beautiful LAX terminal had not been built yet. I don't remember much about the flight itself; I was sitting next to a woman with two babies, and helped her a little with them. I was so glad to see my Dad in Los Angeles That day in June 1955.

[@ckott99]

I remember as a kid when my parents took us on an airplane flight we would get dressed up. I can still remember in the 1970's the first time I saw a man board dressed in jeans, and then later a man wearing shorts. I laugh at those memories, because at the time it seemed so shocking to me than anyone would be so casual about how they dressed while flying.

[@shadoninja]

"you were 4x more likely to die in a plane crash" ok... So like 0.1% instead of 0.025%?

[@sweetnsour3693]

Lol, that’s how they try to a “amaze” you.

[@Anonymousaggro]

I think there's some context missing with this statistic such as how many planes are actually flying today in comparision to how many planes were flying back then. If we take the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives data from let's say, the 1970's and 2010's for example and calculate the mean of how many accidents happened throughout the decade on average, we'd have a mean of 313 and 129 crashes per year respectively. Not even taking into account fatalities (which are much lower too) and how many more aircraft are flying today then there were in the 1970's and prior, aviation saftey has improved tremendously since then. I don't think the example given in the video admittedly explained this as well as it could have.

[@serenerhapsody]

Yeah i remember in the 90s, family could still come in after you've checked in. My mom waited with me as I waited for my plane going to our summer home.

[@osimeon00]

I remember that too!

[@jwil4286]

fwiw, some airports are now allowing visitors to come airside without a same-day boarding pass

[@arturkarpinski164]

I used to fly all the time back in the 80's and LOVING it. Now between TSA and the drama it's not the same.

[@bingobongo1615]

Artur Karpinski yeah but the 80s already had mostly modern planes unlike the 50s and 60s propellers.

[@MyBahamas242]

Artur Karpinski that's why you take amtrak tsa is non existent

[@mport09]

How were the flight attendants? Were they porfessional and didn't expect you to cater to them and adapt to them? That's how they are today, so that makes them the same as everyone else, and professional is a different level. So today they're not professional.

[@therepguy1]

In my youth I had the opportunity to fly throughout this “Golden Age” and it was quite the experience.

[@bensmall6548]

I wish flying still had these accommodations (without smoking and alcohol) but also having the modern safety laws and equipment.

[@taniamanik2012]

Ben Small They do. It's called business class 😂

[@2111jade]

If you fly first class on a long haul flight from anywhere in Asia, you do.

[@mysteryperson1737]

taniamanik2012 literally first class passengers get the same treatment as this video but with some modern regulations. Y’all just too cheap to buy first class 🤦🏾‍♀️

[@bensmall6548]

I mean for economy class. Some planes have only economy clas

[@bensmall6548]

Actually to be fair, I’ve never actually been on a plane that has a galley. I’ve only been on a320 class, 737s, md80 class and regional jets.

[@alexb5367]

Y'all have to think that in the "golden age" a normal seat costs the same as a first class seat today. So u gotta compair first class of today to the normal seating of yesteryear. If you think of it that way, it's way better today.

[@Rayburn58]

My father climbed the ladder of commercial aviation history like none could today. He trained on an open cockpit biplane. He began his airline career in 1942 at age 21 as 2nd officer on a DC-3 with Pennsylvania Central Airlines. Within two years he was DC-3 captain. Pennsylvania Central eventually became Capital Airlines in 1948 where he captained the DC-4, DC-6, L-049 Constellation, and Vickers Viscount (the first turbo-prop airliner). In 1961 Capital Airlines merged with United Airlines where he went on to captain the Boeing 720, the DC-8, the Stretch DC-8, the DC-10, and finally the B-747 which he flew from 1972 until his mandatory retirement at age 60 1981. He experienced the full evolution of commercial flight, airline pilot for 39 years and Captain for 37 years. No airline pilot over the last 50 years could experience the revolution and massive change of commercial flight like my father did.

[@roywrogers2900]

My father my father..... Shut up, bigmouth.

[@bradwalton8373]

I flew for the first time in 1969, which was right at the tail-end of this period. I was thirteen. I remember dressing up in a suit and tie, eating a rather good meal (medallions of beef) off real china plates and with real cutlery, and drinking tea from china cups. I certainly remember the smoking and the alcohol, liberally indulged in by the adults. Also, I was invited into the cock-pit for a few minutes. On the flight back (to Canada) there was a british soccer team that got very roudy after God knows how many beers, and began throwing their ball back and forth. There was a heavy fog, which seemed to make the adults nervous. To calm themselves, presumably, they began speculating with one another about how off-course we were (one lady swore that she recognized Spain below). When the plane landed safely everyone applauded.

[@goombakiwi]

I was a young child in the early 80's. I remember my mother getting me a more formal outfit to wear on the flight. I also remember smoking still was accepted and actually getting meals like: ham and cheese croissant sandwich, roast beef gravy and mashed potatoes, eggs sausage and toast, etc. I miss the 50s, literally.

[@haddadthemaestro2856]

It was great back then, but one thing I disagree with was with tobacco.

[@cattitta0087]

Damn i was born in the wrong era! Nevermind, I would have been poor anyways lmao

[@sabribeser2268]

İ am turkish and İ always fly with turkish airlines man İ always would feel like İ was in the 50's THEY HAD FREE BREAD

[@FallingStary]

That's dedicating

[@stardustmiku]

@@sabribeser2268 dam lucky!

[@thedude3620]

You laughed your OWN ass off!! Lol

[@sabribeser2268]

@@stardustmiku İt is like magic and we have working TV's and at ramadan feast they give free choclate

[@dlethe]

I remember the good ol' days when my job required me to travel internationally. I had American Airlines executive platinum and typically traveled business class. You started the day in a special room at the Admiral's club where you were treated to things like all-you-can-eat shrimp and open bar. Then later spent 8+ hours in your own sleeper pod on a Boeing 777. My only regret is that I never flew the Concord when I had the chance. P.S. I *really* miss those hot fudge sundaes that AA used to give people in first class.

[@powellmountainmike8853]

When I was 8 years old my family and I flew from Claremont, New Hampshire to Charleston, South Carolina to visit my father's parents, and, of course back again. I remember the planes well. The connection between Claremont and Boston was on a DC3. After that we flew on Constellations and Douglas DC7s, changing planes in New York, and stopping in Washington before going on to Charleston. The meals were quite good. I was too small to notice the legroom situation, but it seems to me there was more room between the rows of seats, enough so that grown men were not uncomfortable. As for the flights being rough, they weren't any worse than today. Those aircraft were pressurized and flew above the weather. The old piston engines were a bit louder, but it was not nearly as unpleasant as you make it sound. When I was in the Navy, in the early 1970s, I also flew a lot, by then on jets. Even then there was more room between the rows, and one was not as cramped as today. The last time I flew was around 2000. By then the seating was much more crowded. I felt like I had been jammed into a sardine can of death. You can lie about air travel in the golden age all you want. Those of us who were there know the truth. It was better than what we have today.

[@eyecomeinpeace2707]

So, you don't fly anymore since 2000?

[@powellmountainmike8853]

@@eyecomeinpeace2707 No, thank goodness. These days I travel by train. I have taken the MBRA for shorter trips between Providence, RI and Boston, MA, and Amtrack between Providence and New York City. It is a much better way to travel. It lets you out right where you want to go. You don't have the whole hassle with security. Time wise it is about the same when you consider that. It is also a whole lot more comfortable for a man like myself who stands well over six feet tall. If you like, you can stand up and walk around. On the Amtrack trains you can go to the cafe car and get a snack, or even the dining car on the long distance trains. If you are on a train that will take a journey that lasts overnight, you can get a roomette which is even nicer. It beats the tar out of flying, except that it takes longer to travel very long distances. I'll never fly again. I'll take the train.

[@j.brown70]

I remember well the pre-9/11 days of flying. In the 90s I started traveling for my job. I was that one who mostly arrived to the airport 20 minutes before my flight took off. Literally sprinted to the gate with my carry on (which contained regular sized shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, etc). Yes, I did miss a flight or two cutting it that close. Cool thing is I could sit and wait for the next plane to my destination. No rebooking fees. Also remember having whole rows to myself. Also getting seats over the wings for the extra leg room and not paying more for it. A month after 9/11 while flying back from a conference in Atlanta to Richmond, VA (I had already booked and paid for the trip in August), it took me an hour to get from curbside check in to the gate in ATL. The TSA line snaked back that far! That was the beginning of the end of me enjoying flying.

[@terryhazzard2676]

Would you want to live at that time? Good:luxary Bad:Hijack

[@abstracts2004]

Absolutely not!

[@javieremoya]

I mean...you never got a 9/11 type hijacking. I like to think they were offered a drink and all was settled

[@davidhoffman1278]

Some technical errors. Pressurization was quite common on long distance flights. The DC-7 was pressurized and so was the Lockheed Constellation. By the time of jetliners and turboprops pressurization was the standard. TransAtlantic range was possible with the DC-7C and the long range Constellations. The early Boeing 707s had some difficulties traveling from East to West across the USA or the Atlantic Ocean. By the time of the B707-300 series that problem was mostly solved. As far as vibration and noise you must remember that the competition was passenger rail on track sections that were not continuously welded together like they are today and passenger ships operating on the ocean. Juan Trippe of Pan American Airlines began the seat pitch reductions with his requests to Boeing and Douglas for changes to the B707 and DC-8 proposals. The 5 across seating became 6 across in second class and 4 across in first class. He also reduced amenities as it looked like the overall trip times from say New York City, New York State, USA to San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA would be reduced by about 33% from the days of DC-7Cs and Constellations. Since the passengers would be spending significantly less time in the jetliner they wouldn't need all the amenities of piston passenger planes.

[@jimb5421]

Not the one I was on cruzin alt 12.000 ft. First pressuized plane I flew on was eal turbo prop and it was terrible as you gained altitude or desended.

[@davidhoffman1278]

@@jimb5421 , DC-7C or Constellation at 12,000 ft? It was relatively easy to switch operations of straight wing turbocompound radial piston engined pressurization capable aircraft to unpressurized altitudes, similar to DC-3 operations. Obviously there were losses in airspeed, thus trip times increased, but it could be done legally.

[@jimb5421]

@@davidhoffman1278 the 7 and 7b we're flying at 12,000 and the seats used to fall out of Trac during turbulence. The prop jet eletra.pressuization was a little wacy.they used to give out chewing gumm for the pressure changes. Miami to Boston flights.

[@davidhoffman1278]

@@jimb5421 , Okay, thanks for the clarification. Yes, the 7A and 7B had lots of problems. The golden age of piston powered aviation after WW2 was full of engine fires, cabin heater problems and fires, weak impact standards for passenger seating, and more. ATC was mishandled and mismanaged resulting in several midair collisions.

[@av_oid]

Glad someone else notice these things. The pressurisation mistake was a pretty huge one.

[@HP-ov7ol]

In the 70's, the flying experience was at its comparative peak. You had modern, fast jets capable of long distance non-stop flights, but still had plenty of room. People dressed nicely, and flying was considered an adventure. Flying today might seem cheap in inflation-adjusted dollars, but the experience today is about on the level of a crowded city bus. The ONLY thing better about flying today is the no-smoking rule.

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

What do you mean by people dressing nicely?

[@dylanmcshane9976]

@@kittykittybangbang9367 Dressing up

[@Lando-kx6so]

And safety don't forget safety

[@LK_Ireland]

Does anybody remember peoples airlines in the 1980s - that was the first extremely economic Airlines, you even paid on the flight. No whistles and bells everything was stripped down to the basics.

[@alext9067]

They didn't even have a terminal. They made us stand in line in another terminal and then board the plane. Once on, we paid after we were seated. $69 bucks/ NYC to Miami. And they made a little request. They said that the other airlines will try to match the price. But fly with us because when we go out of business, they'll raise the prices right up again. Peoples Express was the only reason you could get cheap tickets from other airlines. There were others like People, but I'm not remembering them offhand. You have a good memory.

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

I saw one 🛫 was seriously considering making passengers stand the whole flight! Yikes...

[@shibolinemress8913]

I flew Peoplexpress lots during college because it was so cheap. At one point, a return flight from Dayton, OH to Washington D.C. cost far less than the Trailways/Greyhound bus fare. Not sure anymore, but I think the round trip flight cost about $60. Don't know what that would be in today's dollars, but still pretty cheap!

[@shradical]

Of course this gets recommended to me during quarantine...

[@bobjacobson858]

When my sister was a baby, she and our mother flew to visit some family members. This was about 1950. My mother told me many years later that there was a storm and she felt queasy, then my sister got airsick, many others in the plane did, and finally my mother did, too. Out the window she saw a train, and just wished she could have been on that train instead, and added that if it had been announced that the plane was going to crash, she would have felt some degree of relief because she was so miserable. She was unwilling to fly again until the mid-1970s, and only after being convinced that travel in modern jet aircraft was different; once she flew again, she went on many other trips by air. I took somewhat the opposite approach. My father had been a P-38 pilot in the Army Air Corps during WW II. He had taught me a lot about flying, and the characteristics of various kinds of planes. During the 1960s, we sometimes went to Newark Airport to watch the various aircraft, such as Constellations flown by TWA and Eastern Airlines, and the Electras flown by American. I did my graduate study at UGA in the mid-1970s, and I realized Southern Airways, which flew from Athens to Atlanta, used Martin 4-0-4 aircraft powered by two radial (a type of air-cooled gasoline-fueled piston-driven) engines, which was a vestige of an era that would soon be ending, so I flew on this aircraft as often as I could (and never had an unpleasant or bumpy flight, although there were seldom more than a few passengers on each one), usually sitting where I could watch the exhaust manifolds glow, and yellow flames becoming blue out the exhaust pipes as the fuel mixture was made leaner after takeoff--a process my father had described to me.

[@badreality2]

"You were 4x as likely to die in a commercial airplane crash in 1952, than you are today." ...4 times 0.001% is like, nada.

[@Darkchosen051987]

It's easy so spin off stats... Liberals do it all the time

[@suzclayton783]

My dad flew forty years and nothing happened. Hijacking was not 9/11 It was more of passing a note to the captain and robbing the bank More of car jacking It was more often on a trip from grand forks to Duluth They were not terrorists just and not on a political jihad. You could by life Insurance in the vending machine by the gate.📬

[@h8GW]

And I see you're not spinning off _anything..._

[@theprinceofbrazil]

Kevin, do you really feel like always making this a LIB VS Conservative issue? Get lost

[@BreakThrough51]

@@Darkchosen051987 there's always that one asshole who has to bring politics into everything...congrats on not having anything substantial to say!

[@paradimecreations2365]

This is an awesome video. I think what stands out here is the "status signaling" of flying a plane has come down significantly. It's no longer something that people feel special doing. Instead we wear our comfortable clothes to be trapped in a prison for multiple hours with people we don't know. Back then, there was more of a culture of meeting people on flights and because they were so expensive, you met people within your own 'social status'. When that dynamic shifts and the flight experience has hardly changed in half a century, it makes sense that people hate flying now.

[@Cuinn837]

@Rata 4U Some of the people on these flights behave in very trashy ways, and make others feel unsafe. It's not really about social status.

[@Gamer2k4]

@Rata 4U I think you imagined he said something he didn't, because your rant is completely inappropriate here.

[@shizueleighhicks6174]

It was always an adventure for me . I was 9 years old in 1962. On the way over to Tokyo from San Francisco we stopped in Anchorage to refuel. Just before landing we hit an air pocket. We could hear the noise when the dishes and flatware hit the floor. On the way back to SF we usually did a layover in Honolulu. My favorite memories? Ox Tail Soup at Tin Tin Chop Suey and Cheeseburgers at Rainbow Drive In. Flying back on Western Airlines we were given Aloha leis and Japanese snack crackers and green tea To a kid it was great. Everyone was all smiles. Great memories.

[@Itried20takennames]

My mother was a flight attendent for almost 42 years, first with Capital then United, including during the "Golden Age.". When she started the all-female "stewardesses" were fired when they married or turned 30, and she could not wear her much-needed glasses. She joined strikers multiple times to protest nonsense like this, but really loved most of her job.

[@LarryOfilms]

Even with how today’s flight experience is, I still dress up somewhat when traveling, either throw on a cozy blazer or a nice cardigan over a button up shirt because part of me still gets excited about air travel

[@LarryOfilms]

Niggard JEW Power I think there are smart ways to pack like rolling up your clothes to get more space and choosing clothes that will match with one another than to pack separate outfits. When I travel, I can go with five shirts and two pants (maybe shorts too, so three) whether it’s a long trip or short. Again, I like the experience of travel so if I have to pay a bit more, then so be it but from my experience I’m always able to fit a lot in a carry on and the airlines never gave me a hard time. I just don’t think it’s worth it sitting there sweating or feel discomfort when there’s already a lot going on like people hogging up elbow room or you get the ones that recline their seats all the way down. So I want to make sure I try to be as comfortable as possible. I know everyone is different, so I’m not judging 🙂

[@gregingram4996]

I remember flying in 1967 from DCA to YUL. I was in the window seat next to the wing. I'll never forget that propeller droning in my ear for an hour and a half! I had such an earache afterwards, I couldn't even enjoy the destination, at least not on the 1st day!

[@susanclark6987]

My mom dressed us up to the nines every time we flew Continental! The Proud Bird with the golden wings! We were treated like royalty got my milk and a champagne glass and got the little pair of golden wings to wear on my little shirt ... people where classy and dressed up and do they were enjoying something very special ... and it was glamorous in the sixties even... so sad people of today will not get to experience it ...

[@meganruchwatercolors7186]

Yes it was a beautiful time. My Mom was very elegant and we always dressed up when flying everyone looked so nice. Today people travel in their pajamas what a disgrace!!!

[@susanclark6987]

Oh my gosh ... I just realized ... I said that wrong! Please forgive me.... ... The Proud Bird with the golden tail!! My dad was a mechanic for Continental all his life and then the last few years work for TWA before he retired ... but he would say that sometimes as we pull up to the airport here in Kansas City ... there a plane would be sitting out on the field and he would say girls .... The Proud Bird with the golden tail! Just very exciting to us as little girls! And he was very proud to be an employee there also ... well just had to clear that up guess I'm getting a little forgetful ...

[@connorwoeber1033]

Megan Ruch Watercolors i mean i would probably get all dressed up too if i had free alcohol, a lounge, real customer service from the flight attendants, instead of snarky remarks and a mildly infuriated, definitely annoyed mood. not to mention nice clothes would be a whole lot more comfortable if my 6’ 3” ass didn’t have my legs pressed against the seat in front of me and and 300lb of fat sitting next me, 50lbs of which are basically drooping onto my seat. ‘disgrace’ ya’ll baby boomers are a disgrace for not knowing how to adult or raise children and still deciding to have millions of them.

[@di7209]

Connor Woeber This is the perfect silence boomer

[@DarkMatterX1]

@@connorwoeber1033 Oh look, a millennial whines, cries and laments. Imagine my shock.

[@abbyolsvensson2413]

My mum is carer for one of the most famous British airways air hostess of of the golden era. Her stories are amazing and flying is also how she met her banker husband who she’s been with for decades since retiring. The women of today just aren’t like those back then.

[@haddadthemaestro2856]

Sad of how we don't have stories like this. I know, right.

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

My mother was Chief Stewardess for United Airlines until she married my father in 1960. Girdles were required. Different airlines had different required heel heights. The weight variance for a stewardess was five pounds in either direction from her stated ideal weight. Mom went with United because she didn't speak any foreign languages (a requirement for both Pan Am and TWA), wasn't a nurse (required by Pan Am until at least 1950), and had the "girl next door" look that typified the United stewardess.

[@felsvx]

Just appeared at my home feed. Not disappointing. Already subscribe. Keep up the good work! Love your content.

[@nondescriptnyc]

4:25 ...and I remember those days re: postcards and other amenities on long-haul international flights! As a kid, I used to collect those postcards and playing cards. It was probably in the mid-1980s when airlines began cutting back and, shortly after that, flight attendants began looking at me as though I had three heads when I asked for those things...

[@dannydaw59]

I remember getting a deck of playing cards from Ozark Airlines.

[@IkeFoxbrush]

When my school class visited the US in 1997, we where at the Düsseldorf airport and me and a friend had to go to the bathroom before take-off. On our way back to meet the others we got lost a bit and took a different route, through a couple of unlocked glass doors and along an empty hallway. As it turned out we completely bypassed the security check that way!

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

So what US city did you visit?

[@johnjuhasz9125]

“On the old days” all they had was basically First Class. Most people couldn’t afford it.

[@GooseGumlizzard]

yeah. Once the middle class expanded and could afford to travel they had to accommodate more passengers i.e.: more seats, less space, amenities, etc.

[@thebaconchannel8501]

Remember, this is the early days of jet travel, just after the Comet crashes, you had to give people some kind of incentive to get inside a tin can going 500 mph at 35 thou feet with four fires going on the wing!

[@davidhoffman1278]

Turbulence due to thunderstorms was not eliminated with the introduction of jetliners. Thunderstorm tops can exist at 48,000 feet above Mean Sea Level(MSL). The turbulence may not be as bad as it is at 24,000 feet MSL, but it still exists.

[@genface7828]

Very slight compared to the golden days

[@davidhoffman1278]

@@genface7828 , True. The only aircraft that seem to escape it almost 100% were the SR-71s, U-2s and Concordes once they were at or above 60,000 feet. Flying at or above 72,000 feet in a U-2 or SR-71 was supposedly super smooth. The thunderstorm tops, and their associated updrafts and downdrafts, were about a nautical mile beneath you.

[@davidhoffman1278]

@Rata 4U , True, but some days that Doppler radar does nothing but confirm a front hundreds of miles long with thousands of storm cells in it. There is no going around them. It is more of finding the least bad path through.

[@Hyena_Heckler]

My dad always complains and now I know why lol, he told me once that he was able to bring a 6 pack of beer on once.

[@arian.pasta97]

You can still do that lol just buy it at the airport after security check

[@eddieorfield1172]

I used to bring an ounce of weed home from California in the early 90s...no problem. Lol

[@wteuscher85]

I would definitely go for the old days. Suit up, drink and smoke is fine by be. Oh, and those skyjackings? As long as I can bring my piece too.

[@wteuscher85]

@Emilia Barzini Bin Who? It's the old days. Don't know who that is.

[@JonJonMorales]

This video met my expectations and then some! Thank you!

[@vitormlb1199]

Narrating with the Golden Age style, that really fits the video. Nice choice!

[@piobmhor8529]

I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s. We were bombarded with movies and tv programs were the rich and famous were the only ones travelling by air. It was a strange and alien world for most of us common folk, but it looked like absolute luxury. When I finally did have my first airline experience, I was 17, flying to Germany with a ticket that took me months to earn enough money to purchase working part time. When the experience was over, I enjoyed it but my good clothes stunk of cigarette smoke. It wasn’t all glitz and glamour.

[@springertube]

All true, and the cigarette smoke in today's world is hard to fathom, still a much better experience than now overall. We were not well monied at all, just saved up or didn't fly. No one ever or should have promised bus fares for such an operationally expensive and inherently risky endeavor.

[@KMF3]

I flew mostly in the 70s to 90s. And remember it being more comfortable especially for long flights.

[@blackworldtraveler3711]

KMF More comfortable now.

[@briankelly9347]

@@blackworldtraveler3711 no it ain't

[@briankelly9347]

@@blackworldtraveler3711 fuck you 21st century shithead

[@mport09]

How were the flight attendants? Were they porfessional and didn't expect you to cater to them and adapt to them? That's how they are today, so that makes them the same as everyone else, and professional is a different level. So today they're not professional.

[@btetschner]

A+ video! LOVE IT! What a fascinating and unique topic and history!

[@felixniederhauser7799]

I started flying in the early 60's, then I worked for an Airline and flew even more, business and pleasure. My memories are full of pleasant,fun trips accompanied with excellent food,drinks and a nice smoke! After a career change, I flew 50 to 70 hrs. per month, strictly as a passenger. Flying became a hassle. No more smoking, Airplanes got more and more packed and service became a wishful thinking item. Airlines got arrogant and detached from their income source, the Passengers and consequently collapsed. Do you remember names like: Pan Am, TWA, Swissair, etc.,etc. NB: I still fly today, however I try to keep it on a minimum of ca. 4 International trips per year and like to use alternative transports for domestic travel like Sleeper Train,upper Class Cars/Limos and Ships.

[@Petra44YT]

So you are one of those who think it is enjoyable to pollute everyone else's clean air! Nobody needs you!

[@bmoose566]

@@Petra44YT Haha and yet every breath you take you breathe out CO2 which is a pollutant.. so maybe we should all stop breathing

[@dennisvance4004]

Felix Niederhauser regarding the arrogance and detachment of the airlines: I worked for 20 years for a technical publication firm. In the early 90s air fair became outrageous; the prices could jump $150 dollars between the time our office workers found a price online and could confirmed reservations. Seating, we were told, was now a commodity; prices fluctuated minute to minute and what, exactly, was the business class traveler going to do about it? The cost analysis at our firm (the owner/CEO was a past master of logistics support analysis) found that the cost for two fully equipped tele conference rooms was less than the cost of flying a dozen of our people around the country in a 12 month period. While we still made on-sight visits to our customers we and they planned the bulk of our dealings around one week business teleconferences, each side equipped with large screen monitors, computers, printers, fax machines and white boards. Eight hours a day with no interruptions (only emergency calls were allowed) and everybody went home to their families at night. For a lot of cross-country travel we used ground transportation; factor in time for TSA security and layovers and renting a van was often as time-effective as flying and less expensive. To offset hotel costs our CEO/owner purchased an apartment building near one of our out-of-state clients where his employees stayed; at the end of the contract he sold the apartment complex at a profit. We were not alone in these kinds of creative solutions. And as expected, we saw the bottom fall out of the “captive“ business travel market. The airlines never saw it coming. Air travel is faster than ships or cars; the Internet moves at the speed of light.

[@hebneh]

There are LOTS of errors in this video - you could smoke in terminals; smoking was only prohibited while you were walking to and from the plane out in the open (no jetways yet) because you were around fuel. You could smoke at all times during the flight, including in the bathrooms, except at take-off and landing when there might be spilled fuel from a crash. Passengers were actually encouraged to smoke - cigarettes were given away for free! This was done by stewardesses offering loose cigarettes on a tray, or as mini-packs of various brands which were included on all meal trays, even those given to kids! And I speak from personal experience since this happened to me as a kid in the ‘60s.

[@silentbanshee4869]

OMG! I forgot about the free cigarettes.