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What was airline travel in the 80's like?

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What was airline travel in the 80's like?

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Old Sep 27, 2016, 8:38 pm
  #136  
 
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Originally Posted by MojaveFlyer
And getting those tickets! My work used to subscribe to the Official Airline Guide (OAG) which was about the size and paper quality of a telephone book (oops, who here has seen on of those??) It came out monthly, and listed all the flights. That's what you'd use to figure out an itin, then you'd call the airline and speak with a human to make the res. Sometimes "ticket by mail" and they would send it to you.
I loved the OAG! I used to carry one in my suit coat pocket and it bailed me out of jams at least once a quarter. Many times when my flight was cancelled, I would flip through the OAG, construct another itinerary to my destination and share my solution with the gate agent. A few red carbon tickets later and I was back on my way. That guide made travel very manageable - - I used it for at least 20 years. At some point in the 2000s I was what I assume was one of the last subscribers and I whipped it out in air when my flight was delayed. A veteran FA spotted it, shared her surprise with me and showed the other FAs "how it used to be."

Originally Posted by MojaveFlyer
Back on thread: in the early 80s, there were several airlines offering a LGA-BOS shuttle. I had booked on one (perhaps Eastern) but mistakenly checked in and boarded another (perhaps AA), and they graciously honored my ticket and let me on the competitor airline's plane. That was kind, and not possible in today's security climate.
REMEMBER THIS IS A TRAVELER THREAD NOT A POLITICAL VENTING FORUM (and this post may seem quaint for years after January 20, 2017): Hands down, the best carrier on the BOS-LGA-DCA route was the Trump Shuttle. Like the other shuttles, tickets were interchangeable but the equipment and service was impeccable. The lavs had gold (likely faux-gold) faucets and the seats were undeniably comfortable. Even the food (and, IIRC, champagne) on those short flights was outstanding. This is not an invitation for someone's political diatribe - but that airline epitomized the subject of this thread, "what was airline travel in the 80s like?"
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Old Sep 27, 2016, 8:46 pm
  #137  
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Originally Posted by DCA-IAD FF
Hands down, the best carrier on the BOS-LGA-DCA route was the Trump Shuttle. Like the other shuttles, tickets were interchangeable but the equipment and service was impeccable.
I doubt it's a coincidence that my favorite airlines from that era went out of business one way or another: Frontier, People Express, AirCal, PSA, Braniff, and even Eastern. Wien Air Alaska and Western were pretty good too.
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Old Sep 27, 2016, 10:09 pm
  #138  
 
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Like "onehipdad", my first flying experience was also spring break 1966, and also out of Indy. Mine was a student trip to the Bahamas, on some cheapo charter flight. The plane had no tray tables and our dinner trays were put on a pillow in our laps. It was also a prop plane.

Another memory - so many people used to fly standby. Especially soldiers in the late 60s, early 70s during the Vietnam war era. At holiday times the airports were full of them, sleeping on the floor and waiting to get a flight.
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Old Sep 28, 2016, 1:36 pm
  #139  
 
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I've read only Page 1 so far (I'm at work, so will have to get to the rest later), so sorry if I'm repeating something. Here are my experiences.

Disclaimer: my father worked for United, so most of my travel was space available or reduced fare positive space though I did have a handful of paid flights on other airlines because I was traveling with a group. All this really meant, though, was that (a) we had a dress code, (b) seats weren't assigned until we were cleared to board, and (c) we were at the bottom of the food chain -- literally -- during the flight.

My first flights were in 1967, I think -- possibly 1966. Here's a summary of what has changed over time.

Smoking. At first smoking was allowed anywhere on board. The "no smoking" light went off pretty much when the wheels came up after takeoff and came on again at the final approach fix (about 5 minutes before landing). This progressed to designated smoking sections, as if that helped -- especially on the occasions when one had to walk through the smoking section on the way to non-smoking. Now, of course, no smoking is allowed at all. Score one for the present! (For the record, I not only find tobacco smoke abhorrent I actually have tested allergic to it.)

Seating. Seats definitely have become less comfortable over the years. Pitch was typically 34 inches in coach (only international airlines called it either economy or tourist), 36 or 38 inches in first class. UA had three classes on their DC-8s and 720s, the third being "Standard" which was 3x2 seating. I'd sure like to see that now as "premium economy"! Luggage was stowed under your own seat, meaning everyone had a storage location. Although comfortable, the seats were big, bulky, and heavy -- I don't blame the airlines at all for going with more lightweight seats, although I do think they've gone too far. Score one for the past.

Inflight Entertainment. I love listening to people whine about this! In the 1960s on UA, only DC-8s and the 720s flying between ORD and LAX had audio, only the DC-8s had movies. Movies were shown only on coast-to-coast and Hawaii flights. There were seven audio channels available -- 2 was classical, 3 was country, 5 was comedy, 6 was business, and I don't remember exactly what 4, 7, and 8 were. The headsets were simply plastic tubes with earforms attached; they made great toys after the flight! As time passed audio was introduced to the 727-200s and, of course, the widebodies had entertainment systems. Audio still was offered only on flights of about 2 hours or longer; you could get it SFO-DEN, but not RNO-SLC. Movie screens were at the front of the cabin and pulled down (and later stowed) by the "stewardess." The movie projector was in the center of the cabin, in the ceiling. Fold-down screens came with the 757s. Score tied; I learned in those days to take my own entertainment.

Meals. Meals were actually quite good, if you made allowances for the physics involved. I always enjoyed the "Mainliner steak" although it was overcooked; it was served on a piece of toast that soggy beyond recognition and was slathered with a mushroom gravy. Typical accompaniments were mashed potatoes and green beans. Even in coach there was a printed menu with two entree choices. Meals in first class were served course by course, in coach they of course came on a single tray. I remember the melon balls as an appetizer in F -- that's where I was introduced to honeydew and it was always tasty. On a flight in 1979 from BWI to ORD, with snack service, I had a bowl of turtle soup (delicious!). Ice cream sundaes were already de rigeur for dessert in F; my best dessert memory in Y was boysenberry shortcake (my favorite berry, and three Marines on the flight gave me theirs, as well). Food was free in F and Y on most flights. K (economy) was available on Hawaii flights, and I think meals had to be purchased. In the 1970s NA (National Airlines) introduced J ("no frills") class where almost everything had to be paid for. Score one for the past.

Inflight Amenities. Plastic wings for all the kids ("Future Pilot" for the boys, "Future Stewardess" for the girls -- hey, this was the 1960s!). Sticker books with states to be licked (blech!) and put on the map. Playing cards for the adults. Blankets and pillow plentiful. An entertaining magazine. The "Air Atlas," a map of the US with UA's routes shown on it (strictly domestic plus YVR and YYZ at the time, and even Canada was limited -- from YYZ you could fly to ORD, from YVR to SEA). Today, pretty much nothing available. Score one for the past.

Safety. Most of us really didn't worry about it; we knew flying was still safer than driving (and trains were pretty much unavailable). Constant improvements over time, as one would expect. Early seat belts were just straps held in place by pressure, their usefulness questionable. Biggest improvement, as far as I'm concerned, is better understanding of the weather. Turbulence over Nebraska was a much bigger deal than it is now (clear air turbulence anywhere, really, but that's where it was worst on our usual SFO-ORD trips). Score one for the present!

All-Around Service. Everyone cared (perennial differences in the locations where you'd expect it, of course -- yeah, I'm talking about you, LGA!). The country hadn't yet reached the point where Wall Street dictated operations. Airline leaders actually worked their way up through the ranks and knew the industry. Contracts weren't negotiated in public. Flights were held for late connections when feasible. Unlike most airlines, UA parked parallel to the terminal so boarding was accomplished through front and rear doors (including the 727 stairway). Leaders cared about their employees as well as the customers. Score one for the past! (Score six or eight, but I'm only allowing one point per category.)

Airports. With fewer travelers, the airports themselves were more pleasurable back then. No security, then security as you boarded the plane as a result of the wave of hijackings to Cuba, then security entering the concourse, then 9/11 and no non-passengers past the security point. This last is a particular gripe of mine, since at the time it was billed as "temporary" because of the extra time enhanced security would take. I'm an airport junkie and used to enjoy going out just to watch the planes from inside the airport. Anyway, there was a mix of loading bridge (Jetway is a brand name, not a generic) and ground boarding. At SFO the 747s had to use gates 14 and 15 and the boarding lounges were at ground level, then passengers took an escalator up to the Jetway (yes, that's the brand UA used). Large airports had observation decks; I remember covering my ears when a Pacific (later Air West, later Hughes Air West) F-27 came to the gate right below the SFO deck. Not as many stores and restaurants as now, but they were no less overpriced. Overall, I think score one for the past.

Okay, so much for getting to work! On the whole I'd say travel was definitely more pleasant until about the mid-to-late 1980s when Wall Street started running the show, although there are some aspects that are better now.
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Old Sep 28, 2016, 3:04 pm
  #140  
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Originally Posted by dliesse
The headsets were simply plastic tubes with earforms attached
Those were so terrible. All because electrical earphones cost a few dollars at the time and tubes certainly cost less than 50 cents. There were tiny speakers inside the armrests to feed noise into the tubes. Incredibly poor sound quality.

Meals. Meals were actually quite good
The first macadamia nuts I ever ate were in a coach flight in the 1960's. They also gave us kids a pack of candy cigarettes.

Inflight Amenities. Plastic wings for all the kids ("Future Pilot" for the boys, "Future Stewardess" for the girls -- hey, this was the 1960s!).
I saw those wings as recently as 10 years ago. They may still exist.

Turbulence over Nebraska was a much bigger deal than it is now
The DC-6 (4 propellers) was unable to climb over thunderstorms, so we went through them. Wow was that an impressive roller coaster ride.

No security, then security as you boarded the plane as a result of the wave of hijackings to Cuba, then security entering the concourse
My great-aunt, frail and 5 feet tall in heels, took me to the airport in the early 1970's but stayed outside security. I asked why. She told me she had a .32 in her purse. No pushover she. Yes, times were different.
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Old Sep 28, 2016, 4:53 pm
  #141  
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Originally Posted by dliesse
Inflight Amenities. ... The "Air Atlas," a map of the US with UA's routes shown on it (strictly domestic plus YVR and YYZ at the time, and even Canada was limited -- from YYZ you could fly to ORD, from YVR to SEA).
like this? it's a 1968 edition of the UA Air Atlas that I recently found amongst stacks of old magazines, ticket envelopes, etc in our upstairs storage area
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Old Sep 28, 2016, 7:24 pm
  #142  
 
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Originally Posted by COSPILOT
Flying in the 80's was great. Flights weren't so full like now, and often I could get a row to myself on a DC-10 for red-eye flights from Hawaii. Even had DC-10 operations between DEN-COS.

.
Flew DC-10 from SEA-DEN several times to go skiing. Always flew coach because even when flying during the day time I ended up with a row to myself.

In recent years, I can't remember an open seat next to me let alone a whole row. LOL LOL
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Old Sep 29, 2016, 3:21 pm
  #143  
 
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Originally Posted by nsx
Those were so terrible. All because electrical earphones cost a few dollars at the time and tubes certainly cost less than 50 cents. There were tiny speakers inside the armrests to feed noise into the tubes. Incredibly poor sound quality.
I had a little box that ran off of a single AAA battery and was bout the size of 4 of them. It had an [what should I call it?] acoustic plug that went into the two holes in the armrest and a mini jack to plug regular headphones into on the other. The sound quality of this setup was actually very good.
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Old Sep 29, 2016, 11:04 pm
  #144  
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Amazing thread^^^...I was born in '83 and didn't start flying until about '87 but some of the things here do sound really familiar...

-The red carbon paper tickets! I can remember going to American Express Travel in our local town to get them before our trips. I last got a handwritten paper ticket in 2008 but the first time I was issued an e-ticket I thought it was a miracle! When you think about how easy it is to book

-Security stepping up around the Gulf War in 1991. I was flying to California (from the UK) around that time and was sad I couldn't get a cockpit visit. On the way back I managed to get a visit on a very new 747-400!

-Check-in being flight specific at hubs. You'd have to walk down the terminal to spot the check-in desks for your specific flight or look at the monitor.

-Immigration seemed a much bigger deal. I was flying between the UK and US several times a year from about the age of 6 and by the time I started doing the trip solo I wasn't sure if I'd just got really used to it or if it seemed a little less intense than when I was much younger!


I'm sure I'll be back to add more things
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Old Sep 30, 2016, 3:22 am
  #145  
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The aircraft in my neck of the woods were mostly BAC 1-11s, BAe 146s and Fokker Friendships. You'd get the odd 737.

Airports were basic, particularly for domestic. Through security, there was a bar whose selection of non-alcoholic drinks consisted of barely drinkable bottled fruit juices.

Airlines (Dan-Air in particular) would try to serve three course meals on 45-minute flights. About 90% of any meal appeared to be coleslaw. You'd have people literally getting their food snatched from under their nose having had it for less than a minute - Dan-Air was never a dull moment...

Security was fairly relaxed until Lockerbie. If you had a BA shuttle ticket, you pretty much had free run of the airport whenever you wanted.

Heathrow was in an awkward transition between its glamour days in the 60s, and its shopping mall days in the 00s. It was carpeted throughout - this was not a good thing. Terminal 4 arrived, designed as a quick-transit short-haul terminals, but then BA threw its toys out the pram, and so its long-haul flights got awkwardly shoehorned in. It was all exposed piping and neon, very 80s. Never quite worked. Short-haul flights all went to T1, except for Amsterdam, Athens, Moscow and Paris. Everybody remembered that, for years: Amsterdam, Athens, Moscow, Paris.

CDG T1 (sorry, Aérogare 1) felt like a sci-fi film set. Solari departure boards, the "habitrail" bouncy travelators in tubes. A branch of Maxim's in the basement. It worked in those days...
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Old Sep 30, 2016, 10:02 am
  #146  
 
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Flew back and forth a fair bit between Hong Kong and LHR in the late 70s, early 80s. Mostly CX. Couldn't do it non-stop. I recall those movies where the film strip travelled the length of the plane and passed through several projectors so the cabin in front of you was a minute or so behind in the movie. But the whole process was exciting, and comfortable. First time I ever had Bel Paese cheese in those little individual packs.
Also remember Skytrain run by Freddie Laker across the Atlantic. The regular airlines were scared stiff by this low-cost entry and did everything they could to put him out of business, and succeeded. At one 'hearing' Laker was accused of not providing food (you had to pay for it), "We provide food," he said, "same rubbish as everybody else but we provide food."
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Old Sep 30, 2016, 10:21 am
  #147  
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It was the 80's when I experienced my emptiest flight..nowadays it's almost unheard of to get an empty middle.

It was early 1987. LGA-YYZ on an American Airlines 727, later evening flight. Me, one other pax, and 3 FA's. I asked the FA why they would even bother running the flight and she said the plane needed to be moved to YYZ anyhow for the morning run to BOS and she mentioned that the cargo hold was full of contracted cargo so they were still making money on the flight.

It was a very very nice flight!
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Old Sep 30, 2016, 2:08 pm
  #148  
 
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Handwritten red carbon paper tickets.

Ashtrays in the armrests when smoking was allowed. They were always filled with chewed gum and nasty detritus.

Airline timetable books. Collected those as a kid because they also had photos of the planes they flew. I also distinctly remember a United Airlines timetable book with an Avis rental car ad on the back cover featuring OJ Simpson. Ah, those were the days.

Free gifts for the asking: decks of cards, pin-on wing badges and even small model airplanes for kids.

IFE consisted of headsets that were nothing but plastic tubing and rubber earpieces, and the headset ports in the armrests were just small speakers. If you put your ear next to the armrest with the volume turned up you could hear the music coming out of it. In addition to sounding horrible, those headsets were an incredible pain in the ear and never fit well.

On widebodies, in-flight movies projected off film (videotape was nonexistent then) on a pull-down silver screen. One screen per cabin.

Free upgrades to first just by asking nicely at the gate. Didn't work all the time, obviously.

Bribing the skycaps at the curb to check in all the luggage you wanted. Sure, there were no checked bag fees back then but they still charged for grossly overweight bags. The skycaps didn't have scales out on the curb and as long as you tipped them well you could check a kitchen sink if you wanted to.

Some classic defunct airlines that were fairly well known in the 80's: Air Cal, PSA, Western, Aloha.

I was a kid in the 80's. Most of the flights I took during that time were on 747s, 727s, DC-10s, and even some 707s (mostly in the early 80's).

Last edited by Interpol; Sep 30, 2016 at 3:28 pm
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Old Oct 1, 2016, 7:19 pm
  #149  
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For me, it was the most perfect airplane ever built - the L-1011. The most hideously ungraceful airplane in the sky, yet the most wonderful to fly.

Half the passengers were put into a state of shock while watching the engines belch out a forest fire's worth of smoke starting up, while the other half went into shock as the entire cabin shook violently during takeoff, ceiling tiles swinging, then with a loud moan that sounded like a dying gasp, the plane lurched off the runway into the sky.

Pure heaven for any aviation enthusiast.
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Old Oct 1, 2016, 9:59 pm
  #150  
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
Paper tickets and that red carbon backing.
I remember carbon copies of things from flights in early 90s. I was a kid at the time, but even then knew I flew Northwest for flights to my grandparents house in Florida (now clearly a DL route) and Canadian domestically (may it RIP ) AC as an airline can die in a fiery hell as far as I'm concerned. I have vivid and fond memories of killing time with my Mom in the Canadian lounge in our home airport before flights. I remember it being dark and homey feeling, not unlike the former NW lounges.
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