Old Timer checking in here. Although 1934 was a bit before my time, it's worth noting that planes were smaller back then. We're talking 10-20 passengers for the most part, none of them lugging aboard bulky carry-ons as is the norm today. Indeed, airplanes offered only hat and coat racks. Also, here in America at least, I believe the passengers themselves were smaller and more fit, capable of getting on and off those old tail draggers with considerably more vim and vigor than that exhibited by many of the plus sized examples we see today.

I've seen Central Airways 10-stop DC-3 schedules between Ft. Worth and Denver where some of the stops were scheduled for only five minutes. The rural communities served by these flights (such as Muskogee, Oklahoma or Lamar, Colorado) had only a small building for a terminal and planes would park practically right outside the terminal doors. The plane would land and pull up to the terminal, some passengers would get off, a few would get on (during which time the few bags were efficiently off-loaded and on-loaded) and off they went. It was not unheard of for the Captain and First Officer to step out and lend a hand with baggage handling if necessary.

Check out this view of the airport serving Grand Rapids, MI circa 1938...