My first flight was an old Avro turbo prop from Chaing Mai to BKK. I believe I was 3-4 years old. Then it was a B707 on Pan Am to HNL to spend the night and onward on Braniff to Dallas.

I remember the playing cards, had several decks from different airlines. Also had several sets of wings.

I also got to sit up in the cockpit with the pilots on Pan Am, Lufthansa as well.

I was so into airplanes when I was a kid that I could hear one and tell you which make/model it was.

:)

In my experience, carriers such as CX & SQ have remained consistent or have improved their IFS as the years have progressed (CX in particular) while carriers like UA, DL, NW have deteriorated (But partially understandable due to economic conditions).

One thing that hasn't changed is the continual reappearance of the $99 coast-to-coast fare. I remember what a big deal this was when it was introduced in the late 70s/early 80s by People Express.

So what does that say about the airlines still offering that fare 25 years later when the cost of just about everything else has doubled or tripled?

Amazingly Delta was still using those types of headphones until just a couple of years ago. I think they stopped using them the same time the ended the "entertainment fee" they charged for watching a movie and replaced it with headphones for purchase.

I remember those. I felt like a doctor with a stethoscope.

Couldn't use your own ... you had to use theirs.

So can you use your own on DL now? I haven't flown them since 2001.

When I was a young man ...
 

Ah, I remember it well: I was a young man just graduated from college, and flying for the first time (to Europe). The year previous, Pan American Airways had inaugurated service with B-747's; they were the talk of the town! The seating was originally 2-4-2, with no passenger more than one seat away from an aisle.

All of us men, regardless of age or reason for flying, wore a suit, white shirt, and business tie even in economy class; our jackets were placed on hangers in the closet if we wished. Many magazines were available, even a printed timetable for future reference (with fares listed within!) There were only first class and economy cabins, but all passengers received a tall, legal-sized souvenir menu. Business class and Frequent Flyer clubs had not been invented.

On flights to Europe and beyond, Pan Am "made the going great" and had snack lounges in economy for between-meal midnight snacks at our leisure. Trans World Airlines was the only other U.S. carrier permitted to fly the Atlantic, and was just as glamorous: it was "Up, up, and away... TWA".

Both Pan American and TWA had Around the World routes: something like New YorK, London, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Delhi, Rangoon, Bangok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Honolulu, San Francisco, and New York --- east-bound AND west-bound flights daily!

The foreign airlines coming into JFK proudly advertised their menu as well as their newly purchased B-747. Those airlines lacking a B-747 were considered backwards for having only DC-7's, -9's, and B-707's (the flying coffins, because they were so narrow.)

My first vacation overseas was for two weeks and brought me to Paris, Rome, and London; Air France on the outbound and Air India on the return. The total cost (air, hotels, and group transfers with luggage) was $500.

We still had NorthEast Airlines with their Yellowbirds, National Airlines staff telling us that "I'm Ellen, fly me," TransCaribbean Airlines bringing us down to the sea, and Eastern Airlines being "The Wings of Man."

The night flight to Paris on Air France offered a meal that was as good as a meal in a restaurant on the Blvd. de l'Opera. British Overseas Airways Corporation called itself BOAC back then, and handed out complimentary London newspapers en route so that we could begin browsing the theater listings. No carrier was flying to Europe yet in the morning, and all fares were regulated and cost the same regardless of carrier.

There were no pc's, no internet, and no world wide web, back then. We wrote to a country's tourist bureau for art, culture, hotel & restaurant information, and received a ton of brochures in return. We went in person or telephoned the airline office to buy our tickets.

Yes, things sure have changed, haven't they! Actually, the economy class of yesteryear is today's business class.

But business class probably costs less in relative terms than economy used to!

Nice post JohnWM I remember those days very well and you articulated them beautifully. Thanks for the memories and Welcome to FlyerTalk.

Yes, JohnWM. Very good summation.

Just curious, as I'm a relatively young buck ... why all the suits and ties?

Playing Cards
 

Last time I flew song(about a year and a half ago) they had playing cards for sale.

Why did we wear suits ...
 

We all wore suits in those days because air travel was almost equivalent to a transatlantic crossing on Cunard or the French Line or the U.S. Line.

Air travel back then was almost an upper class experience, and it was mostly middle- and upper middle-class persons who were traveling aloft in those days. The Golden Age of Flight for consumers was probably from 1968 - 1978. You'd have enjoyed it back then: it was GRAND!

In the intervening years air travel seems to have simply become bus travel in the sky.

The "Stewardesses" were also pretty dressed-up. No FA's in those days. In fact, the first time I ever saw a "Steward" (male FA) was on my first transatlantic flt on a foreign carrier. The stewardesses on TWA wore dresses, perky little hats and, of course, they were all young, single and thin.

Certainly sounds like it would have been great.

Now with the lounges, did you have to pay extra for the food and drink, or was it all included?

It'd be great to have some sort of lounge area to hang out for a little while and get a snack. Now it seems like the only place you can go to is the can.

I think you're right on with "flying buses."

Superguy good questions about the lounges. In the "old" days, we were invited to the lounges based on our mileage or a referral from a TA. Initially, IIRC, the RCC was open to those who had travelled 100k on UA. TWA had it's Ambassador Lounge, which was my favorite. Again, by invitation only; based on fare class, or referral. All cocktails were complimentary. I also really loved the PAA Clipper Club. There wås a time when entering one of the Airline Clubs made you feel truly special and on your way to a great journey. Of course, everyone who entered dressed for the occasion; even movie stars.

Interesting. So the RCC's and the like initially started as "sky bars" and then made their way to the airports?

I guess times have changed on the dress. When I fly, even for work, I don't dress up. Mainly because I want to wear light clothes as it seems like the flights I'm on are warm more often than not. And of course, I don't want my nice suit getting wrinkled and smelly by sitting on a cramped seat.

Do you think the dress/service issues kinda went hand in hand in a downward spiral? Kinda like "well, if you're not going to dress the part, we're not going to bend over backwards" and "well, if you're not going to give us good service, what's the point of dressing up?"