Back then, all meals were complimentary. First class received lobster, steak, and such (I heard); economy received a very decent quality hot meal. Everyone received real, normal silverware: I have some magnificent souvenirs from many airlines of that era. Soft drinks and sodas were complimentary, but liquor and wine cost $2. The headphones for the music and the movie cost about $2 or $3 initially (cash only because credit cards were just starting to come into widespread use).

In the 1930's, the flight crew were all men, except for the flight nurse who was female. After the war, the airlines needed to boost consumer demand so they began hiring only females as flight attendants (Sex sells, blah blah blah). It was from that time forward that the flight attendant occupation began to be considered a 'female' occupation. In the early '80's, as I recollect, a successful court case against Pan Am required the industry to begin hiring (actually hiring once again) male attendants.

In the late '60's and early '70's, there were only 1 or perhaps 2 flights nightly from JFK to various European cities. The cost in the early '70's was about $299 to get as far as Rome on a 22-day excursion fare, as I recollect. The airlines conveniently had their 'airfare wars' in May, valid for travel during the summer!!! That little goodie came our way due to the need to fill up all those jumbo jets that were coming on line.

There was, however, one little serpent in this garden of eden: cigarette smoking was prevalent in those days, and permitted in flight! That did not end until the mid-'80's as I remember.

As I said, it was really GRAND back then. You'd have enjoyed it.

Standby fares were the best. In the 80's one could do a standby fare for $199.00 Lax/LHR and $179.00 LHR/LAX. Easy fares to grab and made for some great spontaneous travel which were not Mileage Runs, just plain, good travel fun. I believe it was 24 hr advance purchase. So-o-o easy, that I took my son and niece to Europe on a sheer whim. A great adventure.

Great post JohnWM, thanks!

I got a few packs of cards from UA, SK, JAL (JA? JL?) in the late 80's and early 90's. As a kid, I rememeber actually going up to the FA, put on a cute face, said I was bored, and ask for some toys! My regret to this day is never told them it's my B-day and ask to see the cockpit. Guess I miss that chance forever now.

On my AC LHR-YYZ flight last year, saw FA gave out colouring books and some other goodies to kids.

JohnWM, welcome to FlyerTalk.

Women flight attendants began in 1930. The first was Ellen Church working for Boeing Air Transport, a predecessor of United Airlines. The first training school class of eight became known as the Original Eight. United had a 747 named "The Original Eight" in recent years.

http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,3211,00.html

There were not specific flight nurses although most of the early women FAs had nursing qualifications.

Over here in Britain early Imperial Airways flights in the 1920s started to have a "page boy", supplied by of all places the Ritz Hotel in London ! In addition to serving meals they did baggage handling and other such tasks. They had to be short as aircraft cabins at that time were quite restricted.

It has not ended yet! Smoking is still allowed on the transatlantic flights (S3, MAD-CCS and back) I will be taking this summer!!

This would be about 1981.

At the time I was working for the UK office of one of the then-major US computer companies, with HQ in Detroit. The Managing Director issued a memo saying that as standby was so much cheaper than booked fares, and as he had never known the BA Detroit flight to be full, everyone was to use them, which caused some adverse comment about getting to the airport early to queue for them.

Shortly afterwards a manager from Scotland was walking out of Heathrow Terminal 1 on his way to the nearby London offices when who does he see in the BA ticket line but the MD's chauffeur. They greet each other, and the chauffeur says "Oh wait just a minute and I'll drive you back to the office. Mr MD is going to Detroit this afternoon and I've just come down to buy his standby ticket" !!

British Airways long haul, and their predecessor BOAC, always had male stewards, and very few were young. BOAC had a long-running tie up with the Cunard shipping line and a number of cabin stewards transferred between the two (ships had always had male stewards). The other main source of stewards for BOAC (and probably for Cunard as well) was those who had followed a similar occupation in the British Royal Navy, which they left in their middle age.

A thread like this is why I love Flyertalk so much. Thanks to everyone for your memories of what flying used to be. I started flying in my youth in the mid 70's and can still recall the excitement and how special it felt to fly on a jet be it on Eastern, Ozark, Piedmont or a number of other airlines we flew from Chicago to Florida. I still love to fly and it is probably because I am still able to get excited at the prospect and can still find a little bit of the glamour left in air travel.

You're not going to convince me that you didn't know what he meant by SW, and you were just being a s---a--.

Yeah the smoke thing would have bothered me. I remember my parents griping about it in the early 80s when they flew to the west coast.

It even bothers me in restaurants, so I'm glad that at least in MD, smoking's relegated to the bar.

Well, I've never been to the US (and I don't intend to visit very soon) so I have about as much contact with Southwest as I have with SW.

I remember the grand old days...

...you could drop off your loved ones at the gate and wave them goodbye
...you could pick up your loved ones at the gate.
...you could wear your shoes through security.

It seems like so long ago...

I miss those days too.

My brother-in-law went to Brazil for 2 years pre-9/11 and we were able to see him off at the airport. He was hoping to see us at the gate. Well, he came home post-9/11 so that put a damper on things. It sucked.