offerendum

I strongly disagree. Very few are happy or satisfied with it, there is simply no alternatve. If you have a look on Europe domestic First in the North American/ Asian region ist still a heaven.

CurbedEnthusiasm

United Airlines, Connoisseur (Business) Class.
AMS-IAD, 1997.

Seat 2A

We have different experiences then. I have overheard many fellow travelers talking about how great their seat or service was. The ones that really get me are those who think sitting in a tight plastic molded pod a la United's 777 Polaris Suites is a wonderful experience. Air New Zealand is another. Despite offering a very nice inflight product, they've found a way to ruin a perfectly good 777/787 forward cabin. Like I say, I can't fault them for their enthusiasm. Most of them have no point of reference to the spacious days of old and the lavish meal services that used to define both domestic and international First Class. Regardless of one's past experience, flying in today's Business or "First" is still better than flying in Economy - so there is that...

Seat 2A

Ah... it's a nice spring day in May of 1965 and your 707 has just leveled off at 36000'. Out your window, the coast of Ireland passes silently beneath your window. Ahead lies seven hours of bliss as you look forward to enjoying Aer Lingus' renowned Golden Shamrock First Class service across the Atlantic to Boston. Your stewardess has just delivered a nicely chilled Guinness Ale with a small plate of mixed nuts. Soon she'll be round to take your initial meal requests. Let's have a look at that menu, shall we?

A E R . L I N G U S
Shannon to Boston

LUNCHEON

COCKTAILS WITH ASSORTED CANAPES
Salted Almonds - Olives - Cocktail Onions

HORS D'OEUVRES
Malossol Caviar and Blinis: Herring Fillets with Sour Cream Sauce: Artichoke Hearts Greek Style: Smoked Irish Salmon: Chicken Pate: French Bean Salad: Eggs Mayonnaise: French Sardines in Oil: Tomatoes Nicoise

SOUP
Clear Chicken Broth
Cream of Asparagus Soup

FISH

Dublin Bay Prawns Newburg Style
Accented with Cream, Eggs and Brandy

Fillet Sole Caprice
Fried in Butter, Garnished with Fried Bananas

MEAT

Fillet Mignon Rossini
Cooked in butter, garnished with Fois Gras, Truffle and Madeira Sauce

Escalope of Veal Cordon Bleu
Breaded, then fried in Butter with Cheese and Ham

Breast of Chicken Bonne Femme
White Wine Sauce, Bacon Strips, Mushrooms and Onions

VEGETABLES
Braised Celery with Bone Marrow
Croquette Potatoes

SALAD
Chef's Mixed Green Salad with a choice of French, Italian or Garlic Dressings

DESSERT
Paris Brest
Fresh Sliced Oranges Grand Marnier
Pettis Fours

Cheese Board
Fruit Basket
Coffee - Irish Coffee - Tea

WINES

Chateau Cabannieux Cru Exceptionnel
Graves Superieures Sec 1962

Chateau La Tour des Termes
Saint Estephe 1955

Cordon Rouge 1955
G.H.Mumm

Hine Antique Cognac

worldspan

I could not agree with you more! Agreed, yes today with those "pods" there may be more space particularly with lie flat and your own entertainment from which to choose, That said I totally agree the food was ten times better then and the "stewardesses" as opposed to today's flight attendants had no "attitude" as they do today. Been to Hawaii 19 times and in those days regardless of airline the stewardesses wore mumus. You knew you were not flying to Cleveland! On a Braniff 707-320 from DFW to HNL served from a trolley that had a surfboard atop it from which the drinks and appetizers came. And who could not forget the in-flight fashion show I often enjoyed on an Air Jamaica DC-8-61 with the "those rare tropical birds" strutting up and down the aisles in bikinis and koolats! And on an JAL DC-8-62 from Cairo to Bombay the Japanese purser presenting each passenger with a gift and then extending his hand to thank you for flying JAL. Or on an Alitalia 747 from JFK to MXP watching the male purser put on a white jacket (as you might find in a good Italian restaurant) as the meal service was ready to begin. Or on a Pan Am 747 from JFK to SJU dubbed :"El Borinqano" where strolling musicians provided in-flight entertainment. And finally inside the National/Trans Caribbean terminal at JFK watching the stewardesses adorned in uniforms that included a hat much like an Argentine gaucho might wear (Nancy Reagan wore those often). How could I ever forget things like the above !

FallenPlat

Traveling back in the glory years of the jet age sure was different.

Take August 1970, for example. There I am, some kid traveling back from France. The good news is that we’re going to be on one of Air France’s then very brand new 747s. The bad news is that we’re in steerage and so will miss the upstairs bar, the spiral staircase, the high-end French cuisine – everything fun for a kid. But then, after an irresponsibly late check-in, we all got operational upgrades. I’m not sure, really, how that happened since transatlantic reservations from France in those days all had to be “reconfirmées” in advance, which should’ve made overbooking less likely.

In any event, the filet mignon and the from-the-cart service were wonderful. The wine was probably great, too, though I missed that part. But what I really remember best is that upstairs bar: a giant mostly empty room with a long brown leather couch along one side and a barman’s station opposite the staircase. Though it was only open for maybe two or three hours during the middle of the flight, I spent all the time I could up there. The feeling of all that space, on an airplane, was completely surreal. Plus, we had a bartender all to ourselves even though I don’t recall even attempting to order a cognac or anything else alcoholic.

And then there were the other passengers. Though this magnificent upstairs pleasure palace seemed to interest essentially nobody but me, among the few other patrons were a couple of businessmen from South Africa. To young me, that was just another exotic and far-away country, like Australia, and I most certainly had no notion whatsoever of Apartheid. I recall being most interested in their pocket change, the likes of which I had never seen before. I guess I knew a little about airplanes and coins, but evidently that was about it.

I did manage, however, to score a giant 20-by-50 inch poster showing a cutaway diagram of a huge Air France 747 on one side and various staged interior scenes on the other. I still have it today, a physical reminder of another time and another day better than any passport stamp could ever be.

offerendum

Sure, but seat-wise Ím not sure if tims e bette (at least internaional). To be fair on many old mns woudn´t find much to eat.

Seat 2A

Thank you so much, worldspan. Your memories read like one of those delicious hors d'oeuvre trays that used to make the rounds during the cocktail service in First Class, each one a delicious little vignette from the days when First Class air travel was an event, not just another flight. The airlines took great pride in their services back then and we passengers were the beneficiaries of some truly memorable inflight experiences. You were blessed to fly upon some wonderfully exotic airlines and aircraft. In particular the Air Jamaica fashion show aboard its colorful DC-8s and Pan Am's branded "El Boriqano" service caught my eye. I can't help but wonder if Air Jamaica's strolls inspired Braniff's decidedly less risque "Air Strip"

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/c...g?format=2500w

There's no denying the benefits of lie-flat suites, incredible IFE systems offering hundreds of entertainment options and dine on demand meal services. That said however, my favorite form of inflight entertainment was the meal service. In particular, I miss the panache - not to mention the anticipation - of a proper trolley service. Those trolleys were laden with all manner of delicious accompaniments along with the roast of the day, and watching the stewardesses skillfully prepare bountiful plates of food while approaching your row was truly exciting to watch - much more so than having your plate delivered from the galley as we see today.

RogueViator

Seat 2A, I have been reading this thread now and as much as I enjoy the menus by themselves, it is made even better by the image you paint when you set it up!

Seat 2A

It's a beautiful autumn afternoon in 1977 when you settle into the wide, plush First Class seat aboard your Philippine Airlines DC-8-61. Ahead of you lies a short one hour and forty minute flight from Manila to Hong Kong. Just outside your huge DC-8 window, the two low slung Pratt & Whitney fan jets look large and powerful enough to take you to the moon. Although the 330p departure time falls between the luncheon and dinner hours, PAL's well regarded commissary at Manila International has boarded what is descried in the menu as a "Heavy Snack", the ingredients of which should more than sate your appetite until your dinner date in Hong Kong later that evening. Sipping from your deliciously chilled Whiskey Sour, you open the large and colorful menu and take a moment to peruse the afternoon's offerings...

P H I L I P P I N E . A I R L I N E S
Manila to Hong Kong

HEAVY SNACK

Quiche Lorraine
Cheese Tart

Pains Farcies
Minced Veal Meat Rolls

Croquettes de Poisson
Fish Croquettes

Saumon Fume au Garni
Smoked Salmon with Garnish

Crevettes en Gelee
Cold Shrimps in Aspic

Points de Asperges
Asparagus Tips

Oeufs Poches Truffes
Poached Eggs with Truffles

Tourte Sacher
Viennese Chocolate Cake

Friandises
Cookies

Cafe - The
Coffee - Tea

Seat 2A

What a wonderful month of adventure you've had in South Africa. You'll always remember those beautiful cheetas you saw on your safari through Kruger National Park and the steam train you rode between Knysna and George. Now it's time to continue your adventures in Kenya and given that you'll be flying there in First Class aboard a big, beautiful 707 from Olympic Airways, you could hardly be more excited. As you sink back into your large plush First Class recliner, you take a moment to peruse the large, attractive menu you've been presented. What a fantastic feast you'll be treated to with luncheon served on the five hour leg to Nairobi. Let's see what's being served, shall we?

O L Y M P I C . A I R W A Y S
First Class Service

LUNCHEON
Johannesburg to Nairobi

Aperitifs
*
Iranian Caviar
Melon Prosciutto
*
Asparagus Soup
*
Grilled Lobster

Chateaubriand
Served with Bordelaise Sauce
Mixed Vegetables

Chicken Peri Peri
Buttered Rice
*
Green Salad in Season
Served with Vinaigrette or Roquefort Dressing
*
Selection of International Cheese
*
Space Cake
*
Fruit Basket
*
Coffee
*
Grand Champagne Delamaine - 30 Years Old
*
Liqueurs

arkangel

Interesting enough I had a very similar experience, in March, 1970. I was flying ORY-JFK, in steerage on a 707, when a late arrival at the gate got me bumped up to F on a 747 leaving 4hrs. later! However, upon arrival, I had to transfer from JFK to LGA for my connecting flight to DTW. I had allowed five hrs. to do this but now had only one hr. But the upper deck experience was well worth the risk. I had a few....well, more than a few, drinks and played the piano. Cool experience! At JFK, my luggage had already been cleared by immigration, so I hailed a taxi and headed to LGA. Unfortunately, an accident on the Van Wyck meant that I arrived at LGA only 10 min. before departure, but ran to the gate(remember - no security checks back then!), and barely made my flight!

Mats

per the Olympic menu from Johannesburg to Nairobi:

Space Cake?

That usually implies something more "herb-based," so to speak.

Seat 2A

Ah... it is so nice to turn day dreams into reality! Ever since you first read of Eastern's new nonstop flights between St. Louis and the Pacific Northwest (1967), you've imagined yourself sitting in a plush First Class recliner, sipping from a nicely chilled glass of Chivas Regal whilst perusing the menu offerings from the upcoming dinner service. And now, here you are doing just that while comfortably ensconced in seat 2A, cruising through the soft blue yonder high above eastern Nebraska. As your 727 chases the setting sun, you take another pull from your Scotch and open the menu to once again consider your dinner options...

E A S T E R N . A I R L I N E S
St. Louis to Seattle

DINNER

SALAD/APPETIZER
Alaskan Crab Salad

ENTREES

Filet of Sole Amandine
A delicate filet of sole sauteed in butter, lemon juice and sherry,
then topped with toasted almond slices

Chicken Rochambeau
Filet of chicken sauteed in seasoned butter, placed on a slice of ham,
then covered with a rich Burgundy mushroom sauce

Veal Cordon Bleu
Tender veal cutlet sauteed in butter, then topped with ham,
Swiss cheese and a sherry mushroom sauce

Vegetables
Wild Rice Pilaf * Green Peas with water chestnuts and pimientos

DESSERT

Chocolate Velvet

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

WINES

White Burgundy ~ Pouilly Fuisse
Red Burgundy ~ Gevrey Chambertin
Champagne ~ Mumm's Cordon Rouge Brut

Seat 2A

So true! I wonder how these cakes were interpreted in the 1970s? My guess is that it might have been something light like an angel dust - er - angel food cake.