Aug 3, 2020, 2:21 pm
July 1983 Royal Pacific Service 747
Jul 16, 2019, 4:06 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Denver, Colorado
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They didn't. It was always a joy sitting a row or two ahead of the smoking section in the official Non Smoking rows. The smoke never got the message. It was even a bigger joy if the only seats left were in the smoking section.
Jul 16, 2019, 5:38 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 76
yes it was akin to having a peeing section in a pool
Jul 16, 2019, 6:24 am
#7
Join Date: Nov 2012
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Posts: 3,477
Yes, usually the passengers who smoked on planes were the chain smokers.......Being stuck near them for 10 hours was awful. The smoking ban became effective later for international flights than for domestic flights.
Jul 16, 2019, 7:12 am
#8
Used to be MBS PremExec
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Saginaw, MI (MBS)
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I too have this exact same pamphlet buried somewhere, along with several other seat map pamphlets that UA used to publish, and old timetables. I need to dig that stuff up again!
As for smoking, it was ubiquitous back then. And while a plane was a bit different, one couldn't escape 2nd hand smoke on a plane or otherwise--offices, parks, even hospitals...It was like the line in The Blues Brothers, "How often does the train go by?"..."So often you won't even notice".
As for smoking, it was ubiquitous back then. And while a plane was a bit different, one couldn't escape 2nd hand smoke on a plane or otherwise--offices, parks, even hospitals...It was like the line in The Blues Brothers, "How often does the train go by?"..."So often you won't even notice".
Last edited by MBS MillionMiler; Jul 16, 2019 at 11:47 am
Jul 16, 2019, 7:20 am
#9
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,595
I too have this exact same pamphlet buried somewhere, along with several other seat map pamphlets that UA used to publish, and old timetables. I need to dig that stuff up again!
As for smoking, it was ubiquitous back then. And while a plane was a bit different, one couldn't escape 2nd hand smoke on a plane or otherwise--offices, it was like the line in The Blues Brothers, "How often does the train go by?"..."So often you won't even notice".
As for smoking, it was ubiquitous back then. And while a plane was a bit different, one couldn't escape 2nd hand smoke on a plane or otherwise--offices, it was like the line in The Blues Brothers, "How often does the train go by?"..."So often you won't even notice".
Jul 16, 2019, 7:29 am
#11
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: PEK, AUS, WAS, HKG
Programs: CX Gold
Posts: 1,122
Jul 16, 2019, 7:52 am
#14
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
It's good to be young and never have experienced that! I started flying in 1982 just when I finished college and my wife started flying in 1960 as a toddler so we both had too many of those flights. In Economy you had more chances to be in a row far away from the smokers. In international Business Class in the 90's, my wife was sometimes in planes were there were three rows for non smokers and two rows for smokers.
Jul 16, 2019, 7:53 am
#15
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Posts: 881
As noted earlier, there was no physical barrier. Your only defense was airflow, which was generally front to back. I recall that once when I was seated in the last row of nonsmoking, I pointed all of the overhead air vents as far backwards as I could and opened them up wide to prevent the smoke from wafting forward. A lady in the row behind me requested that I close the vents because they were making her feel cold. My response was something on the order of if she and the other people in her row would stop smoking, I would consider it. I can't remember what the resolution was, but I think it was for them to continue smoking (it's an addiction) and for me to leave the vents open.