A look back at air travel in the 70s
Do you feel this way too? When you get on a plane and take your seat these days, all you actually want is to be getting OFF the plane as soon as humanly (and technologically) possible. The seats are narrow and uncomfortable, there's the eternal battle for more leg room, the whining kid somewhere nearby, the stuffed overhead compartments, the dour flight attendant, plus the meals on board that hardly deserve the name. It's not hard to slip into a lousy mood.
But things used to be different, and not so long ago either. In the 1970s, flying was pure pleasure. Check out these pictures — pretty convincing evidence:
This is what economy class looked like back in the day, comfortable seats with plenty of leg and elbow room.
There were even single cabins, so-called séparées. Only fairly well-heeled travelers would have flown like this, but they're classier than what we have today.
In the middle of the plane, there was often a conference table: perfect for a quick meeting and very comfy exchange of ideas.
Business class travellers always had access to a lounge: it included fabulous armchairs, drink holders, and a place for a snack bowl.
Don't the people look more relaxed?
The colors are a matter of taste — 1970s taste. But that was the zeitgeist.
You could enjoy your meal in style and comfort — at a table! Imagine that. Not hunched over your lap, eating food off your own thighs.
It is kind of incredible how many hues of orange they used. It may be cringeworthy today but still, everything was done with such style.
This was for the cabin crew: a lot more space to move around in compared to planes these days. The job of flight attendant must have been so much more pleasant.
A few people might look back longingly on the days when stewardesses were ornamental, but... in this case, I'll take today's focus on competence and safety. (We can probably assume the sexy kitten requirement stopped being all that much fun when they turned 30, and those big smiles turned into workplace discrimination lawsuits.)
A look at the so-called "cattle class" — coach on a Boeing 747. Even here a Transatlantic flight would be a pleasure!
A few more pictures here. This images say more than words ever could:
@LBFlyawayhome Nice colour version of that photo (and others) in this post by @russelljarvis https://t.co/uy6oolc3k3 pic.twitter.com/JBFXk3CyKL
— Gareth (@gawuffy) 27. Februar 2016
uçaklarda business class konforunun arttığını düşünenlerden misiniz?
bir de bunu görün..http://t.co/eQSv4JVghX pic.twitter.com/NQjiwrL6QE— CEYMS (@ceymscom) 2. Dezember 2014
There is simply no comparison. Back then, air travel must have been really fun. Not everything was better in the old days, that's for sure, but flying looks like one big exception!