![]() ![]() It was during the 1950s that mass air travel truly began-but that doesn’t mean it was accessible to most people. Images via Martha Holmes/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock and Underwood Archives/Shutterstock. In the ’50s, airport security was minimal and ticket prices costly. Passengers could simply roll up twenty to thirty minutes before their departure, and head straight to the gate without even showing ID. Images via Robert Kelley/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock and Everett/Shutterstock.Īt the airport, security was comparable to what you’d see at a rail station today. (Right) Pan Am introduces the 707 in 1958. A year later, in October 1958, Britain’s de Havilland Comet became the first jetliner to cross the Atlantic.īoeing’s 707 was larger and more economical, however, and overtook the Comet to become the go-to plane for transatlantic flights. air passengers exceeded rail passengers for the first time, marking a tipping point for the industry. Images via Martha Holmes/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock, Martha Holmes/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock, Martha Holmes/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock, and Martha Holmes/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock. The Nurseryliner marketed directly to people with children. In 1946, United Airlines launched its “Nurseryliner” service with this exact demographic in mind. Thanks to the baby boom, airlines made an effort to market directly to mothers with young children. and Europe were left with a surplus of military crafts, which they repurposed as commercial airliners. The cabins were loud, cold, and completely unpressurized, and air travel typically still took longer than train travel.īy the 1930s, airlines figured out how to make flights faster and more fun, with pressurized cabins, comfy seats, and friendly flight attendants to make passengers feel at home.Īfter World War II, both the U.S. Images via Underwood Archives/Shutterstock, Carl Mydans/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock, and Everett/Shutterstock.Ĭommercial air travel began to grow during the 1920s, following the world’s first scheduled passenger flight in 1914. This era, often referred to as the Golden Age of aviation, feels a world apart from flight as we know it today. They relaxed in wide, deep seats with a generous recline and ample legroom, drinking cocktails that most certainly didn’t incur an additional fee. Passengers dressed up to the nines, and were treated to three-course meals on real china plates. Tips: Converting Color Photos to Black and White.During the 1950s, when commercial air travel first became mainstream, airlines promoted their flights as an experience in themselves-a luxurious, glamorous getaway akin to a fancy night out. Even in cases where everybody on your flight does behave themselves, you’ll still be fighting for overhead bin space and cramming yourself into smaller seats than ever before.īut, it wasn’t always this way. Even before this year’s spike in “ air rage” incidents, unruly behavior in the air was on the rise, which experts attribute to the stress of flying. Once you’re on board, things don’t necessarily get better. At the airport, you’re faced with lengthy security lines, chronic flight delays, and an array of bleak sandwiches that all, for some reason, cost $18. ![]() Which makes old-school images of air travel that much more fascinating to look at.Īir travel, now more than ever, is something to be endured rather than enjoyed.
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