What was it like to travel in airplanes in the ’70s and ’80s?

Much more pleasurable!

• Full, “free” meals on coast to coast flights. I think there were even meals on a rather short flight we took often: Philadelphia to Tampa.
• We were NOT in first class and the flight attendants offered us warm towels before landing in LA.
• People smoked in their preferred section, yes, smoked.
• No waiting in security and having to remove one’s shoes.
• You could greet folks at the gate, when they get right off the plane or folks could walk you to your gate…not anymore! I used to love having my parents meet me at the gate! Or saying farewell at the gate.
• I swear there was more leg room, bigger seats.
• Free peanuts and soda pop.
• My uncle was an international TWA pilot who flew out of La Guardia in the 60s and then transferred, in the early 70s, to Miami International. It was then a “chic” profession. He flew the Euro and sometimes Asian route. He left my aunt for a flight attendant in 1974. Very Leonardo DiCaprio in “Catch Me if You Can”. Now the job does not seem so very glam.
• No fear, that I personally developed after 9–11. Oh, I still adore flying, but there is always this fear in the back of my mind.
• You did NOT have to pay extra to check a bag or to get a window seat.

My last flight from Newark to LA to Salt Lake was horrific. VERY crowded and the girl next to me brought a full Olive Garden meal onto the plane. Every time I fly out to LA I am jam packed on a plane. 5+ hours crushed together. When I did the same flight as a kid or went to Europe, it wasn’t that bad! My brother and I took Frontier to go to Chicago last August. He is quite tall and there was no leg room at all for him. You have to pay to both check a bag or carry on. Yes, I know Frontier is cheap, but come on!

I worked in the airline industry beginning in the early 90’s and would hear stories about “the good old days” of essentially free, unrestricted travel with one’s airline id. There was the tale of an alcoholic travel agent who was supposed to drive to meet her husband to a Christmas party and bring a hot dish to share. She stopped by the airport bar on the way for just one little drink. She apparently got drunk and used her travel agent ID to get on a flight. She woke up the next morning on the runway in Turkey after a stop-over in Frankfort with her stone-cold casserole dish on her lap and no memory of how she got there. One colleague would tell me how when he was a young, broke newlywed, in the winters, he and his wife would catch an early Saturday morning space-available flight from Newark, NJ where they lived to St. Petersburg, FL. They would eat breakfast on the plane, bring a picnic lunch, spend the day on the beach and then catch an evening flight back, eating dinner on the plane.

As an unaccompanied minor, flying with my sisters to my grandparents during the summers, my parents could go with us all the way onto the airplane to drop us off and our grandparents could meet us at the jetway door as we came out. In those days we would often be taken up to the flight deck and see the pilots. They would give us little pins with wings. We got coloring books and crayons. We almost always got a full meal on the plane and what ever we wanted to drink. I remember the flight attendants being super nice, giving us blankets and pillow and answering our questions.

Flying to Europe with a school group at sixteen, I was given wine on the plane with dinner. I saved a bottle from our flight to France and brought it home in my bag without any questions about bringing liquids or being under-aged.

You could also use a ticket with another person’s name on it because IDs were not required. Since one round-trip ticket was cheaper than two one-way, I remember my aunt flying to back to New York for work from a visit to family in Michigan, my uncle and one of my Michigan cousins driving back to New York together, then my thirteen-year old male cousin flying back home to Michigan on our aunt’s return flight.

I never flew on same plane with my parents until I was in my twenties, during the 2nd Clinton inaugural and was flying on a industry pass, which I had to request well ahead of time. It was positive space, not space-available but we only got a limited number per year. Buddy passes were gone at my company by the time I came along because someone had spoiled it all by selling them to people who didn’t know how to behave on a plane.

We could bring our spouses and children but I wasn’t married most of the time I worked there and had no kids. I knew my now-husband really loved me for me, not for my travel benefits when he said, “Space-available? Big deal. I’d rather pay for my ticket and know I have a seat.” I think he used maybe one airline pass in the four years we were married that I worked at that company. My parents used my benefits only once, to fly to Paris and back.

I have never ridden on the same plane with all my sibling and my parents together. If my family went anywhere with all seven of us, we drove in the car. As a kid, seeing all the Brady Bunch flying on the same plane together was the definition of TV fantasy.

Actually it was kind of fun, especially in the 70s. Aside from the smoke, which everyone has mentioned. Sigh. The non-smoking section that really wasn’t, especially if you happened to be in the row of that that was right next to the smoking section. Or were stuck in the smoking section, because, you know, over-booking was still a thing, if not to the same extent.

• The smoking thing. I think the last time I flew on a flight with a smoking/non-smoking section was the 1990s sometime — early/mid 1990s.
• Checking in with paper and carbon paper tickets. The more destinations you had, the more pages your ticket would have! Because a page was torn out each time you checked in for a flight. I once left my ticket in the seat pocket in front of me and oh, the kerfuffle that ensued trying to get it replaced.
• Seating charts. I recently found a boarding pass that I’d used as a bookmark from Thai Airways, dating back to about 1981, and it had a little sticky label peeled off a master seating chart and stuck to the boarding pass. That’s often how they did it. Actually, it was kind of sensible. If the label was gone, nobody else could be allocated “your” seat, could they? When I think back now to those physical seating charts, though, I have to really roll my eyes.
• No frequent flyer programs until the 1980s sometime.
• Free food and drink.
• Sometimes lots of stopovers on “milk run” flights, before the hub and spoke system was adopted. I remember flying from Vancouver to Toronto — and we stopped in Calgary, Regina, and Winnipeg en route. That just wouldn’t happen now.
• Entertainment systems. There was A movie, and you really hoped you hadn’t seen it before. I think I saw “Star Wars” (the original) about five times, four of them on airplanes within two years of its original release. And remember, some of this was even in the days before not only a Kindle or iPhone or iPod, but a Walkman or Discman or any personal entertainment device. If you didn’t want to watch THE movie, you were stuck, or alienated everyone around you by turning on your light and reading a book or doing puzzles or whatever.
• I got a lot of amenity kits, even in coach class, on long haul flights.
• Flight attendants actually seemed to be helpful, or at least, that’s what I remember. I understand the economics behind it all, but when I’m denied a glass of water to take medication on a 60 minute trip by scowling flight attendants — well, things do seem to have deteriorated. And yes, I understand why. The unions have been broken, and they are paying the price. But it is a less pleasant experience to have to ask for anything, I sometimes feel.
• People didn’t feel that they needed to take all their worldly possessions as carry on luggage. A small flight bag or something similar was usually fine.
• Security was vastly, vastly different, especially if you weren’t flying internationally.
• I remember the flight deck visits, and still have (from the 1960s!) a copy of my “Log Book” from the BOAC junior flyer’s club (British Overseas Airways Corp., which later merged with BEA to become British Airways), signed by the captain after my visits.
• Seats may have been wider, but they were less comfortable. The arms were never padded, they weren’t contoured the way they are today, the bottoms and backs were flat. It was OK if you could get several together that weren’t occupied and could stretch out, but otherwise, lots of metal edges to dig into you and those flat seats were ergonomically a pain (literally) for long flights.
• I remember flying on some of the old DC-3s before they were taken out of commission in the 1970s. You’d board at the back, walking out onto the tarmac. Then you’d have to walk uphill along the aisle to get to the seats, because the plane’s front wheels were so much larger. It felt like mountain climbing. (The last time I flew in one of those was in Laos, in 2002, and the pilot had the door open to the cockpit the whole time — I could watch him distractedly trying to swat a fly rather than pay attention to avoiding all the “karsts” — mountainous upcroppings — en route from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. I thought I was going to die.)
• On an inflation-adjusted basis, it was much, much more expensive. Because of my father’s job, I had traveled a lot more than most of my peers by the time I was in college, which made me a little odd for the late 1970s/early 1980s. Nowadays, relative to incomes and adjusted for inflation, doing what we did would be vastly more affordable and seems more common. Looking back, it was fun. Plane travel seems to have lost so much of its excitement in a way that travel by train still hasn’t — at least for me.

My first flight that I can remember was when I was about 12. That was 1975.

It was on Hughes Airwest, an airline that doesn’t even exist anymore. There used to be a LOT more airlines—Frontier, TWA, Pan Am, Eastern Airlines, Northwest Orient, Continental Airlines, Western Airlines, too many to list.

The climb was very steep, as was the descent when we landed. The flight was from Las Vegas to Boise Idaho—one way. And the jets were all much louder. The engines were lower bypass turbines, rather than the quieter and more efficient high bypass that are ubiquitous today. They were also more likely to be engines in the tail. Through the early-to-mid 80s, almost every jet I flew in was a 727 or DC-9. This enabled them to have short landing gear also. The 727 had wings that greatly extended, which helped give it a high rate of climb.

It cost around $200—quite a chunk in those days. Adjusted for inflation, that would be close to $1000. I just checked for how much the same flight would cost now—one way from Vegas to Boise. As cheap as $65.

One could order smoking or no-smoking seating. I think they started filling up the smokers from the back forward, and the non-smoking toward the front. So if you got a seat late, you wound up in the middle and just ahead of smokers—and there was nothing you could do. People would smoke right on the plane—it was totally legal.

The flights were much less crowded. It was common to have empty seats around you. I would say it was commonplace for planes to be 1/4 or even 1/3 vacant. They just weren’t quite as efficient in packing the planes.

Almost every flight I flew in through the 80s—they fed us a meal—a hot meal. They were compact, and people at the time always complained about “airliner food”—but I thought they were surprisingly good, and enough to hold us over until we reached our destination.

People didn’t try to cram everything into their carry-on luggage. One could always find room. And no suitcases had wheels. You carried it of course. People often had trunks, large duffle-bags—no suitcases with wheels hardly ever. Suitcases were strong and robust, often made with wood and metal (at least older ones—which were still being used).

People made reservations by phone, but usually paid for the ticket when they arrived at the airport. Paper tickets, printed out on dot-matrix printers by primitive computers when green lettering on the screens. There were a number of times when I arrived at the airport without a reservation, and could reserve a seat and buy a ticket right there.

I don’t think I was ever asked for my ID.

Flight attendants wore uniforms —and they were usually women. I don’t think I ever saw a female pilot in the 70/80s.

Of course, there were no screens on the back of the seats, or plug-ins for electronic devices. People used to be able to walk all the way up to the concourse to see their loved ones off, or greet them right as they stepped off the plane. That was nice. Security was much lighter. For as long as I’ve been flying, there have always been metal detectors, but there was a time when there was no security at all.

Many things are the same. The way the planes feel in the air, and on take-off and landing. The basic look of the interior of most planes, and how planes look outside, except the engines in or on the tail have gone away. The way people board or disembark is pretty much the same. The crying babies. The safety spiel they give hasn’t changed much—except to include cell phone usage. The basic airport experience is not all that different—except in some details related to electronic advances and security.

I say ditto to everything Erin Datesman listed, and add this:

• People dressed up. Families often looked like it was Easter Sunday.
• Flights were maybe half full, which meant you almost always had an empty middle seat. Red eyes were really sparse and you were just about guaranteed having all three seats to yourself to sleep.
• I was an airline pilot then, and having all those empty seats meant that when we rode on an airline pass, we were just about guaranteed to get on. And, we were required by the airline to wear Easter Sunday clothes because it was most likely we’d be seated in First Class and we had to look the part.
• Airline passes cost $6.50 for Coach and a whopping $13.00 for First Class.
• With no security screening, someone could drop you off at the front of an airport five minutes before departure and you could make your flight.
• China. Stainless steel utensils. Glass glasses. Real, cooked, hot meals. Back then the meals served in economy beat out today’s First Class meals. And in First Class, you could get lobster and steak.
• The looseness of the attitude. Both of my sons have ridden on the cockpit jump seat. We’d just take them out to the plane via the ramp and up the jetway stairs, slip into the cockpit and close the door. The gate agents and flight attendants would be told, and they knew to keep the door closed. No one was going to turn anyone in because we all did favors and got along.
• When my son was only four years old, and I was still in the USAF, we were passengers on an airline and I chatted up the pilots before departure. They kept my son and put him on the jump seat. When he came out after landing, I discovered he’d stood on the copilot’s lap during the takeoff and landing. Do you think that happens today!
• It was actually fun.

I think @Erin Datesman summarised it perfectly. Flying up to the mid/end nineties was considered expensive and luxurious (at least in Europe) by most people.

By the end of the nineties and the early millenium a few things happened that have changed airtravel:

• Globalisation: more demand for business flights
• Price Fighters: yes I blame Ryanair and there David VS. GOLIATH ANTICS and eventually becoming GOLIATH itself.
• Shareholders: every publicly listed companies needs to make more profit (and pay more dividend) so efficiency becomes key
• Terrorism: 9/11 had its effect and specifically the US security measures forced on the industry (yes it was the US). security checks which are growing more advanced and time consuming
• Mentality Change: In Europe the flight times in general do not exceed 3 hours so people if on a holiday or weekend break want to be somewhere fast and cheap.
• Pricing Strategy: Airliners are beasts when it comes to pricing strategies. your IP address, travel history (if available), seat preference etc. All is known and their pricing tailor made. want extra legs pace pay up. priority boarding pay up. Suitcases pay up. kids and trolleys pay up. food on board pay up (Lufthansa, KLM and others still provide snacks and drinks)
• Tip: if you are booking a flight do so between 01:00/03:00 am and apply Google incognito. You'll save some cash.

ALL in all flying has evolved from a comfortable experience into being in a city bus in major metropolitan area.

My first experience in airplanes was in the early 60’s. The first flight I ver took was on a DC3. I remember walking up that narrow aisle, bending over because there was little headroom. When we took off I remember the tail would swerve back and forth until all three wheels were off the ground, it was noisy and since it wasn't pressurized we had to stay below 10,000 ft. Not exactly the lap,of luxury. From there I boarded a DC-6 which was pressurized, so we could fly higher. But still noisy as hell. I was always hoping for the turboJet aircraft because they were so much quieter. But still lots of noise from the props. But it was better than the radial engines which were loud and left exhaust trails and oil over the wings. Finally it got better. The first time I flew cross country, I was lucky enough to fly in the new Boing 707. Now that was amazing. Quiet (for the day) and smooth. No vibrations. You could have a conversation with the stewardess without yelling.

That brings up the next difference. Airline Stewardeses were a different breed from today. They had very strict appearance and weight standards and they wouldn't accept even the slightest flaws. If they had any they had to get it fixed before they were offered a position. I know this because my girlfriend was going to Airline Stewardess School in Miniappolis. She had to get her teeth straightened before she could actually work. She did and was accepted to United for training. We got married before she finished and they let her go as they didn't allow married women at that time. I especially remember flying on PSA, a San Diego based airline. They were famous for their sexy stewardesses. They wore minskirts and tight clothing.

That was fun for a young guy in his twenties. They were very flirtatious but knew just where to draw the line so as not to get involved. When men would hit on them, they had phony business cards they would give them just to tease them and get them to back off. But sometimes if they liked someone they actually would hook up. I had a boss in the Navy who dated two at one time and was constantly juggling their schedules. And when there was a conflict of course he was on a mission. It was like a scene from a movie. His name was Lt. Link. A real playboy until he finally settled down and married one of them. But he was a pretty cool dude. I liked working for him a lot as his assistant. There was a restaurant in San Diego, that had numerous nude paintings on the walls in the bar area. The story was the artist used only PSA stewardess as models. They were gorgeous. I never new if it was really true but they sure looked like they could be.

Those were the days when flying was a semi formal affair. Like going out for dinner. Men wore suits and women dresses. They would sometimes bump you up to first class just to fill the seats if they thought you fit the profile of the ideal first class passenger. The service was spectacular and the food was good. Not like today. Planes today are nothing more than flying busses with some perks. Anyone can get a job as a flight attendant and many have some very bad attitudes. That would never have happened in those early years. I think the movie “Catch Me If You Can” really captured the era well. It really was like that.

But eventually the 727 came into production and that was the most popular, successful airliner ever for years. I remember being able to board from the rear and it was roomy. It sort of took over after the 707 as the most popular aircraft of choice for the airlines. It was more fuel efficient with three engines. But as the years wore on costs overrode luxury and class and we have what we have today. So it is is too bad for all those young folks who can never really experience the joy of flying in those days.

I love this kind of question because it’s so easy to get caught up in a sepia-toned nostalgia for the past. In my experience, things change. Those changes are typically both for the better and worse simultaneously.

What’s better now?

1. Plane tickets are way cheaper. Only people with money could afford to fly in the 60s and well into the 70s. The 1980s brought huge price drops.
2. No smoking on all flights. Back then, there was no way to get away from cigarette smoke — not just on planes but in terminals too. They had smoking sections but air being what it is, the smoke traveled everywhere. When one got off an airplane, his or her clothing stunk of cigarette smoke. The damage to our lungs mostly went unrecognized but today we know that second-hand smoke can be just as bad as smoking itself because the particles are smaller and get absorbed deeper into the lungs.
3. The stewards and stewardesses are real people with real lives. Back in the day, one only saw young pretty women in those jobs. They were very sweet and helpful but how unkind it must have been to be excluded merely because one didn’t fit a particular mold. A quick look at old airline commercials makes clear a plane flight was like a trip to Hooters today (albeit a more refined version, the women more “girl-next-door” type).

What was better then?

1. It was glamorous and exciting to fly. There was a term for people who did it. “Jet setters.”
2. More space. Seats were bigger. Aisles were wider. The entire atmosphere was more relaxed.
3. Food. Full meals and free alcohol. They gave out these cute little miniature bottles of things like Jack Daniels and Baileys Irish Cream. In my view, it was never worth the higher cost of a plane ticket. On most airlines the food was so-so at best. And promoting public drunkenness is never a good idea.
4. This may seem hypocritical, given #3 in the first section, but the stewardesses were really friendly and kind. These days service is far more mixed. Back then, these young girls were hired in large part for their sweetness. That was nice but overall I prefer how things are now because it was unjust. It’s inhumane to fire people because they get too old to be eye candy, or because they never were, and it’s also unreasonable to expect people to be super courteous at all times. Of course those in service jobs should like serving, but within reason. The customer should also be expected to behave in a kind and courteous manner. Those stewardesses had to contend with all manner of abuse and even sexual harassment — the kind of thing that would not be tolerated today.
5. One thing I do miss very much was how easy it was to get through an airport and onto an airplane. One could walk with one’s family right up to the gate. There was no security. Just an expectation of safety. But you know the world changes. Terrorists figured out that airliners make great targets. Given that reality, I’m happy to be inconvenienced in order to maintain safety.

In my view, overall, things are better today than they were back in the day. That’s true, for the most part, throughout life. Sepia-toned remembrance of times past breaks down when one really examines the past closely.