How Flying Has Changed in the Last Fifty Years

It was nearly fifty years ago that I stepped onto a plane for the first time. That particular trip turned into about 15 flights in the space of a month. I wrote about that in a previous blog series. As I reflect on the last fifty years, it is interesting how much flying has changed in that time. Strolling down memory lane can help us appreciate some changes while lamenting others.

First one needs to realize how common flying has become. When I took my first flight, I was 20 years old. After that journey it would be another three years before I would fly again. Flying was not that common. It was an event in itself. Today flying is quite common. My kids had their first flight before they were in school. Many families fly to various exotic places for vacation with their kids each year. No one thinks twice about it.

One big change in the last fifty years is how we book flights. Back in the 70s a travel agent was necessary to book a flight. One had to go to the office of the agent, and they would help determine the best route and price. They would then write out your tickets and hand you all the tickets attached together. Of course a few days before flying one needed to reconfirm the ticket. That got me in trouble in the 80s when I thought that requirement had passed.

Travel Agencies were a fun place to visit. There were always posters of exotic places around to inspire the imagination. As a teacher I would try to score travel posters of places we were studying in my classes. One of the last times I used a travel agent was when I planned a cruise as a surprise for my wife. The agent gave me a cardboard cruise ship to give my wife to indicate the surprise. The internet doesn’t provide that.

Yes, most tourists use the internet for booking flights today. It allows people to control their own experience. They can check prices, flight itineraries, and even flying times to determine what is best for them. Passengers can even choose their seats. They also must print their own tickets or send them to their phones for scanning. Who could have thought of that possibility fifty years ago? Unfortunately if there is an issue with their ticket, it is also up to them to solve it on their own. Of course there are still travel agents around, but usually they work with business clients.

Pictures of very early commercial flights show people quite dressed up. In the early 70s that was not quite the case, but people did dress up to some extent. For me as a young adult in the 70s I remember dressing in a manner to indicate I was not a hippie. I was concerned that if I was perceived to be a hippie, I would be checked for drugs. I wanted to avoid that possibility so I would wear nice clothes when I traveled on a plane. It just seemed appropriate.

Today people dress for comfort when flying. Remember when the u-shaped neck pillow was particularly popular? I thought it was funny when it became an accessory to wear around one’s neck as people boarded the plane. It was definitely a sign of comfort over fashion.

In the 70s meals were regularly served on most flights, and they were served with real silverware. The silverware would even have the name of the airline etched into the handle of the utensil. Many a passenger would drop them into their carry on bag as a souvenir of their trip. While I can’t say that the food tasted any better than what is provided today, It certainly seemed better presented. Of course if you are in first class today, you will still receive much of this service.

Travelers today who want a meal on a flight crossing the US will have to pay extra for it. Passengers on international flights still receive meals due to the long flight times. However, it seems more long flights are flown overnight so that you end up sleeping through a large portion of the flight. I have had dinner served as late as 1:00 in the morning on such an overnight flight with breakfast provided just before landing.

One of the common experiences on international flights that one can occasionally still encounter is the hot towel. Before a meal, the attendants would come around with a tray of hot towels that one would then use to freshen up. That always seemed like a treat to me and a true form of luxury.

Certainly entertainment options are another aspect that has changed over the last fifty years. Nowadays on most long flights one has their own individual console in front of them with a variety of music, movies, TV shows, and video games to choose from. Monitors also provide flight information. Fifty years ago there would be one movie showing for everyone to watch, but there was some variety in music choices if one preferred. Airlines provided Individual headphones at the beginning of the flight, sometimes at a cost. While some airlines still provide headphones today, many passengers prefer to use their own devices.

One of the interesting changes to me regarding flying has happened at the airport. There has been sort of a flip flop in how we are treated there, especially in regards to international flights. In the 70s when one arrived from overseas, there was a two step process. First, of course, passengers had to go through immigration and have their passports checked. Second was customs.

Today most people fill out a declaration form and just walk through customs and out the door. Such was not the case in the 70s. Customs officials would check each person’s suitcase for undeclared items or contraband. Once you had retrieved your suitcases, you had to wait in a line, open your suitcase, and agents would go through them. Pity the person that had stuffed their suitcase to the point of having to sit on it to get it closed. After customs had rifled through their suitcase, it might not close again. I felt relief the first time I flew and realized they were not going to check my suitcase.

Of course now security checks us on the other end of our flight when we are preparing to board a plane. The traumatic events of 9/11 changed flying forever. Each passenger is screened to make sure they are not a threat to their flight. I find The security process itself inconvenient. I can never remember what can go through in my carry on and what needs to come out. When I traveled with students from my school to Zambia a few years ago, we traveled through London. I didn’t take my iPad out during screening, and as a result they pulled me out to go through everything while everyone else waited for me.

The most strenuous security I experienced was in Manila. Security screened my luggage as I entered the airport. Once I checked in, security screened my carry on as usual. I thought it was over, but it wasn’t. When I arrived at the gate, there was another personal screening. They went through my carry on by hand, had me take off my shoes and took a wand over my body. I felt very safe on that flight.

Yes, 9/11 switched the inconvenience around. We now have security checks at the front end of our trip instead of customs at the end. I’m not sure which is worse. In an effort to minimize the hassle I recently was approved for a Global Entry which allows me to go through the pre-check line and avoid the long waits.

Another result of the 9/11 tragedy is that access to the gates are now closed to anyone who is not a passenger. Before 2001 one could go out to the gate when a plane was landing to greet people. It was kind of fun to get off the plane and see people hugging relatives or getting a bouquet of flowers. Not anymore. People need a ticket to be able to get past security to the gates so reunions are more likely happen at baggage claim now.

Of course one thing hasn’t changed about flying, and that’s the twinge of anxiety one feels at take off and landing, and the sweet relief of landing safely at one’s destination. I don’t think that will ever change.

What changes have you noticed over the years as you have flown? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you. If you haven’t subscribed yet, I hope you will consider doing so. Let my posts help you through the midweek blahs. Consider it a gift to yourself. You deserve it.

Credits: Silvette Lee took all the photos except the cover photo and the girls coming down the stairs which were taken at Seattle’s Museum of Flight.