Come Fly With Me

When I was eighteen years old (in 1971) I flew to California with plans to live with my aunt and uncle for a year so it would qualify me for free college tuition as a resident.

I flew on a 747 (I’m not sure which airline).  Back then there was no security checks, friends and family could walk up to the terminal with you and watch you depart or arrive.

Once on board even the cheaper fare seats were huge and there was plenty of legroom, snacks and a full meal came with the flight and once airborne you could get out of your seat and visit the lounge area one level above.  First Class was even fancier.

When on board and seated I noticed there was only about 20 passengers on the huge aircraft.  It was a direct flight through.  Times certainly have changed.

Cheaper tickets (I refer to them as steerage) are cramped, uncomfortable, there are no meals-only peanuts, a cookie and a drink and more likely than not most flights have connections.

I took a similar flight to Florida in 1973-it was great.

In Come Fly with Me Flying In Style author Jodi Peckman and publisher Rizzoli New York look back on the heydays of commercial flight with all its perks and pizzazz.  The book is filled with celebrity photos on and off various commercial air fights.  There even are a few contemporary photos-First Class of course.

It’s a wonderful excursion back in time when air travel was considered somewhat exotic and adventurous and flying from destination to destination was fun, exacting, comfortable, enjoyable and special.