Flying In Style: The Glamorous History Of Air Travel

The idea of jumping on a plane sounds like a great idea until you think about the struggle that is the airport. Long lines, TSA checkpoints, and other various modern-day inconveniences are enough to drag down your spirits. However, this was not always the case! Explore a list of the golden years of aviation and the luxurious way we used to travel.

Stewardesses

Stewardesses, now referred to as flight attendants, are remembered as a hallmark of flying during the golden age of aviation. By the late 1950s, stewardesses had evolved into the glamor girls of flight. They were there as modern-day flight attendants to help passengers with both safety and service issues. However, stewardesses of the glamor days of flight were also there to add to the environment and experience of flying.

Stewardesses were supposed to be beautiful, accessible, and fashionable. They were also often encouraged to flirt with male passengers. Stewardesses were sometimes treated as though they were supposed to be a type of showgirl. Nowadays both men and women serve as flight attendants and their appearances are not nearly controlled as past years.

Sexism on Board

When stewardesses played the role of the showgirl, they were often ostracized by women who didn’t appreciate the flirtation or they were treated poorly by men for the same reason. The job didn’t pay much, and it was sometimes advertised as a way to meet and marry the type of men who were traveling around the world. Women were chosen for their looks, and only women that were considered “attractive” could get the job.

For example, an ad listed in the New York Times in 1966 for stewardesses for Eastern Airlines had the following requirements: “A high school graduate, single (widows and divorcees with no children considered), 20 years of age (girls 19 1/2 may apply for future consideration). 5’2″ but no more than 5’9″, weight 105 to 135 in proportion to height and have at least 20/40 vision without glasses.” Women were fired if they decided to enter into marriage. Women were also fired upon reaching the age of thirty-two.