Flying In Style: The Glamorous History Of Air Travel

Dress Code

Since flying during the golden age of aviation was a luxury only afforded to the wealthy, many treated it kind of like a social event. And like any good social event, people had to ensure that they would dress the part. Many wore either formal attire or their Sunday best, so to speak.

As some have said, it was like dressing up as though one was going to visit the theater; men typically wore suits and women would wear dresses. At times, if you were dressed the part, you might even get lucky enough to get bumped up to first class if seats were empty.

Security

Even though hijackings occurred quite regularly during both the 1960s and the ’70s, security at airlines was definitely more laidback then what it is today. Of course, this has also increased dramatically in the past 16 years after the attacks on 9/11.

People remember not having to show ID in order to board the aircraft, having their families wait right at the gate to greet them, and some even recall once bringing a crossbow on board. What’s more, many remember pilots leaving the cockpit doors open the whole flight. Those who flew back in the golden do, however, remember using an X-ray machine which we still use today. Overall, security has drastically changed at airports in recent time.