Photos: 8 Ways Air Travel Used To Be Infinitely Cooler

Jen Carlson

Published Aug 19, 2013

Modified Aug 19, 2013

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Jen Carlson

Published Aug 19, 2013

Modified Aug 19, 2013

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Hey, it's National Aviation Day, the day that we celebrate the development of aviation. Happy Aviation Day, you guys. These days being launched 30,000+ feet in the air and flying over earth in a very complex and heavy machine is so standard that we mostly just complain about having to do it. But maybe we wouldn't if air travel was as cool as it used to be—back in the day:

PASSENGERS WERE SMALLER BUT SEATS WERE BIGGER

Passengers on a Eastern Airlines flight, 1955. (Courtesy of the MCNY)

EVERYONE TRAVELED IN STYLE, NOT SWEATPANTS

Circa 1948. (Courtesy of the MCNY)

SPIRAL STAIRCASES LED YOU TO LOUNGES

"A BOAC air hostess greets a passenger in front of a spiral staircase which leads to the upper deck lounge in a Boeing 747 Monarch, wide-cabin jet aircraft," 1970. (Getty)

YOU GUYS...

A first class airplane lounge from the 1960s

AISLES WERE BIGGER

"A steward and stewardess serving first-class passengers with drinks and refreshments on board a Boeing 747," 1970. (Getty)

STEWARDESSES WORE PUCCI AND SPACE HELMETS

Can we just bring Braniff back?

OUR ROCK IDOLS FLEW IN STYLE

"John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin plays a Thomas electric organ behind the bar on board a private Boeing 720B airliner known as 'The Starship', used by the band on their North American tour in 1973." (Getty)