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Remembering the Golden Age of Airline Food

atlasobscura.com

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Re: Remembering the Golden Age of Airline Food

#11

Post by rightbyte »

leoedin wrote: post #9

When comparing "flying then" to "flying now", you need to look at the real cost of the flights. Yes, the experience in economy class has got worse, but the cost of the ticket has also significantly dropped. In 2021 dollars, the cost of a round trip air fare has basically halved since 1979. You could buy a business class ticket now for a comparable price to economy back then. https://www.airlines.org/dataset/annual-ro…

> round trip air fare has basically halved since 1979

I don't think that number will hold up if you include square feet of personal space and lbs of luggage that might need extra fees.

Re: Remembering the Golden Age of Airline Food

#12

Post by aww_dang »

pluijzer wrote: post #4
Animats wrote: post #3

Air Hollywood, which is a film set rental company, offers the Pan Am Experience.[1] For about $300, you get to sit in a 747 cabin on the ground and have the experience of a Pan Am dinner from the 1960s. Even at the low end, air travel was impressive. PSA was a low-cost airline. SJC to LAX, every hour, for about $14, with a 59 minute flight time. The process was very simple. Drive up to terminal. Park. Walk up to cash…

That boarding process seems so great. Right now literally prefer a 12 hour drive to a one hour flight. The whole process is exhausting and stressful.

I preferred the private Amtrak compartment. Overnight trip, bring your own snacks and beverage. Eat a meal or two with other people in the dining car. Read a book and be left alone in your room. Best part was being able to ride a bicycle right to the station and pack it my way. No luggage or boarding anxiety. Arrive and depart from the city or town center. After you pay the airline's extra luggage fees for a bicycle, the cost is comparable.

Re: Remembering the Golden Age of Airline Food

#13

Post by nine_k »

pluijzer wrote: post #4
Animats wrote: post #3

Air Hollywood, which is a film set rental company, offers the Pan Am Experience.[1] For about $300, you get to sit in a 747 cabin on the ground and have the experience of a Pan Am dinner from the 1960s. Even at the low end, air travel was impressive. PSA was a low-cost airline. SJC to LAX, every hour, for about $14, with a 59 minute flight time. The process was very simple. Drive up to terminal. Park. Walk up to cash…

That boarding process seems so great. Right now literally prefer a 12 hour drive to a one hour flight. The whole process is exhausting and stressful.

It's another reminder that terrorists have won, and have ruined the flight experience for everyone. You basically get searched in order to board. Nobody agrees to have even the slightest risk of a a plane to be hijacked in exchange of not having all of these security measures (which, in a significant part, are a security theater).

Re: Remembering the Golden Age of Airline Food

#14

Post by enos-ape »

toadi wrote: post #8
pluijzer wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That boarding process seems so great. Right now literally prefer a 12 hour drive to a one hour flight. The whole process is exhausting and stressful.

Exactly I live 600km from the capital. 1 hour flight. Still takes me more then half a day to get to my destination. I ride my motorcycle most of the times 6 hours door to door. With pit stops on the way. Trains are slow here but I take the sleep train. Get on train 10pm go to sleep and arrive at 5am in the morning :) I prefer these latter 2 over flying.

One more reason to just invest more in good high speed train infrastructure.

https://www.chronotrains.com/?zoom=4.4&lng=4.85&lat=49.23&st...

Re: Remembering the Golden Age of Airline Food

#15

Post by pjmlp »

leoedin wrote: post #9

When comparing "flying then" to "flying now", you need to look at the real cost of the flights. Yes, the experience in economy class has got worse, but the cost of the ticket has also significantly dropped. In 2021 dollars, the cost of a round trip air fare has basically halved since 1979. You could buy a business class ticket now for a comparable price to economy back then. https://www.airlines.org/dataset/annual-ro…

I am waiting for the day going to the toilet during flight and be faced with a contactless payment terminal to open the door.

Re: Remembering the Golden Age of Airline Food

#17

Post by notahacker »

rightbyte wrote: post #11
leoedin wrote: post #9

When comparing "flying then" to "flying now", you need to look at the real cost of the flights. Yes, the experience in economy class has got worse, but the cost of the ticket has also significantly dropped. In 2021 dollars, the cost of a round trip air fare has basically halved since 1979. You could buy a business class ticket now for a comparable price to economy back then. https://www.airlines.org/dataset/annual-ro…

> round trip air fare has basically halved since 1979 I don't think that number will hold up if you include square feet of personal space and lbs of luggage that might need extra fees.

The airlines.org figures includes a column with bags and fees. More or less halved in real terms since 1990.

You might have lost an inch or two of legroom. Then again, you might not because they made the seats skinnier...

Re: Remembering the Golden Age of Airline Food

#18

Post by llampx »

enos-ape wrote: post #14
toadi wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly I live 600km from the capital. 1 hour flight. Still takes me more then half a day to get to my destination. I ride my motorcycle most of the times 6 hours door to door. With pit stops on the way. Trains are slow here but I take the sleep train. Get on train 10pm go to sleep and arrive at 5am in the morning :) I prefer these latter 2 over flying.

One more reason to just invest more in good high speed train infrastructure. https://www.chronotrains.com/?zoom=4.4&lng=4.85&lat=49.23&st...

It would only take a couple of terrorist incidences on the train to make the experience as painful as flying already is.

Re: Remembering the Golden Age of Airline Food

#19

Post by andrepd »

pluijzer wrote: post #4
Animats wrote: post #3

Air Hollywood, which is a film set rental company, offers the Pan Am Experience.[1] For about $300, you get to sit in a 747 cabin on the ground and have the experience of a Pan Am dinner from the 1960s. Even at the low end, air travel was impressive. PSA was a low-cost airline. SJC to LAX, every hour, for about $14, with a 59 minute flight time. The process was very simple. Drive up to terminal. Park. Walk up to cash…

That boarding process seems so great. Right now literally prefer a 12 hour drive to a one hour flight. The whole process is exhausting and stressful.

That's a bit of an exaggeration isn't it. Yes there's bag scan, and yes you need to buy in advance not to have exorbitant prices. Apart from that the experience seems the same.

And you shouldn't be taking 1h flights anywhere of course x)

Re: Remembering the Golden Age of Airline Food

#20

Post by andrepd »

toadi wrote: post #8
pluijzer wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That boarding process seems so great. Right now literally prefer a 12 hour drive to a one hour flight. The whole process is exhausting and stressful.

Exactly I live 600km from the capital. 1 hour flight. Still takes me more then half a day to get to my destination. I ride my motorcycle most of the times 6 hours door to door. With pit stops on the way. Trains are slow here but I take the sleep train. Get on train 10pm go to sleep and arrive at 5am in the morning :) I prefer these latter 2 over flying.

Sleeper trains are absolutely the superior choice. Instead of wearing yourself down from the journey, schedule it so you wake up at your destination in the morning.

I dream (heh) of a proper pan-european sleeper train network.

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