Ever wonder what it was really like to fly during the golden age of flying?
Sipping cocktails, puffing on cigarettes and dressed to the nines – flying in the 1950s was a world away from the budget airlines of today.
These pictures of the golden age of aviation show what flying was like before it became accessible to the masses, and only the very wealthiest could afford it.
Men dressed in morning suits, women showed of their most elegant ensembles and 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren were trussed up in their Sunday best.
The photographs have been restored in full color and compiled by Airlineratings.com, to hark back to those heady days before tasteless plane food and minuscule baggage allowances became the norm.
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| 1950s fliers smoke in the lounge on board a DC-7 jet. (Airlineratings.com) |
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| Passengers dressed in their finest chat before take-off. (Airlineratings.com) |
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| Passengers order drinks in the on-board bar of a Pan Am plane. (Airlineratings.com) |
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| Passengers alight onto a carpeted walkway on arrival. (Airlineratings.com) |
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| Passengers relax in the roomy cabin of a Pan Am Stratocruiser. (Airlineratings.com) |
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| Planes in the ‘50s had living areas for passengers to chat in. (Airlineratings.com) |
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| Forget a miniature packet of cardboard flavor crisps, fliers in the ‘50s were brought fresh fruit on demand. (Airlineratings.com) |
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| Elaborate headwear and sizable corsages were all the rage for passengers. (Airlineratings.com) |
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| Fliers in the golden age of aviation didn’t have to stuff a crumpled jacket into an overhead locker – there were air hostesses on hand to hang your coat in a cupboard for you. (Airlineratings.com) |
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| A boy in a bow tie accepts a glass of water before taking off. (Airlineratings.com) |
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| Meals were served in a comfortable restaurant area, rather than on a grubby seat-back tray. (Airlineratings.com) |
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| Passengers show off their stylish attire as they land on the runway. (Airlineratings.com) |
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| Families and groups could sit together at tables during flights. (Airlineratings.com) |
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| A young passenger in a smart dress gets a drink from two air hostesses. (Airlineratings.com) |