Cost of air travel in 1958. Here’s an example, My mom and sister flew out of Vancouver to London in 1958. (Grandma & grandpa weren’t well ) Nobody else in the family could go. Meanwhile , dad had to second mortgage the house to finance the urgent trip. Basically the return airfare was equivalent to $25k in today’s money. And no they didn’t fly first class ... but yes, the seating was far more roomy and inflight service far more wonderful & civilized than today.
I flew on these beautiful aeroplanes nearly 50 years ago. The 707 was magnificent to look at, and for the times way out there. I can also remember the first 747 landing at Charles Kingsford Smith Airport, along with being there for the first Concord...what halcyon times, these flying birds along with the astonishing Apollo space program. They say "if can remember the 60's then you weren't there ". Well as an infant/primary school boy i can recall so much. Happy days, and thanks for the great upload.
When Trump said make America great again, he was resoundingly mocked for it. 'america was NEVER great'. But when you watch a video like this, you can almost understand what he may have been talking about.
@@atexaninkorea1773 If it’s true that human created pollution is a major contributor to the current climate change then deregulation of the airline industry has a lot to answer for.
@@kaiserjager2754 "According to a study by Compass Lexecon, commissioned by Airlines for America, the average flight from L.A. to Boston in 1941 was worth $4,539.24 per person in today’s money". This happened in 1957 (www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/history-of-flight-costs)
Those powder rooms are FAKE. They are not lavatories as they have no doors. There is nowhere on the aircraft where they could reasonably have been situated and no lady would want to do her hair and put on her make up etc in full view of anybody who may have been passing by.
My first commercial flight was aboard a Boeing 707 in 1969, from Los Angeles to Okinawa. The seats were so much roomier, and in the days before microwave ovens, the premade food was heated up in regular ovens or a rangetop, in the galleys. Served on real dinnerware with cloth napkins. In coach. The flight attendants socialized with the passengers and played with the children, using airline sponsored games that they got to keep. My two year old son was taken up to meet the captain and crew. People today wouldn't believe the luxury and pampering on these flights. Again, we flew coach. Those lounge chairs in the early shots were in First Class. Approximately 160 passengers on the aircraft.
I always remember my first flight. It was in 1961 Pan Am Clipper 707. I joined my husband in Turkey. He was employed by an American Company. They issued my ticket with Pan Am. I flew from Frankfurt to Ankara with a stop in Istanbul. Everybody was dressed up. Men in suits with ties. I bought a cream linen suit for the flight and wore high heals. It looked very elegant. I was so excited I couldn't believe that I am travelling on a jet plane. I expected to travel on an old propeller plane. The stewardesses looked like they came straight out of Hollywood and the food was so delicious. I had to stay overnight in Ankara, because my destination was Adana and Pan Am did not fly there. Pan Am paid for my overnight accommodation. The next day I had to fly with Turkish Airline to Adana.
Ralph Savory was the Chief Pilot for Pan Am, was my Dad's best and my surrogate father (taught me to drive and fly). We were neighbors all thru my teens in the San Juan Islands. He piloted us to Hawaii on a 707 and at 6 yrs old I wound up in the cock pit. I remember that 707 couch! Then came the amazing 747's!
Yes, back then, flying was something very special - and also the fares ...... for "regular" workers/people transatlantic flights were nearly inaffordable
I remember my first flight when I was about 3 years old. I did not realized how lucky I was flying. I flew from Taipei to Hualien on Far Eastern Transport Airlines, Vicker Viscount. I remember that was probably the first time I had a Pepsi on the plane. Then we returned to Taipei on China Airlines B737. Back in 1973, not many people could afford flying in Taiwan, and my dad took the whole family on a plane. Special indeed.
Ahh, the days of real air travel. Just look at those four fuel sucking turbojet engines. Loud and smoky, the best!! Interesting how they had the model of the Pan Am terminal with Dc-8’s facing out. Unless they were towed out, the jet blast would have done wonders for the huge glass windows. I miss that terminal.
I'm in a generation of the ol' B747-200/300 classics..now doing the new generation aircrafts (fly by wire) makes my job simpler..but still miss the ol' days of jumbo jets.
@@dmrr7739 No I mean by society standards. You know ... the way people dressed, the way they treated each other etc. All of that and more went to shit in the 70's. Just look at New York City .. lol.
Indeed; those marvelously inefficient fuel-guzzling, CO2 spewing, deafeningly loud early jet engines; cabins elegantly engulfed in a delicate mist of the finest cigarette smoke, through which ecstatic and jolly youngsters walked in excitement, for they were to meet the captain and get honored with a pilot wing pin; mingling with the highest of high society because nobody else could really afford to fly; oh, the good old days.
I feel honoured to have flown on one of these as a kid. QANTAS had 707s in the 60s. I guess it was more expensive to fly in those days but I am sure the experience, speed, comfort etc was every bit as good as what we get today. (Apart from the second hand smoke of course!) Also flew on a 747 in the 70s. Hard to believe how advanced those planes really were. They opened up the world.
Those Pratt & Whitney JT-3C engines used on the first 707s were incredibly loud. As were the JT-4 engines used on the early intercontinental versions, as well as the Rolls-Royce bypass engines used on some of the early intercontinental versions of the 707. The later JT-3D engines used on most 707s were an improvement noise-wise, but were still way above what is acceptable today.
And that's reflected in ticket prices, for the most part. I'll take a £1 fare to anywhere in Europe and overly expensive snacks any day. I can always take my own water & sandwich.
What a wonderful look back into the past. Some things in the past were better, but many were not. I definitely don’t miss all the smoking. I’m so glad that is passed.
Give over. Even with smoking permitted the air on board was fresher and cleaner than the heavily recycled air of today. When smoking was prohibited a cost cutting measure, the airlines reduced fresh air intake. Heating fresh air costs money as it uses up fuel to heat the air. Recycling the air saves the airline money.
I can't wait until this spectacular Boeing 707 comes out. Because right now, my flights are usually delayed by four hours, I have about three inches of legroom, and I'm lucky to get a couple of miniature pretzels in a plastic bag.
Sure, just as soon as you're willing to pay around 10x as much as a coach ticket would cost today. You left out that the experience shown in the video was extremely expensive even back in the day, this is why people were dressed in their best clothes on the flight.
No. You need to understand typical ticket cost back then, is equivalent to a business class today. You get the same level of service, food and comfort, plus all the entertainment you can ask for. You miss those good ol'days ? fly business class.
No wonder back then business class was only option I’ll definitely try to find a cheap business class ticket every time I go to Japan or Germany I hate economy class and it’s no wonder why the service here is better than economy class Pan Am is probably the best American airline too
My family flew to Tehran from JFK on a and M707 clipper in 1967. We did a lot of flying in those days and I still marvel at the profound differences in what we have these days and what it was like then. I stay away from those silver tubes as much as possible these days, they simply aren’t fun anymore. Haven’t been for a very long time.
Pan American World Airlines started service in Dinner Key, Coconut Grove, Florida in the late thirties. Charles Lindbergh was the first President. I grew up in my families home That was built in 1894 on BayShore Drive two blocks away from the NE hangar. Pan American moved to Miami International Airport during WW2 and the Coast Guard took over the hangars, buildings and ramps. As a kid, I would fish on the dock and watch they seaplanes gun their engines to get up the ramps and be washed off with fresh water and then the passengers would de bark. The City of Miami Mayors office in now located in the original Pan Am Building and the ramps were filled in to add docks, save the one at the base of Graceland Blvd (27th Avenue) called Seminole Docks. Miami has an interesting history but most of the people living there now have no clue. GlennFHoward
A10PANG Chose First Class as I do, and you will geht Service and meal Even netter than at the good Oli Time. And today you have flat bed. Seats of Even your own Cabin. At the Airport you can geht your own room with bedroom and shower.
First flew on Boeing 707/06July1974, fifty years ago to Barbados via Antigua. Excellent meals and service with BOAC/British Airways having just amalgamated in April of 1974. 🇬🇧🏴🇬🇧
Bloody smokers in the row behind you blowing their carcinogens your way for 6 hours and tickets that cost a year's pay. Not to mention suitcases with no wheels . I do like the unique cantilever airport model where the aircraft park arse inwards though. Really good to blow that health giving exhaust through the terminal. Ah the wonderful '50s.
But in reality when the Pan American World Airlines "Jetport" was completed at New York Idlewild Airport (now called New York JFK) and was opened on the 24 May 1960 the aircraft actually went nose in rather than backed in like the artist impression's of the actual terminal. The first transatlantic flight from New York to London by a Pan Am Boeing 707 "clipper" jet took place on the 26 October 1958. Although what this documentary didn't say that it wasn't always non stop due to strong headwinds during the initial flights over the winter some flights having to land at Gander in Newfoundland, Canada to refuel making the flight 10 hours rather than the scheduled 6.30 hours. I love history and nostalgia but sometimes it's not always what it appears especially with marketing purposes such as this film. But nonetheless it's excellent footage from a bygone era. Loving Pan Am from my childhood but by the time I took my first flight with the airline in 1986 from New York JFK Airport to London Heathrow Airport the airline was not the same as it was in it's heyday. The state of the aircraft interior, the food, the service was awful and my childhood dreams of the airline were totally shattered. Due to circumstances virtually beyond the airline's control the once magnificent Pan Am went bankrupt and ceased operations on 04 December 1991. The end of an era in aviation and the end to what was once the greatest airline in world and a showcase throughout the world for the United States of America. Although given the opportunity to fly in first class in 1958 on Pan Am and first class in 2020 on British Airways I'd probably go for the latter.
@@seansparks2803 Well I'm here to correct you. Our terminal you are talking about is called Pan Am "Worldport", not "Jetport". And anyway, Thank you for booking on Pan Am. We actually sorry for your inconvenience on our last days.
I recall a on a flight a young woman would come up to the row in front of me, smoke 2 ciggies, then totter back to her own seat -- in a non-smoking row I take it. Thank goodness that's over.
@Gribbo9999 ... imagine all that and nobody gave a shit. They all lived long lives smoking, drinking and eating whatever they liked. You on the other hand will fret about all of this your entire life and die prematurely from stress.
Ahhhh yessss. Good ol' times. This and the Boeing 747. Sadly we have to ditch all of our 707's due to fuel consumption and noise....otherwise great aircraft. :-)
More like the JT-3C-6 man. Remember, it was in '58. Not even the -320B/C at the time. Yes, still turbojets, not even low-bypass turbofans. And it was underpowered (I'm talking about the -120). And yes again, it was even louder.
Don't forget the full body scan, pat down and inspectors tossing your underwear on a public table while they search your bag for stuff that might explode.
One giant omission: it took years to save up the cost of airfare (or pay back the enormous loan), if you weren’t wealthy enough to just pay cash in full.
Heathrow in to Vancouver Via Winnipeg/Calgary. 1964/6 in my early teens ,it was a chore I thought at the time. Air Canada I did not fly again untill I went Virgin cattle class 747. in 2004. what a difference and what luxury looking back a 707 was,but of course I was a typical ungratfull teenager way back then getting packed off on vaccation
In fact they did ... and were promptly shown the door. With a swift kick in the ass they were left to ponder their choice for about 8 minutes until they hit the earth.
I remember when you could smoke in the plane, got real cutlery and china. It was great but very expensive. That’s why you dressed up. It was something special.
From NY to London in day time! Yes, but leaving time should be early in the morning and by summer. Leave at 7 am, arrival at 7 pm... still clear and sunny!! Not in winter, of course.
You can still get this level of service and even better with amenities that people back then could only dream of in today's business and first class. They paid first class prices back then that's why they got first class service. If you pay the equivalent today you'll have a wonderful experience too with more gourmet food than you could eat a la carte, your own personal 40 inch tv with more movies than you could watch in a life time, fully private suites with separate flat beds, wifi internet access, and even showers.
The cost of round trip plane trip to Europe then was $6000-$8000 in today's money. Business class today is just as nice or nicer for considerably less.
Watching this in 2020 feels so ancient. Can the world change so much in 50 odd years. Seeing is believing. It does. Life has changed so much in this past 50 years. Pan am no longer exists
I keep seeing comment after comment reminiscing about when travel was good... okay maybe domestic. But hello Emirates and other luxury airlines exist today with actual rooms/cabins and sleeper seats... some even have showers!
Even Coach Class was more luxurious than First Class is today. You will certainly not get service and food like this shown here anywhere today in any class of service. For that, you would need to fly on "Time Machine Airways." The tray is 2x large as today, the seat is 2x large also, so is the amount of food they give you. I love that huge bouquet of flowers sitting in a basket on the windows table in the lounge. ANd look at the powder room size back in the 1950s: about 4x as large as what you have got today.
1960s the height of society in the United States. Kids complain "oh i miss the 90s, waaaah. Or the 80s waaa. But in the 1950s to 60s if you were white you could actually get a job working tables or being a doorman or pumping gas and buy a suburban home and afford a brand new car. Cities were at a normal population, and traffic was nowhere remotely as bad and the roads weren't beat up like they are today. And travel like this eating with REAL silverware, no security checks, and jobs in advertising, law, cinema were plentiful and thriving.
Oh and don't forget the rampant widespread racism, misogyny, homophobia and lung cancer! Yep great times indeed... for white straight men that liked smoking.
Remarkable that you can still arrive for the same Queen's birthday.
Baby blood
@@elonmust7470 yessir
True.
Indeed
How many USA presidents since then?
Cost of air travel in 1958. Here’s an example, My mom and sister flew out of Vancouver to London in 1958. (Grandma & grandpa weren’t well ) Nobody else in the family could go. Meanwhile , dad had to second mortgage the house to finance the urgent trip. Basically the return airfare was equivalent to $25k in today’s money. And no they didn’t fly first class ... but yes, the seating was far more roomy and inflight service far more wonderful & civilized than today.
I flew on these beautiful aeroplanes nearly 50 years ago. The 707 was magnificent to look at, and for the times way out there. I can also remember the first 747 landing at Charles Kingsford Smith Airport, along with being there for the first Concord...what halcyon times, these flying birds along with the astonishing Apollo space program. They say "if can remember the 60's then you weren't there ". Well as an infant/primary school boy i can recall so much. Happy days, and thanks for the great upload.
Boy is it depressing watching this in 2020.
I would go back in time for a trip on this Clipper.
Ah, the Holocene.
When Trump said make America great again, he was resoundingly mocked for it. 'america was NEVER great'. But when you watch a video like this, you can almost understand what he may have been talking about.
@@danwake4431I flew first class back in 1967. And yes, it really was great.
@@ZnenTitan how much was the cost, adjusted to todays $$ ? 10,000$?
My family emigrated to Canada in 1973 on a 707! Eight hours from Manchester to Vancouver!
and no quicker now!
"Remember when flying was fun and even glamorous... and overly expensive".
I read that all prices were set by the government, so to compete, pan am went for higher service. That's why deregulation killed them.
@@atexaninkorea1773 If it’s true that human created pollution is a major contributor to the current climate change then deregulation of the airline industry has a lot to answer for.
That's what kept out the riff-raff.
Now, they let anyone fly. 😬
And nowadays is not anymore? 350 € for ticket from Moscow to Rome for example.
@@kaiserjager2754 "According to a study by Compass Lexecon, commissioned by Airlines for America, the average flight from L.A. to Boston in 1941 was worth $4,539.24 per person in today’s money". This happened in 1957 (www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/history-of-flight-costs)
The powder rooms were much larger than the one nowadays.
Those powder rooms are FAKE. They are not lavatories as they have no doors. There is nowhere on the aircraft where they could reasonably have been situated and no lady would want to do her hair and put on her make up etc in full view of anybody who may have been passing by.
Ah, the days when there was no air turbulence...
Mark Ruddle lol
😂
Yes they're is. In fact it's even worst before
Boy soles I think you missed the joke!
Sem turbulência, muito bem.
My first commercial flight was aboard a Boeing 707 in 1969, from Los Angeles to Okinawa. The seats were so much roomier, and in the days before microwave ovens, the premade food was heated up in regular ovens or a rangetop, in the galleys. Served on real dinnerware with cloth napkins. In coach. The flight attendants socialized with the passengers and played with the children, using airline sponsored games that they got to keep. My two year old son was taken up to meet the captain and crew. People today wouldn't believe the luxury and pampering on these flights. Again, we flew coach. Those lounge chairs in the early shots were in First Class. Approximately 160 passengers on the aircraft.
when I flew with my nephew to Tokyo he also got to see the captain inside the cockpit while flying - these things still exist :)
I always remember my first flight. It was in 1961 Pan Am Clipper 707. I joined my husband in Turkey. He was employed by an American Company. They issued my ticket with Pan Am. I flew from Frankfurt to Ankara with a stop in Istanbul. Everybody was dressed up. Men in suits with ties. I bought a cream linen suit for the flight and wore high heals. It looked very elegant. I was so excited I couldn't believe that I am travelling on a jet plane. I expected to travel on an old propeller plane. The stewardesses looked like they came straight out of Hollywood and the food was so delicious. I had to stay overnight in Ankara, because my destination was Adana and Pan Am did not fly there. Pan Am paid for my overnight accommodation. The next day I had to fly with Turkish Airline to Adana.
Sounds wonderful. Pity we didn't have RUclips then. Would love to see the journey.
@@valvlog4665 Also a pitty we had no digital cameras at that time.
Back when Pan Am "Makes the going great"
How old are you???
@@leonardocaceres2540 Now I am 79.
Ralph Savory was the Chief Pilot for Pan Am, was my Dad's best and my surrogate father (taught me to drive and fly). We were neighbors all thru my teens in the San Juan Islands. He piloted us to Hawaii on a 707 and at 6 yrs old I wound up in the cock pit. I remember that 707 couch! Then came the amazing 747's!
Great memory! My uncle in the UK travelled the world with his work - Pan Am 707's always held a special place!
Yes, back then, flying was something very special - and also the fares ...... for "regular" workers/people transatlantic flights were nearly inaffordable
I remember my first flight when I was about 3 years old. I did not realized how lucky I was flying. I flew from Taipei to Hualien on Far Eastern Transport Airlines, Vicker Viscount. I remember that was probably the first time I had a Pepsi on the plane. Then we returned to Taipei on China Airlines B737. Back in 1973, not many people could afford flying in Taiwan, and my dad took the whole family on a plane. Special indeed.
Count your lucky stars either of those flights even made it off the ground before crashing.
What a difference, now we travel in economy class as a sardines in a can and the food is awful 😂😂😂😂😂
Business class is still available at 3 weeks wages.
What food?
You get food ??
food?
what food? all I got was a tiny bad of nuts! what airline are you talking about??
The space between seats are just enormous by today’s standards
Ahh, the days of real air travel. Just look at those four fuel sucking turbojet engines. Loud and smoky, the best!!
Interesting how they had the model of the Pan Am terminal with Dc-8’s facing out. Unless they were towed out, the jet blast would have done wonders for the huge glass windows. I miss that terminal.
Actually planes were more shaky and louder back in the day
In that year is different man omg
@@theuser698 11:44
Yeah, but the food was better, there was actual leg room and the service was more polite.
Anonymous 95 but they sound great! I do love those JT8D engine!!
Stop making fun of me I have autism
To this day, the Boeing 707 will always have a special place in my ❤️
Well, thank you for your opinion!
I'm in a generation of the ol' B747-200/300 classics..now doing the new generation aircrafts (fly by wire) makes my job simpler..but still miss the ol' days of jumbo jets.
I agree! Best plane ever!
Back in the glory days of aviation when air travel was glamorous and a luxury.
And very expensive only for the rich
It sort of remained that way until the 70's ... when most everything began decaying.
PresidentGas1 how about more equal...and fair.
PresidentGas1 By decaying, you mean growing by tenfold while reducing fatal crashes by 80% and halving real ticket prices?
@@dmrr7739 No I mean by society standards. You know ... the way people dressed, the way they treated each other etc. All of that and more went to shit in the 70's. Just look at New York City .. lol.
Vintage travel at its finest. Superb inflight meals and customer care by the cabin crew. I love the warmth and coziness of yesteryear's airlines.
The flight would have been bumpy and loud not to mention costing 10 times as much as a ticket today
Indeed; those marvelously inefficient fuel-guzzling, CO2 spewing, deafeningly loud early jet engines; cabins elegantly engulfed in a delicate mist of the finest cigarette smoke, through which ecstatic and jolly youngsters walked in excitement, for they were to meet the captain and get honored with a pilot wing pin; mingling with the highest of high society because nobody else could really afford to fly; oh, the good old days.
8:43 'I say, look at those pretty flames coming out of the engine.'
I feel honoured to have flown on one of these as a kid. QANTAS had 707s in the 60s. I guess it was more expensive to fly in those days but I am sure the experience, speed, comfort etc was every bit as good as what we get today. (Apart from the second hand smoke of course!) Also flew on a 747 in the 70s. Hard to believe how advanced those planes really were. They opened up the world.
Those Pratt & Whitney JT-3C engines used on the first 707s were incredibly loud. As were the JT-4 engines used on the early intercontinental versions, as well as the Rolls-Royce bypass engines used on some of the early intercontinental versions of the 707. The later JT-3D engines used on most 707s were an improvement noise-wise, but were still way above what is acceptable today.
I love how they said "barely any sound" hahaha. I was like yeah right. Today's jets are significantly quieter and you can still hear plenty of sound.
Not like today.. We have a boxed snack for purchase for $18.00
And that's reflected in ticket prices, for the most part. I'll take a £1 fare to anywhere in Europe and overly expensive snacks any day. I can always take my own water & sandwich.
What a wonderful look back into the past. Some things in the past were better, but many were not. I definitely don’t miss all the smoking. I’m so glad that is passed.
I can still remember coming of a jet a smelling like a ashtray 🚬
Oh, the air was unbreathable, even in non-smoking.
Give over. Even with smoking permitted the air on board was fresher and cleaner than the heavily recycled air of today. When smoking was prohibited a cost cutting measure, the airlines reduced fresh air intake. Heating fresh air costs money as it uses up fuel to heat the air. Recycling the air saves the airline money.
How petty one must be to write such a bitchy comment
Wish I could go back to that era!
G G would be nice
One wonders with of today's so called efficiency , why we can't.
The ticket would have cost you ten times as much as today and the plane would have been noisy and giving you a bumpy ride by today's standards
@@jamesricker3997 And don't even begin about the safety standards 😅
Great memories. From New York to Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 back in 1960s. 707. Pan Am Eastern,And Trans Caribbean Airlines. Amen 🙏🏻 🇵🇷🇺🇸🙏🏻.
I can't wait until this spectacular Boeing 707 comes out. Because right now, my flights are usually delayed by four hours, I have about three inches of legroom, and I'm lucky to get a couple of miniature pretzels in a plastic bag.
Sure, just as soon as you're willing to pay around 10x as much as a coach ticket would cost today. You left out that the experience shown in the video was extremely expensive even back in the day, this is why people were dressed in their best clothes on the flight.
Ah those were the good ole days before the 2020 pandemic..
yup!!!
Golden age of flying, when people dress well to travel, Amen!
yeah!!!!
...and the planes had souls......
Round trip airfare also cost more than a car
The early days of jet travel - when the "Mile-high Club" MEANT something.
Same queen. Vastly different experience on a plane. ☹️
"The temperature is 64 degrees". Back when Britain was proud of her imperial units.
Pan American ✈️good old days
No. You need to understand typical ticket cost back then, is equivalent to a business class today.
You get the same level of service, food and comfort, plus all the entertainment you can ask for.
You miss those good ol'days ? fly business class.
No wonder
back then business class was only option
I’ll definitely try to find a cheap business class ticket every time I go to Japan or Germany I hate economy class and it’s no wonder why the service here is better than economy class
Pan Am is probably the best American airline too
Somewhat highly enhanced travel description me thinks.
My family flew to Tehran from JFK on a and M707 clipper in 1967. We did a lot of flying in those days and I still marvel at the profound differences in what we have these days and what it was like then. I stay away from those silver tubes as much as possible these days, they simply aren’t fun anymore. Haven’t been for a very long time.
People in the 1950s sure did love to point at things.
Pan American World Airlines started service in Dinner Key, Coconut Grove, Florida in the late thirties. Charles Lindbergh was the first President.
I grew up in my families home That was built in 1894 on BayShore Drive two blocks away from the NE hangar. Pan American moved to Miami International Airport during WW2 and the Coast Guard took over the hangars, buildings and ramps. As a kid, I would fish on the dock and watch they seaplanes gun their engines to get up the ramps and be washed off with fresh water and then the passengers would de bark. The City of Miami Mayors office in now located in the original Pan Am Building and the ramps were filled in to add docks, save the one at the base of Graceland Blvd (27th Avenue) called Seminole Docks. Miami has an interesting history but most of the people living there now have no clue. GlennFHoward
Our generation got screwed. Look at the space in economy and the food.
Ryan look at the bright side....at least we can afford plane travel now 😃 It was for the rich in those times!
@@Suraxa1970 Big deal. It may be cheaper but you get treated like shit and are packed in like a sardine. Gimme the old days any day.
SCREWED big time.
A10PANG I’d love to have the old times again....but only if I happened to be rich 🤑
A10PANG Chose First Class as I do, and you will geht Service and meal Even netter than at the good Oli Time. And today you have flat bed. Seats of Even your own Cabin. At the Airport you can geht your own room with bedroom and shower.
First flew on Boeing 707/06July1974, fifty years ago to Barbados via Antigua.
Excellent meals and service with BOAC/British Airways having just amalgamated in April of 1974.
🇬🇧🏴🇬🇧
Pan am had mood lighting before most airlines today
Bloody smokers in the row behind you blowing their carcinogens your way for 6 hours and tickets that cost a year's pay. Not to mention suitcases with no wheels . I do like the unique cantilever airport model where the aircraft park arse inwards though. Really good to blow that health giving exhaust through the terminal. Ah the wonderful '50s.
😂
But in reality when the Pan American World Airlines "Jetport" was completed at New York Idlewild Airport (now called New York JFK) and was opened on the 24 May 1960 the aircraft actually went nose in rather than backed in like the artist impression's of the actual terminal.
The first transatlantic flight from New York to London by a Pan Am Boeing 707 "clipper" jet took place on the 26 October 1958. Although what this documentary didn't say that it wasn't always non stop due to strong headwinds during the initial flights over the winter some flights having to land at Gander in Newfoundland, Canada to refuel making the flight 10 hours rather than the scheduled 6.30 hours. I love history and nostalgia but sometimes it's not always what it appears especially with marketing purposes such as this film. But nonetheless it's excellent footage from a bygone era.
Loving Pan Am from my childhood but by the time I took my first flight with the airline in 1986 from New York JFK Airport to London Heathrow Airport the airline was not the same as it was in it's heyday. The state of the aircraft interior, the food, the service was awful and my childhood dreams of the airline were totally shattered.
Due to circumstances virtually beyond the airline's control the once magnificent Pan Am went bankrupt and ceased operations on 04 December 1991. The end of an era in aviation and the end to what was once the greatest airline in world and a showcase throughout the world for the United States of America.
Although given the opportunity to fly in first class in 1958 on Pan Am and first class in 2020 on British Airways I'd probably go for the latter.
@@seansparks2803 Well I'm here to correct you. Our terminal you are talking about is called Pan Am "Worldport", not "Jetport". And anyway, Thank you for booking on Pan Am. We actually sorry for your inconvenience on our last days.
I recall a on a flight a young woman would come up to the row in front of me, smoke 2 ciggies, then totter back to her own seat -- in a non-smoking row I take it. Thank goodness that's over.
@Gribbo9999 ... imagine all that and nobody gave a shit. They all lived long lives smoking, drinking and eating whatever they liked. You on the other hand will fret about all of this your entire life and die prematurely from stress.
Ahhhh yessss. Good ol' times. This and the Boeing 747. Sadly we have to ditch all of our 707's due to fuel consumption and noise....otherwise great aircraft. :-)
Bring back Pan Am !
@@mrjohncharlesbrown Of course mate, but only if we had enough money, dedicated man, marketing and public trust to rerun this awesome airline.
I was astonished when I saw the cigarette besides the child on a closed area. 😂
what an airline!!!! want me to go back in time
It's amazing what we take in stride today for air travel.. considering what used to be.
Back then we were moving ahead leaps and bounds. Jet this & rocket that then it ceased to evolve any further. What the hell happened?
We ran into the wall of the realities of fuel cost and the density of the atmosphere
400mph to 500mph is the most efficient speed to fly
Golden era of Air Travel
Yes, when jets were much more likely to crash due to the technology of the time, how wonderful.
Makes me want to start smoking right now
😂
😆
It was good for you back then
@@archaicamusement3871 LOL!
Promotions like this usually ran in cinemas ... along with newsreels & other feature shorts before the main feature film.
Last week I noticed that my Duck à L’orange was a tiny bit cold and my tablecloth wasn’t ironed very well.
07:00 no vibration hardly any sound..boy sure those jt3d screamin loud 😃
More like the JT-3C-6 man. Remember, it was in '58. Not even the -320B/C at the time. Yes, still turbojets, not even low-bypass turbofans. And it was underpowered (I'm talking about the -120). And yes again, it was even louder.
imagine that, a lounge.
Back in the day, when you weren't treated as a terrorist every time you boarded a plane.
Golden age of aviation. It was also an era that Americans had class and style and did not dress up like slobs.
@Tiny Chihuahua That is true. some it was because they smoked cigarettes a lot and that kept their appetite and their food intake on check.
It's embarrassing how fat and sloppy we have become as a nation. I say we as individuals go against it.
Americans also had a lot more racism, homophobia, misogyny, and lung cancer in that era.
The Chief from Get Smart is narrating this documentary
Tomorrow, I'm booking a trip on Pan Am. Oh wait...
By the way, we flew a lot faster back in the day.
"We have chosen the wrong future" ---Peter Hitchens
This is beautiful
On the way back, 6 and half magic hours after a 30 day wait, then a 14 day quarantine.
Don't forget the full body scan, pat down and inspectors tossing your underwear on a public table while they search your bag for stuff that might explode.
Somehow in the middle of the CORONA pandemic this is extra surreal.
one gigantic omission: it took 14 hours to get back.
Flying against the jet stream
One giant omission: it took years to save up the cost of airfare (or pay back the enormous loan), if you weren’t wealthy enough to just pay cash in full.
Boeing 707 beautiful air plane
And the whole airplane smelled like a f**king ashtray !
You a health nut? It's 1958 dammit.
one day they will be saying: it took several months just to get to Mars, now just a few hours....
yeah. i would like to be alive for that. i envy those future generations.
Heathrow in to Vancouver Via Winnipeg/Calgary. 1964/6 in my early teens ,it was a chore I thought at the time. Air Canada I did not fly again untill I went Virgin cattle class 747. in 2004. what a difference and what luxury looking back a 707 was,but of course I was a typical ungratfull teenager way back then getting packed off on vaccation
If 1958 passengers saw 2020 passengers they would see a high-tech dystopia.
More than 60 years later and we’re still flying the same way... very interesting
No we aren't
Today's aircraft are larger and a lot more fuel efficient
I wonder if people back then asked for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, kosher, halal, or low sodium meals.
No, you didn't!
They didnt... They were normal back then. Now its just weak sex confused soft cry babies every were
In fact they did ... and were promptly shown the door. With a swift kick in the ass they were left to ponder their choice for about 8 minutes until they hit the earth.
@@PresidentGas1 lmfao.
probably kosher and halal
I remember when you could smoke in the plane, got real cutlery and china.
It was great but very expensive. That’s why you dressed up. It was something special.
and get a decent roast dinner freshly carved in front of you. None of this pay for your food & drink BS.
@@douga3212 The only place you got anything freshly carved in front of you was in First Class.
From NY to London in day time! Yes, but leaving time should be early in the morning and by summer. Leave at 7 am, arrival at 7 pm... still clear and sunny!!
Not in winter, of course.
Makes you want to go back 40 years to fly international!
At 10x the cost it is today
@@jamesricker3997 not quite.
The demolition of Worldport by Delta was a crime! Such a wonderfully designed building, with such an important history.
This guy did the Memphis Belle documentary, sweet!
Damn they got a full thanksgiving dinner. What the hell happened? I flow 6hr to San Francisco and got a small bag of pretzels.
You can still get this level of service and even better with amenities that people back then could only dream of in today's business and first class. They paid first class prices back then that's why they got first class service. If you pay the equivalent today you'll have a wonderful experience too with more gourmet food than you could eat a la carte, your own personal 40 inch tv with more movies than you could watch in a life time, fully private suites with separate flat beds, wifi internet access, and even showers.
Ah when passengers were courteous and well behaved.
Raise prices to 15000 a piece for all seats and provide formal wear and we could have this again!
We do! In first class! People don't seem to understand they paid today's first class prices to fly coach back then haha.
First song is
Jack Trombey: Achievement in Industry
The cost of round trip plane trip to Europe then was $6000-$8000 in today's money. Business class today is just as nice or nicer for considerably less.
beautiful plane
The good old days!
No vibrations during flight! I do remember tablecloths, even in coach. That makes me smart, old, or both.
We going backwards in aviation in terms of experience.
Watching this in 2020 feels so ancient. Can the world change so much in 50 odd years. Seeing is believing. It does. Life has changed so much in this past 50 years. Pan am no longer exists
Let's go back to the good old days!!
I keep seeing comment after comment reminiscing about when travel was good... okay maybe domestic. But hello Emirates and other luxury airlines exist today with actual rooms/cabins and sleeper seats... some even have showers!
Man oh man. Bring this back.
No TSA treating everybody like criminals.
Pfsif but no criminal on board either darling ...
@@titis4608 No criminals existed back then.
Boeing 707 in that pan am liverey,it doesn't get much better than that.
Hardly any sound he says. NO
The only thing missing is Mr. Wilson heading for the restroom and out pops Dennis The Menance.
Many say that those were the days when flying was fun.
Poor Pan AM. They were the best which made them the biggest target, which was their undoing.
And now we have Ryanair, compare it to this 😂😂🥶
Even Coach Class was more luxurious than First Class is today. You will certainly not get service and food like this shown here anywhere today in any class of service. For that, you would need to fly on "Time Machine Airways."
The tray is 2x large as today, the seat is 2x large also, so is the amount of food they give you. I love that huge bouquet of flowers sitting in a basket on the windows table in the lounge. ANd look at the powder room size back in the 1950s: about 4x as large as what you have got today.
Remember, back then America was 96% One Culture, One Language, One Hereditary, One Demographic, ..............
Please note, I have to use "code" to write the above.
I miss PAN AM very much.
1960s the height of society in the United States. Kids complain "oh i miss the 90s, waaaah. Or the 80s waaa. But in the 1950s to 60s if you were white you could actually get a job working tables or being a doorman or pumping gas and buy a suburban home and afford a brand new car.
Cities were at a normal population, and traffic was nowhere remotely as bad and the roads weren't beat up like they are today.
And travel like this eating with REAL silverware, no security checks, and jobs in advertising, law, cinema were plentiful and thriving.
And don't forget the Space Race!
Oh and don't forget the rampant widespread racism, misogyny, homophobia and lung cancer! Yep great times indeed... for white straight men that liked smoking.