1970s Airplane Lounges Took Flying To A Whole New Level Of Luxury

The airplane, one of mankind's greatest achievements, once provided a commercial experience that was considered luxurious, thanks in part to its ample in-flight lounges. Now the airplane has turned into a Kafka-esque punishment consisting of endless delays, arbitrary rules, overpriced mediocre food, and tight spaces. While some airlines are making their economy seats better than ever, considering the rising cost of plane tickets, it's hard not to wonder if we're mostly paying to be miserable. Most airlines have turned their economy cabins into overpacked sardine tins (unless you're able to book a "skycouch"). Was this truly what the Wright Brothers dreamed of when they sent us soaring to the heavens with the gift of flight? The absurdity of it all has been so normalized that it's easy to forget it wasn't always like this. 

Up until the 1960s, air travel was just for the elite, as planes were small and prices were high — A ticket in the 1930s cost about $650, or $12,000 today. That changed in 1970 with the launch of the world's first jumbo jet, the Boeing 747, dubbed the "Queen of the Skies." These planes could hold over 500 travelers (compared to the 190 of the previous 707s), which meant that traveling by plane was suddenly affordable for the middle class. 

Airlines were excited about the possibilities of these new planes and experimented with different ways of bringing luxury to jumbo jets. It was the decadent '70s, after all, so companies like Pan Am, American Airlines, and Continental had bold and colorful cocktail lounges, piano bars, and restaurants on these massive new planes. And, perhaps most shockingly of all, these features weren't just limited to First Class passengers. 

When Pan Am's Clipper Young America set off as the world's first commercial 747 on January 22, 1970, it set the stage for airborne luxury. The design of these new planes included an empty area behind the cockpit, initially meant as a resting place for the crew. It became a lounge area for First Class travelers. Pan Am's upper decks were full-service restaurants, while Singapore Airlines offered a restaurant and lounge with seats that could be turned into beds. Qantas rolled out its bold, bright, and very '70s "Captain Cook Lounge."

While there are some genius hacks to make economy flights more comfortable, in the early days of the 747, you didn't need them, since the luxurious amenities extended to the lower deck too. Not long after the rollout of the 747, the economy went into a recession, leaving these big planes much emptier than anticipated. Thus began the "Great Lounge War," as airlines took out seats in coach to bring a bit of that upper-deck luxury down below and entice folks to book economy class tickets. 

Continental offered a cocktail lounge with sofas, while American Airlines introduced the piano bar, inaugurated by none other than Frank Sinatra Jr. There were some kinks with this plan — It turns out that pianos can get out of tune with turbulence, so the piano was replaced by an electric organ, allowing passengers to enjoy The Beatles'  "Let It Be" without a hitch. TWA created an airborne "living room" with a long bar and comfortable seats, while United turned its coach lounge into a county fair, complete with caricature artists, wine tastings, and jam sessions with guitar players.