The experience of air travel is far from what it used to be in the old days. While some areas have seen significant improvements, some have gone through major downgrades. For a comparison of the various aspects of air traveling then and now, read on.

Airport Terminals

Arrival and departure terminals used to be very simple back in the day as you can see in the picture above of Zagreb-Borongaj Airport back in the 1930s.

Today, terminals are complicated and some even hard to navigate. Some modern-day air terminals are no less than beautiful architectural marvels. 

Check-In Counters

Pictured above is the check-in counter of an Australian airport back in the 50s. The check-in counters of old was very plain with no special equipment. Computer monitors and arrival and departure boards were nowhere to be found on these counters until the 80s.

Modern-day terminals have modern day check-in counters to go with them of course. Fully equipped with state of the art computers and conveyor belts for your luggage. Some airports have also installed self-serve kiosks where passengers can check themselves in.

Waiting Lounges

Pictured above is the waiting area of the Sea-Tac airport back in 1949. Airports have always made their waiting areas as luxurious as possible. Some of the first airports had bars installed too.

The luxuries of waiting lounges have since increased substantially with the addition of well renowned and small-time restaurants. Waiting rooms are less waiting rooms and more food courts now.

Control Rooms

Control rooms looked a lot simpler too. As is evident above, there were fewer screens and more people to control air traffic.

Sophisticated planes require sophisticated control towers. Modern day control rooms are studded with the hi-tech computers to make sure you travel safely.

Airplane Cabins

Cabins of the first airplanes were smaller and had only one seat per row on either side. It was in the 1960s that modifications were made and more seats along with communal tables were added. Although small, these cabins had seats placed in such a way which gave ample space to move around and for your legs to be comfortable.

Today’s airplane cabins as we all know are the opposite of all these things. Leg space is a luxury known only to people in first class. The planes have become bigger but paradoxically, the space inside has become smaller for the passengers.

First Class

First class was and is the epitome of quality service in airlines. The experience of flying first class has only gotten better and better with time, depending on which airline you’re traveling with. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the food (more on that later).

Modern airline first class seats come with many added benefits such as exclusive meals and a full bar service. Some airlines even offer complete suites to first class passengers

FOOD

The airplane food of yesterday looked nothing less than something from a fine dining restaurant, as is evident from the picture above. Both the quality and presentation were top notch, be it first class food or Economy food.

Airplane food, unfortunately, went downhill in every aspect as time passed. The meals served today are bland and don’t even look as appetizing so it’s no surprise that most passengers don’t even touch their food.

Flight Attendant Uniforms

A combination of a skirt, jacket, and hat, the attire of flight attendants of yesteryear was very plain.

The evolution of this uniform has been no less than the evolution of airplanes. The 70s saw a reduction in the size of skirts and soon after, the addition of pants.

Modern-day airlines mostly have their own personal takes on the uniforms. For example, attendants of Islamic airlines can be seen wearing the traditional hijab while some airlines make their attendants wear uniforms matching the company’s colors.