[AMcWhirter]

Yes … but BA only brought in those free breakfasts on Super Shuttle flights because of competition from BM’s much-praised Diamond Service.

Before then (ie from 1975 or so when Shuttle was launched) BA just had a pure Shuttle service. There was no food, no drinks (not even a glass of water), no seat allocation and just one fare (for all seats).

The only onboard “service” from the cabin crew was their collection of passengers’ fares.

Imagine, in those days passengers could board a plane without having bought a ticket. (Tickets were bought on board the flight).

[esselle]

Perhaps on top of all the great posts above, was the sense that it was an adventure………….is it that today?

I’ve got a trip in F tomorrow, super longhaul, and the sense of anticipation is, well, non-existant……………………

[SenatorGold]

Airlines published a wide range of travel literature. BOAC and then BA would publish travel guides to their destinations. SAS published SAS City Guides. Circa 1973 BOAC published a guide to flying aimed particularly at the first time flyer. BOAC/BA published brochures about their aircraft – B707s, VC10s and the early B747s.

As a young boy in Cape Town in the late 60’s I remember a large neon advertising board on the roof of the Grand Hotel (on Strand Street close to St George’s Street) advertising the BOAC VC10. This was even though they didn’t fly to CPT in those days. The BOAC office in CPT was at street level in the African Life Centre. In the early 70s in their window they would have a large model of B747 showing the interior of the aircraft. I found it fascinating!

[Hermes1964]

… I flew to Le Touquet for lunch from Ferryfield (Lydd) on a Bristol Freighter

…and safety cards advised you to remove false teeth in the event of an emergency landing

…and you could walk out on top of the “finger” at Gatwick airport to watch the planes..

…and you had to stop talking if you were outside and anywhere vaguely near Heathrow (London Airport) when a jet flew over because they made so much noise (especially Tridents)

[Bullfrog]

I remember …

The only direct flight from London to Cape Town was SAA’s non stop 747 SP on a Saturday night. The return flight like all SAA flights had to stop at Ilha Do Sal, as SAA had no rights over fly Africa.

There was a 3 legged dog that roamed the transit lounge at Ilha Do Sal for many years.

[skywards]

Dan-Air-London done a £49 weekend fare including a real meal and boiled sweets on return flights to Gatwick from Newcastle.

[goalie11]

My first flight to Australia, which was with KLM, EDI-AMS onto a 747 for AMS-ZRH-BAH-DEL-BKK-SIN-SYD or my regular trips back from HKG on a VC-10 via BKK-RGN-DEL-BAH to LHR.

Good old bus stop routes but when you’re young you don’t care.

Also miss good old bmi getting us from LHR to EDI when everyone else was seemingly affected by bad weather!

[BRin1406]

Flying into LHR from IOM in a Vickers Viscount

When you could sit in the jump seat of a BA 747 for the landing at LHR

[rodders]

often getting the opportunity to sit in the jump seats (alas all stopped after 9/11), most impressive was 747 out of Cape Town, but earliest memories were flying on RAF Transport Command Britannia aircraft to/from the UK and N Africa, stopping in Malta for lunch then back on board for the leg to the UK, all seats rear facing, and conversation or a book, biggest excitement was when they passed around the flight map (on paper, with the route drawn in pencil)…..but it did seem simpler. happy flying.

[Tallinnman]

Landing at Kai Tak for the first time in the early 90’s and flying to/from Belfast when security was incredibly more intrusive than it is today albeit for understandable reasons.

[EU_Flyer]

My excitement, as a backpacking student, at getting access to the Qantas International Lounge (through a friend who worked for the airline) and being able to serve myself a glass of red wine with a bread roll with butter.

These days if an airport doesn’t have a First Lounge with an a la carte menu and a Champagne bar I become deflated, huff/puff about declining standards and vow never to fly ‘that’ airline again.

Also, the excitement of being upgraded to Premium Economy whereas now, unless my seat has a ‘lie flat’ option and a menu on demand option, I find myself searching for my anti-anxiety medication.

[MartynSinclair]

I also remember taking my Dad to Heathrow for his first trip to America on business (1968/9) – a big family day out (with the tissues at the ready).. Unlike today when my son sends me a whatsapp “you away again Dad, ping me some money for petrol please”….

[SenatorGold]

Bulldog:

I remember the SAA B747SP CPT service starting early 1977. However, in or about 1970 SAA operated a weekly CPT-Luanda-Lisbon-LHR service. As Angola was then under Portugese control and Portugal was a friend of South Africa as it was then constituted, SAA could land at Luanda. The flight departed CPT late afternoon and was operated with a B707 as were all SAA long haul flights at the time before they took delivery of their first B747-200B in 1971. By 1972 the B707 CPT service had been discontinued and until the B747SP service was inaugurated there were no direct flights from CPT to London (or save for a service to Buenos Aires which started in 1973 and Varig touching down in CPT en route from JNB to Rio), or anywhere else.

I was at Johannesburg Airport (which many here will remember as Jan Smuts) on 10 December 1971 when SAA’s first B747 (named the Lebombo) was pulled up by a tug on the apron outside the (then) new international departures terminal. It was due to fly to LHR that evening. I was waiting for additional SAA seasonal service to LHR and was able to walk out of the terminal building on to the apron and take photographs of the plane.

[canucklad]

I remember when visiting Scotland, our house was in the Sighthill area of Edinburgh (poshish,back in the 60’s) and running to the window every time a plane landed at Turnhouse. At night it flew over a tall apartment block, now knocked down….. My mum warning me that the flashing warning navigation lights at the top were in fact “Wee Willie Winkie”and it was time for bed ….

More vividly I remember our trips to Nairobi in EAA’s VC10’s, their livery was probably the best at accentuating that aircrafts gracefulness …..What freaked me out was going for a pish in the Waverly Station bar a few years back and the air freshener was the exact same smell as the interior of those Nairobi flights..…very powerful memories came flooding back. As an adult I wonder at my ability to recall toddler experiences at Embakasi airport.

Then as an older child, back of my dad’s Chevrolet ,in my pyjamas with my bored sister heading out to the end of the YVR runway for the evening arrival of the AC JUMBO flight from YYZ.

But the most memorable, my first 747 flight….Sitting aghast on CP’s 747 to HNL whilst watching “Singing in the Rain” . .. Gene Kelly what a dancer, and with an umbrella too : )

And more recently, I totally agree with Goalie11 , how I miss BMI, especially when the weather turns.

[Senator]

I remember my first upgrade on SAS B767-300ER to Business Class ca 1994. I was a rather poor 22 year old student, and at the gate I was given a new boarding card for my flight to Newark. Provided me with the inspiration to travel in premium..

[Author]

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