Passenger Air Flights Begin

Before there were passenger airline flights there were regularly scheduled flights for the U.S. mail.  These flights actually inspired the idea that people might like to travel by plane.

In the 1920s, the pilots carrying the mail were flying in open cockpit planes with the bags of mail stuffed in behind them. Young men often waited around the landing strip hoping for a ride. If the pilot agreed, the passenger hopped in behind the pilot, generally sitting on the mail bag. 

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Passengers as Customers

Before there were passenger airline flights there were regularly scheduled flights for the U.S. mail.  These flights actually inspired the idea that people might like to travel by plane.

In the 1920s, the pilots carrying the mail were flying in open cockpit planes with the bags of mail stuffed in behind them. Young men often waited around the landing strip hoping for a ride. If the pilot agreed, the passenger hopped in behind the pilot, generally sitting on the mail bag. 

Elegant Travel

Flying at this time was intended to be an elegant experience. Cabin service featured crystal stemware and fine china dishes.  Through the 1950s people dressed well to fly. Men wore suits and women wore hats and dresses.  

Flight Attendants

The original flight attendants were men, who were referred to as flight companions or stewards. To be hired, companies wanted men small in stature (to maneuver around the cabin) and strong. They also handled baggage. Because people were nervous about flying, the flight attendants were expected to help calm the passengers during the flight.  

Women Flight Attendants Hired

On May 15, 1930, Boeing Air made news by announcing a roster of all-female flight attendants. Ellen Church, a registered nurse, was the woman who led the campaign to put women to work on flights; the argument she used was that nurses were best prepared to help passengers through bouts of air sickness.  Boeing bought into Church’s argument, and the first women hired were nurses. They were referred to as stewardesses. Like the male stewards, they, too, helped with ticketing and carried baggage. 

Requirements for eligibility were strict: The women had to be 20-26 years old and no taller than 5’4″. They could not weigh more than 118 pounds.  They also had to be single, a rule that existed for most airlines into the 1960s. 

Promoting Air Travel With Lunch Flights

In 1930, the Ford Motor Company thought of a way to promote air travel to women. They implemented “luncheon” flights aboard their Ford Trimotor plane.

The special promotion started in Detroit. Women were encouraged to come with their friends on short luncheon flights to enjoy an aerial view of Detroit.  Magazine writer Katherine A. Fisher reported on her experiences for Good Housekeeping magazine, and her articles helped publicize women and travel. 

Fisher wrote of the delicious meal they were served during the flight. She also noted the pleasure of seeing the “miniature” buildings and golf courses and the varying patterns of the earth.  Other than a few patches of bumpy air, Fisher noted that it was a good ride. The only downside to the experience was that no one could hear anyone talking. The sound of the engines was so loud. Everyone on board used sign language or pantomime to communicate.   

Interesting Facts About Early Air Travel

• Early pilots carried handguns to protect the mail, by regulation of the U.S. post office. 
• In 1929 the post office helped pioneer lighted air landing strips which featured flashing beacons, from San Francisco to New York so that planes could fly at night. 
• In 1930 a TWA transcontinental flight took 36 hours and stopped 11 times. When both day and night flying was possible, it took 24 hours to fly across the United States.  Today commercial jets routinely make it in under 5 hours (no refueling necessary). 
• Even in the 1930s, meals were provided to passengers, as were complimentary cigarettes. 
• Passengers were accustomed to buying train tickets in person. With air travel, passengers reserved plane seats by telephone—a new customer experience.
• Air travel gave birth to the credit card industry.  In 1936 the airline industry created the Air Transport Association, which in turn created an Air Travel Card.  Passengers would put down a $425 deposit and then they were permitted to “buy now, pay later,” with a 15 percent discount on air fares.
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• The first regularly shown in-flight movies were in 1961 on TWA.  

Check Out These Stories

• For an interesting view of what it would have been like to be a Black passenger in the early days of flying, click Jackie Robinson: Barred from Flying to Spring Training.

And to learn more about how the post office was critical to the development of early flight, click Commercial Air Travel Spurred by Post Office.

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