The Evolution of Air Travel

Commercial air travel has come a long way since the early days when smoking on the plane was a no-brainer and flying was an occasion calling for your Sunday’s best. Passengers now have endless more destination choices and significantly improved technology and safety, but they also have a few inconveniences and indignities to deal with that didn’t exist in the past.

Planes

In the mid-1920s, Henry Ford bought out the German company Stout Aircraft, which designed what was later named the Ford Trimotor. With a passenger capacity of 12, the Ford Trimotor was distributed to the first airline companies between 1926 and 1932, ushering in the age of commercial air travel. While the first airlines did offer coast-to-coast flights, part of a passenger’s journey was supplemented by train travel.

The Boeing 307 introduced the first pressurized cabin, which allowed for higher cruising altitudes to avoid weather, as well as increased range and a passenger capacity – topping out at 38 passenger seats. In 1940, Pan-Am (flying into Latin America) and TWA (flying from Los Angeles to New York) purchased a fleet of Boeing 307s and began flying them commercially. World War II needs derailed the companies’ commercial air business when they were asked to fly for the Air Force, but the technology developed during the war would lead to significant post-war advances in commercial aviation.

In the early 1950s, jet technology – originally designed for bombers during the war – lead to even higher altitude and faster travel. One of the most popular models, the Boeing 707 could carry 181 passengers and was flown for commercial use through the 1970s.

Jet technology is still dominant for airlines today, but there is room for progress. The latest Airbus A380, for example, can be economy-fitted to accommodate 840 passengers. Yeah, we’ve come a long way.

Safety

From 1950 to 2008, approximately 1,300 fatal accidents involving commercial aircraft have occurred. While the fatal incidents per decade has stayed nearly static, hovering around 150, the volume of air travel continued to climb throughout this time, meaning the ratio of flights to fatal crashes has dropped notably.

One aspect of air travel safety has nothing to do with the operation of the actual aircraft; it’s smoking. Prior to the 1980s passengers had to endure what could be many hours of recirculating carcinogenic clouds. Only in the 80s did airlines begin to offer non-smoking sections on their flight, and it wasn’t until the late 90s, after several lawsuits, that smoking was banned all together.

Dress

Perhaps it is just a result of air travel no longer being reserved for the elitists, but ask anyone who traveled in the early days and one of the big differences you might hear is about how people dressed. Travelers in the 1950s dressed as if they were on their way to church or a business meeting; today’s travelers frequently don fuzzy slippers and sweat pants. It’s safe to say the difference here is less about comfort and more about a shift in cultural norms.

Cost

Airline ticket prices have gone through their share of changes throughout the history of commercial air travel as well. Beginning with deregulation in 1978, competition among airlines led to cheaper fares. With the advent of Internet booking sites in the 1990s airlines were able to cut processing costs. They were able to maximize their distribution and advertising while filling the most seats possible.

Luckily, these cost-savings have been passed on to the passenger, and airline tickets today, especially considering inflation, are much more affordable. It is important to note, however, that average ticket costs have not come down much over the past few decades due in large part to soaring fuel costs and additional “free” amenities offered to passengers.

Charges

Granted, air travel has become accessible to more and more people as the industry has grown and advanced, but the list of associated fees has also grown, and continues to do so as we speak.

In the early days of air travel automobile parking at the airport was surely not an issue; however, it quickly evolved into a business of its own. Now with the majority of passengers driving themselves to the airport, choices range from economy and luxury, leading to vastly different costs.

It’s no doubt that airlines have tacked on about a million little fees since air travel began, but they did not have this power until deregulation took effect in the 1980s. None of this seemed to matter, however, until airlines suffered from the post-9/11 slump in business. The 2000s have seen a surge in extraneous charges ranging from carry-on bag fees, charges for meals, and blankets, to the more outrageous charges for use of the bathroom, higher ticket prices for heavier passengers, and additional fees for sitting in the first few rows of coach.