Here There and Everywhere

I Miss the Adventure of Air Travel in the 50’s

Today’s prompt (to inspire a new post: What’s something you miss from the old days?) is so compelling, given recent headlines, that I cannot resist responding.

I miss the fun of air travel.

When I was a little girl, I took my first airplane trip at 6 months, to visit my stateside relatives who had never met me. We made the journey often, by the next trip I had a baby sister! We were always dressed for travel, and the airline attendants, who were then called stewardesses, always had special coloring books and crayons for us, and airline wings we could pin on at the end of the flight. They gave us meals. It was all very relaxed, and a lot of fun.

I remember the Ladies restroom had a small lounge and spacious dressing tables where women could repair their make-up, or just sit somewhere else for a while. There was also a lounge area toward the rear of the plane with a table, where people could play cards. The downside, of course, was that these were propeller planes- very noisy- and the flights took a LONG time.

It gives me a grin wondering how much fun it was for my mother, who often travelled alone with her daughters. How did she keep us entertained and quiet? It was the day of “children should be seen and not heard;” people did not tolerate unruly children. But there were also far fewer children traveling.

For me, here is how things have changed:

I am very hesitant now to check a bag. Unless my trip exceeds two weeks, I manage with a carry-on and a very large “purse.” I miss the lightness of not having to worry about baggage. When I do check a bag, I track it with AirTags. Even without a checked bag, I use AirTags to keep track of all my important items.

Even as an American citizen, I now have anxiety about returning through Customs and Immigration. It used to be a friendly process. There are horror stories about how U.S. Citizens are taken aside and have their phones and electronics searched. How is this possible? How can it be that people who simply disagree with an administration’s approach can be labeled “domestic terrorists” or “enemies of the state?”

The sheer number of people traveling now makes every trip feel like we are merely cattle being herded from place to place. Airlines focus on profits, of course, but they treat their employees as “resources” and try to minimize the numbers to increase profit. The remaining “resources” are overworked and under-respected. They do their best to serve. It’s hard when you haven’t had enough sleep, or rest, or are lacking the provisions you once had.

Crowded people are querulous and fractious. They fight over luggage space in the bins, they invade their neighbor’s space, they don’t soothe or manage their children’s behavior. They don’t pick up their own garbage. They squirm to be the first on and first off the airplane. They are rude to the attendants. They don’t clean up after themselves in the restrooms. This is a danger to public safety.

Occasionally, we are fortunate to be able to book a seat on Air France. When you travel with Air France, the vacation begins once you board. Somehow, the French have managed to maintain some civility. Other than that, air travel has gone from a fun adventure to a bag-drag and a slog.

November 15, 2026 - Posted by intlxpatr | Adventure, Aging, Air France, AirTag, Civility, Cultural, Customer Service, ExPat Life, Political Issues, Quality of Life Issues, Random Musings, Travel