Originally Posted by
asmccuk
Back to the original query, I remember when flying from LHR to Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Manchester in the mid 60s, if we saw that the aircraft was a 951, a quickening of the pace out to the rear door could result in a right turn on entry to get a first class seat for an internal flight, in the days before seat allocation.
It is curious that when looking at old BEA timetables from the 1960s, there seems quite a random allocation of flights with first class offered, which required the small 951 subfleet. There are flights to Glasgow etc where it is apparent what the turnround was (there being rarely more than one Vanguard on the ground at a time at the outstations), with first offered one way but not the other. Not even any pattern to it - there are economy flights at business times and ones with first class at off peak hours. Possibly it was something to do with crewing.