Across the Atlantic in 1989
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Across the Atlantic in 1989
Was it better flying across the pond in 1989 than 2014 ? My recollections would say a definitive yes.
Was flying in 1989 better than today? - Telegraph
Was flying in 1989 better than today? - Telegraph
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To me the biggest difference is that in 1989 flights were rarely full. Certain days, yes, but not usually. I was ID eligible then and could usually get on, if I didn't fly the week before Christmas or the weekends either side of school breaks.
Today the opposite is true. Flights are almost always full.
Today the opposite is true. Flights are almost always full.
Paxing All Over The World
That's a smart bit of copy writing by BA and some easy, lazy 'reporting' by the paper... 
The one area of information carefully excluded is seat pitch ... what was the Y seat pitch when BA start with the 744? Nowadays it's 31 inches (as named by a Guru of our mutual acquaintance)
The one area of information carefully excluded is seat pitch ... what was the Y seat pitch when BA start with the 744? Nowadays it's 31 inches (as named by a Guru of our mutual acquaintance)
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The airports, especially on the American side of the Atlantic were much less crowded and the flights, in general also less crowded. Perhaps lower fuel costs and less of the artery clogging admin charges to airlines made them less yield sensitive compared with today's economic play book ?
One aspect that is definitely better today is the seats in Business/First. I flew Heathrow/Seattle in 1990 on BA Business class and the seats were horrid - little better than coach. Today's business class seats are fantastic almost regardless of the airline.
Cabin service has gone down hill though. I got bumped to First on Pan Am going Seattle/London back then and it was a full seven course dinner - including made to order green salads, caviar, and if you ordered prime rib for the main course they brought the beef out on a trolley and you pointed to the cut of meat you wanted and they cut it to order
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Cabin service has gone down hill though. I got bumped to First on Pan Am going Seattle/London back then and it was a full seven course dinner - including made to order green salads, caviar, and if you ordered prime rib for the main course they brought the beef out on a trolley and you pointed to the cut of meat you wanted and they cut it to order
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I remember Pan Am/ TWA / AA/ BA ALL having quite good service as well, what happened, because it all went south very quickly in the 1990,s and I moved to European carriers. I spent my early business life on the North Atlantic and Arabian Gulf routes in the 1980,s as a young single man, quite, interesting as I remember !.
Security was also less for obvious reasons but we still had issues in Europe with Red Brigade / Barder Meinhof / IRA / PLO so we were not back in the 1960,s when all you needed was a ticket and passport, and you were through.
The seats in economy were bigger I believe, and if you look inside theVC10 at Duxford you can see the difference. However I agree with tdracer and his comments about Business class seats, and also inflight entertainment which is now in another league on some carriers to what was available back then. Also EXxb is correct flights did not seem to be so full, apart from during holiday periods, and there were not that many on the New York run especially for example. Also you did not have flights from the regional areas within the US as you get now, and the carriers were the aforementioned, with BCAL,Delta & NW at Gatwick, and that was it apart from charters as I remember (But it was a while ago, but those were the US / UK carriers I flew with back then). Thinking about I am not sure if Laker / Peoples Express/ Braniff/ World Airways / Virgin Atlantic were also not around then, but with very limited services so I did not use them.
Anyway apart from seat size in economy, I think on balance on the flying side I prefer flying today, however on the airports/ security/ service and to some degree in flight food, take me back to the 1980,s.
I remember Pan Am/ TWA / AA/ BA ALL having quite good service as well, what happened, because it all went south very quickly in the 1990,s and I moved to European carriers. I spent my early business life on the North Atlantic and Arabian Gulf routes in the 1980,s as a young single man, quite, interesting as I remember !.
Security was also less for obvious reasons but we still had issues in Europe with Red Brigade / Barder Meinhof / IRA / PLO so we were not back in the 1960,s when all you needed was a ticket and passport, and you were through.
The seats in economy were bigger I believe, and if you look inside theVC10 at Duxford you can see the difference. However I agree with tdracer and his comments about Business class seats, and also inflight entertainment which is now in another league on some carriers to what was available back then. Also EXxb is correct flights did not seem to be so full, apart from during holiday periods, and there were not that many on the New York run especially for example. Also you did not have flights from the regional areas within the US as you get now, and the carriers were the aforementioned, with BCAL,Delta & NW at Gatwick, and that was it apart from charters as I remember (But it was a while ago, but those were the US / UK carriers I flew with back then). Thinking about I am not sure if Laker / Peoples Express/ Braniff/ World Airways / Virgin Atlantic were also not around then, but with very limited services so I did not use them.
Anyway apart from seat size in economy, I think on balance on the flying side I prefer flying today, however on the airports/ security/ service and to some degree in flight food, take me back to the 1980,s.
A check of my log book reveals a flight IAH-LGW on a Continental DC-10 just towards the end of 1988.
What can I recall? Sitting in the middle of that 5 seat row...horrible.An overhead projected film. A CF6 not a million miles from my ears reminding me of its presence every second of those 9 hours.
Now I'm sure I didn't have to take my shoes off at security and bringing a pre-duty free bottle or two of booze on board, but I can assure you the 777 I took from SEA to LHR just a few weeks ago was far more refined, a couple of buzzing Rollers, endless IFE, a relatively quiet cabin, better seat design and cabin lighting that was a little kinder on my eyes.
What can I recall? Sitting in the middle of that 5 seat row...horrible.An overhead projected film. A CF6 not a million miles from my ears reminding me of its presence every second of those 9 hours.
Now I'm sure I didn't have to take my shoes off at security and bringing a pre-duty free bottle or two of booze on board, but I can assure you the 777 I took from SEA to LHR just a few weeks ago was far more refined, a couple of buzzing Rollers, endless IFE, a relatively quiet cabin, better seat design and cabin lighting that was a little kinder on my eyes.
Late 80s on UA ORD to FRA in Business. I think it was the last row as there was one seat offset from the rest and had a large tray table next to it instead of another seat. I think it was next to a galley. Before take-off a FA was walking down the aisle with a bottle of Vueve Cliquot. I commented that it was my brand. She said 'Here' and handed it to me. As we backed out she took it back and put it on ice. I am sure I drank the whole thing over the Atlantic.
Another time going FRA to ORD I was in Business full fare. Checked in and was waiting in the area. Got called back to the desk. Agent told me I was being upgraded to First. I asked if I should thank her or the computer. She said 'Me'. I can only assume Business was full and they needed a seat and since I was Full Fare I got bumped up.
Ah, the good old days.
Another time going FRA to ORD I was in Business full fare. Checked in and was waiting in the area. Got called back to the desk. Agent told me I was being upgraded to First. I asked if I should thank her or the computer. She said 'Me'. I can only assume Business was full and they needed a seat and since I was Full Fare I got bumped up.
Ah, the good old days.
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seats were worse, in flight entertainment (??) was abysmal, food was better
costs were higher in real terms
less choice of destinations
there WAS service but it was variable in quality - now there is no service at all
costs were higher in real terms
less choice of destinations
there WAS service but it was variable in quality - now there is no service at all
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Almost in agreement with Heathrow Harry although I would argue that seats in Y were generally wider with a slightly better seat pitch than today. That may however be down to the fact that he and I flew on different carriers. For instance, I made quite a number of long haul flights on LTU's Tristar 500s in their original configuration. They were an extremely comfortable Y class experience. Later they added more and narrower seats which signalled the begining of the sardine age.
Paxing All Over The World
crewmeal No thanks for reminding me of that GHASTLY B Cal advert! It was ghastly then and worse now!!
North Worst Orient? I only ever used them internally of the US and that was MORE than enough.
My first Atlantic crossing was 1986 with VS in Upper (as it then was) on the LGW-EWR service (a 747-200, I think?) It was grand - for me and a newbie to the world of biz travel!
North Worst Orient? I only ever used them internally of the US and that was MORE than enough.
My first Atlantic crossing was 1986 with VS in Upper (as it then was) on the LGW-EWR service (a 747-200, I think?) It was grand - for me and a newbie to the world of biz travel!
At BA the piped music and film sound track for £1 or $2.50 (Pound was strong back in those days) on the 747s. But as limited as it was the quality was very good. 27 first class seats (ok the 70's now) always full on North Atlantic flights. Dinner and continental breakfast on all flights even BOS/YUL flights. Upper deck lounges that pax loved and stayed up there for most of the flight. Things started going downhill when they put 32 economy seats up there.
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Was lucky enough to fly BA First Class from LHR to JFK back in 1986, as a 16 year old; needless to say it was great.
Flown lots of BA Club and other carriers business class longhaul, since then and whilst things have moved on in the round, I am not sure the overall experience is special anymore. But it is very familiar.....
That said I used the BA LCY-JFK service a couple of years back and that did have a bit of magic about it and felt genuinely special.
Flown lots of BA Club and other carriers business class longhaul, since then and whilst things have moved on in the round, I am not sure the overall experience is special anymore. But it is very familiar.....
That said I used the BA LCY-JFK service a couple of years back and that did have a bit of magic about it and felt genuinely special.
BA was always a cut above the US operators (TW/PA back then) even 25-30 years ago. I flew with all three carriers in my teens when I first went to the States and none were bad but BA lead the way in both service and product.
On a BA flight from SEA to LHR in 1986 I asked to see the flight deck and not only was I allowed to but the Captain then invited me back for the landing. This was absolutely mind-blowing and a big contributing factor to why I ended up studying and working in aviation.
On a BA flight from SEA to LHR in 1986 I asked to see the flight deck and not only was I allowed to but the Captain then invited me back for the landing. This was absolutely mind-blowing and a big contributing factor to why I ended up studying and working in aviation.
