Jet passenger service began in the United States in the late 1950s with the introduction of Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 airliners. Some 707 flights were all-first class, others all tourist class, and others a mix separated by partitions. The jet engine revolutionized air travel.
At the end of 1960 the jet age in scheduled air trans- portation was two years old. Despite the fact, as shown in the text and tables, the industry flew more people, more goods and more mail than ever before, the financial picture for 1960 was dis- couraging from the profit standpoint.
During the 1950s, airlines promoted commercial air travel as glamorous: stewardesses served full meals on real china, airline seats were large (and frequently empty) with ample legroom, and passengers always dressed well.
During the '50s, a huge portion of the American population purchased a set of wheels, giving them the opportunity to hit the open road and live the American dream. Come 1960, airports had expanded globally to provide both international and domestic flights to passengers.
On 26 January 1950, the Douglas C-54 Skymaster serial number 42-72469 disappeared en route from Alaska to Montana, with 44 people aboard. The aircraft made its last radio contact two hours into its eight-hour flight.
The next largest (but substantially smaller) carriers in 1950 were, in order, Northwest, Capital, Delta, National, Braniff, Western, Chicago & Southern, Mid-Continent, and Continental. Some of those airlines were later acquired by others, some went bankrupt, and a few emerged stronger, especially Delta.
Despite being known as the golden age of air travel, flying in the '50s was not cheap. In fact, a roundtrip flight from Chicago to Phoenix could cost today's equivalent of $1,168 when adjusted for inflation.
Back in 1975, things were simple. All fares were refundable and bundled with a plethora of services. According to a contemporary edition of the OAG North American Edition, the cheapest unrestricted one-way flight on American Airlines cost $138 including taxes.