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.

The 1950s was a transformative "Golden Age" for aviation, beginning with the dominance of large propeller-driven "propliners" and ending with the dawn of the Jet Age. Early in the decade, the Douglas DC-6 and DC-7, along with the Lockheed Constellation (famous for its triple-tail design and pressurized cabin), were the workhorses of long-haul travel, allowing for transcontinental and transoceanic flights with higher levels of luxury. In 1952, the world's first commercial jetliner, the de Havilland Comet, entered service, though it was later grounded due to structural issues. The mid-to-late 50s saw the introduction of the turboprop Vickers Viscount and the legendary Boeing 707, which debuted in late 1958 and revolutionized travel by cutting flight times in half and flying above most weather turbulence. This era saw a shift from air travel being an exclusive luxury for the "jet set" toward a more industrialized, efficient system that set the stage for the mass-market aviation of the following decades.