When Flying Was Fun by Karla Stover

   

Find Karla's books here

By the Same Author:

A Line to Murder

Murder: When One Isn't Enough

Wynter's Way

Parlor Girls

  In 2015 actor Brad Pitt began protesting conditions of caged chickens. [ The ] "birds producing eggs for your shelves are crammed five or more into cages that are not large enough for even one hen to spread her wings," he said. "They deserve better." Would that he'd taken on airplanes. According to finance.yahoo.com, "airline carriers are reducing [the]“pitch,” which is the distance from one seat to the one in front of it in order to fit in extra rows. Forbes reports that “pitch” has shrunk in coach sections from 34 inches to around 31 inches, or sometimes even less. This allows airlines to fit more seats."

    However, there was a time when flying was a pleasant experience, and in her book, Child P.O.W. A Memoir of Survival, author A.L. Finch describes the trip to the Philippines she and her mother took just prior to the beginning of World War 11.

    "We were met at the Pan American terminal by uniformed personal," she wrote, "and uniformed personnel took our bags. We were greeted warmly as though we were expected guests."

    Please allow me to digress for a moment. My entire working career was spent at the brokerage house Merrill Lynch where my husband and I not only invested in Pan Am but also bought the stock to give away when gifts such as graduation were called for. According to Wikipedia, it "epitomized the luxury and glamour of intercontinental travel." Sadly, the company went bankrupt when deregulation came along.

    However, back to Finch's trip. Her plane was called the Pacific Clipper. To boardshe walked across a "large landscaped patio and a ramp with cables attached to stanchions." Once on board, a uniformed gentleman assisted her. The inside, she said, was "richly decorated, and reminded her of a Pullman train car. There was plenty of walking-around room; the windows were large and the seats were wide and comfortable, resembling her living room furniture at home. Curtained beds folded down from the ceiling. "One  climbed a ladder and crawled in."

    The plane had a double deck with a top level for the crew and equipment: flight controls, radio equipment, etc. She knew this because passengers were given tours. A circular staircase connected the two levels. In those days, flights such as this one made a number of stopovers so chefs had access to fresh food. 

    While a galley crew was getting meals ready, fresh fruit, warm croissants, lobster, prime rib, passengers were given headphones and plenty to listen to: music, audio books, and radio programs. Finch had access to a lounge but VIPs had their own deluxe area. Pan Am also had a plane-to-shore lending library to access during stop-overs.

    Finch devoted 23 pages of her book describing the flight. I have a few words I could use to describe my last flight.

    Where is Brad Pitt when you need him?