Remember when flying was something special? Back when people dressed up in their Sunday best just to board a plane? Well, it turns out that alongside those fancy outfits came some truly weird behaviors that would shock today’s travelers. From smoking like chimneys to wandering around during turbulence, the golden age of air travel had some truly head-scratching moments. Ready for a trip down memory lane to discover the strangest things people used to do in the friendly skies?
Smoking was not just allowed but expected
It’s hard to believe now, but planes used to be filled with smoke from front to back. Not only was smoking allowed, but airlines actually handed out free cigarettes with meals! Those tiny armrest ashtrays weren’t decorative—they were essential equipment. Flight attendants would walk down the aisle with cigarette carts, offering different brands to passengers as if they were serving drinks. The entire cabin would be foggy with smoke, and nobody thought twice about lighting up next to a baby or pregnant woman.
What’s even crazier is that smoking was permitted in the cockpit too. Pilots could puff away while flying the plane, sometimes with ash floating around sensitive equipment. It wasn’t until the 1980s that smoking sections were introduced, which did almost nothing since smoke doesn’t respect invisible boundaries. The full smoking ban on domestic flights didn’t happen until 1990, and even then, many international flights continued to allow it for years afterward. Today’s air purifiers would have been working overtime back then!
Bringing live animals as regular passengers
Before strict regulations existed, people brought all sorts of creatures onboard as if planes were flying zoos. Passengers would show up with everything from parrots perched on shoulders to monkeys in handbags. There are documented cases of people bringing full-sized dogs that sat in seats (sometimes their own ticketed seats), cats that roamed freely through the cabin, and even the occasional chicken or duck. Unlike today’s service animals or pets in carriers, these animals were often completely loose in the cabin.
One particularly bizarre trend in the 1950s and 60s was bringing exotic pets back from vacation destinations. Tourists visiting places like Florida or the Caribbean would purchase baby alligators, iguanas, or unusual birds and simply carry them onto the plane in paper bags or small boxes with air holes. Nobody questioned it! Flight attendants from this era have shared stories about helping passengers corral escaped animals from overhead bins or under seats. Today’s travel pet carriers would have saved everyone a lot of trouble.
Moving around during severe turbulence
Seatbelt signs were more like gentle suggestions in the early days of commercial flight. When the plane hit rough air, passengers often continued wandering the aisles as if nothing was happening. People would stand in groups chatting, children would play games in the aisles, and nobody seemed particularly concerned about suddenly becoming a human projectile. Flight attendants have reported serving drinks during moderate turbulence, balancing trays while bracing themselves against seat backs as the plane bounced through the sky.
The attitude toward turbulence was remarkably casual. Passengers would joke about “bumpy rides” while continuing card games in the aisle. There are stories of people actually standing up to look out the windows when the plane hit rough air, curious about what was causing the commotion. Airlines didn’t enforce seatbelt rules strictly, and many passengers saw turbulence as part of the adventure rather than a safety concern. Only after several serious injuries in the 1970s did airlines begin to take turbulence more seriously, leading to today’s strict “remain seated” policies. Modern seatbelt extenders weren’t even needed since rules weren’t enforced!
Bringing full picnic meals onboard
Before tight security and liquid restrictions, passengers treated planes like picnic grounds. Families would board with entire homemade meals packed in baskets and coolers – fried chicken, sandwiches, pasta salads, and even bottles of wine or thermoses of soup. Nobody questioned bringing outside food, and the smell of someone’s homemade lasagna might fill the entire cabin. People would set up elaborate spreads across multiple tray tables, sometimes even bringing their own tablecloths and real cutlery from home.
The practice was so common that airlines didn’t mind – it was expected that passengers would supplement the airline’s meal service with their own favorites. On longer flights, people would pack multiple meals and snacks, creating mini-buffets in their seats. Some older flight attendants recall passengers bringing in hot food in insulated containers that they’d plug into cigarette lighter ports to keep warm during the flight. Today’s travelers with their travel snack containers have nothing on the feast-like approach of earlier decades!
Children sitting on parents’ laps for entire flights
Safety standards for children on planes used to be virtually non-existent. Babies and toddlers routinely flew without any seat of their own, regardless of the flight’s duration. Parents would hold infants on their laps for entire transcontinental or even international flights. What’s more surprising is that during takeoff and landing – the most dangerous parts of flight – children would still be sitting unrestrained on laps. Multiple children from the same family might share a single seat, with siblings piling on top of each other like kittens.
For slightly older children, the rules were equally loose. Kids would sleep on the floor of the cabin or across multiple seats without seatbelts. Parents created makeshift beds using blankets in the overhead compartments for infants on long flights. Some airlines even encouraged this behavior by helping parents create “floor beds” for children on overnight flights. Flight attendants would show parents how to arrange blankets and pillows to make comfortable sleeping spaces for kids in completely unsecured areas of the plane. Today’s parents with their child safety harnesses would be shocked!
Going into the cockpit during flight
Before heightened security concerns, the cockpit was practically a tourist attraction mid-flight. Passengers would routinely ask to visit the pilots, and they were almost always welcomed in with open arms. Children were especially encouraged to visit, with pilots handing out wing pins and letting kids sit in the co-pilot’s seat – while the plane was in the air! Adults would pop in to chat with the flight crew, take photos, and sometimes even bring the pilots drinks or snacks from the cabin.
The cockpit visits weren’t quick peek-ins either. Passengers might spend 15-20 minutes chatting with the pilots, learning about the controls, and enjoying the view from the front windows. On overnight flights, people would visit the cockpit to see the stars better, as the view was unmatched from the pilot’s perspective. Some airlines had formal programs where passengers could sign up for cockpit visits during cruise altitude. Pilots would explain the instruments and sometimes let visitors touch non-critical controls or wear their aviation headsets to listen to air traffic control communications.
Dressing in formal attire for flights
Flying used to be a special occasion that demanded your Sunday best. Men wore full suits with ties, dress shoes, and hats, while women dressed in their finest dresses, heels, gloves, and often hats with hatpins. This wasn’t just for first class – everyone dressed up regardless of ticket type. People would spend hours preparing their outfits before a flight, treating the airport like a fashion runway. The idea of wearing sweatpants or even jeans on a plane would have been considered shocking and inappropriate.
What made this practice particularly bizarre by today’s standards is that people maintained this formal dress code even for red-eye flights or journeys lasting 10+ hours. Women would sleep in their pearls and stockings rather than change into something comfortable. Men kept their suit jackets on throughout the flight. Some airlines even had unwritten dress codes and could refuse boarding to passengers deemed “inappropriately dressed.” Flight attendants were known to offer complimentary ties to men who arrived without them! Today’s travelers with their travel pillows and comfort-focused approach would be considered scandalously underdressed.
Partying with complete strangers mid-flight
Flights used to be much more social experiences, with the cabin turning into something resembling a flying cocktail party. Passengers would routinely change seats to chat with strangers, play cards, or share drinks. On longer flights, impromptu parties would break out in the back of the plane, with people standing in aisles, sitting on armrests, and passing around bottles of alcohol. Flight attendants not only allowed this behavior but often joined in, sometimes bringing out extra drinks or snacks to fuel the festivities.
The social aspect went beyond casual chatting. People exchanged business cards, made plans to meet up at their destinations, and sometimes even formed lasting friendships or business partnerships. There are numerous stories of romances that began on flights from this era, with couples meeting in the air and becoming engaged within months. Some airlines actively encouraged this socializing by creating lounge areas on larger aircraft where passengers could gather, or by hosting “get to know your fellow traveler” events on longer flights. Today’s noise-canceling headphones would have been considered antisocial!
The next time you grumble about airplane rules or restrictions, remember that flying used to be a lot wilder – but not necessarily safer. Those bizarre behaviors from aviation’s past may seem fun or freeing, but many of today’s regulations exist because someone got hurt doing exactly those things. Still, it’s hard not to feel a little nostalgic for a time when air travel came with fewer rules and a lot more personality, even if it meant dealing with smoke-filled cabins and loose animals running down the aisle!
