Former TWA flight attendants reveal what they do and don’t miss about the ‘golden age’ of flying
The 1950s and 1960s are often seen as the golden age of air travel. But is the reputation deserved?
Here, two former flight attendants who worked in the air in the mid-20th century reveal what they do and don’t miss in this chapter of aviation, as well as outlining where they feel today’s airlines go wrong.
Kathy Kompare and Stephanie Johnson each worked for more than two decades as cabin crew for US airline Trans World Airlines (TWA), which they say was known as the “epitome of sophistication” in the airline industry in its heyday.
In conversation with MailOnline Travel, they reveal that ‘service with a smile’ is one of the hallmarks of these so-called ‘glamor years’ that they miss in today’s air travel.
They also look back with pleasure on the ‘delicious food, full of caviar and all the trimmings’ and ‘Chateaubriand [a beef dish] and rack of lamb cooked to order’.
Stephanie Johnson worked as a flight attendant for the US airline Trans World Airlines (TWA) for more than two decades. She’s pictured above on a flight with singer Dean Martin – the downcast faces are because the flight was delayed
Kathy Kompare (above) notes that in its heyday, TWA was known as the ’embodiment of sophistication’ in the airline industry
The 1950s and 1960s are often seen as the golden age of air travel. But is the reputation deserved? Above is a stock image of a TWA plane in San Francisco in 1963
Kompare and Johnson similarly reminisce about how the crew were able to take advantage of limo transfers to the plane, were accommodated in five-star hotels with room service and “nice swimming pools” during layovers – and had their hair cut at the luxury Harrods department store while they in London.
There are plenty of vintage features airlines should bring back for contemporary cabin crew, they say, such as “quality” uniforms; ‘nice’ food services; ‘friendliness of service’; ‘smiling flight attendants’; more legroom (‘more comfort for passengers would calm everyone down’) and bigger seats.
Another habit they think should be revived? ‘Knowing and using names in first grade’, they reveal.
Describing where they think modern airlines are going wrong, they say one of the points is “not stressing to their frontline workers that they are still providing customer service in a professional and pleasant manner.”
The pair – who recently published a book about their time on the air, True stories of TWA flight attendants – explain: ‘Small acts of kindness are remembered by customers. And your passengers are your customers!’
When asked what modern-day flight attendants could learn from TWA flight attendants of yesteryear, Kompare and Johnson say, “Professional demeanor, manners, and basically how to have fun with your passengers.”
Buffet passengers served on a TWA flight in 1955
Kompare and Johnson look back fondly on the ‘delicious food, brimming with caviar and all the trimmings’ and ‘Chateaubriand and rack of lamb cooked to order’. Pictured on the left is a TWA flight attendant in 1954 and on the right a TWA cabin crew member sees two children on a 1953 flight
TWA flight attendant Johnson in the galley of a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar aircraft
‘Knowing and using names in first class’ is a hallmark of golden age travel that Johnson (above) and Kompare thought should be revived today. Kompare and Johnson believe there are plenty of vintage features airlines should bring back for contemporary cabin crew, such as “quality” uniforms and “nice” food services
However, there are also certain traits in 21st century flight attendants that the authors admire. They say, ‘Southwest Airlines in the United States has a lot of comedians! Their PA announcements are smart.”
Which airlines are doing well? According to the authors, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines and Qatar Airways are at the top of the podium thanks to the quality of their customer service.
But when it comes to glamour, Kompare and Johnson believe Emirates trumps its rival airlines in this day and age.
Nostalgia aside, there’s plenty from the “glamor” years of aviation that Kompare and Johnson are happy about.
Kompare and Johnson reminisce about how the crew were accommodated in five-star hotels with room service and “beautiful pools” during layovers. Above, a couple is served dinner on a 1955 TWA flight
True Tales of TWA Flight Attendants: Memoirs and Memories from the Golden Age of Flying by Kathy Kompare and Stephanie Johnson is now on sale
A major drawback was the “grooming rules” that flight attendants had to adhere to, including wearing a seatbelt, wearing only a certain shade of lipstick, and making sure fingernails were polished.
There were also strict rules that they had to adhere to when it came to the length and color of their hair.
Undergoing weight checks was another factor – Kompare and Johnson reveal they were expected to be ‘fit, not fat’, with this attitude leading to three flight attendants being sent home from TWA training for losing a quarter pound were heavier than the weight limit.
When it came to jewelry, there was an unbending limit on the number of rings flight attendants could wear and they were only allowed to wear one necklace.
And something they look back on with disbelief? It’s the fact that flight attendants were required to clean up passenger waste on silver trays, they reveal.
True Stories of TWA Flight Attendants: Memoirs and Memories from the Golden Age of Flight by Kathy Kompare and Stephanie Johnson and published by Telemachus Press is on sale now for £13.