How did the 1970s change air travel forever?

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Big winds of social revolutions and innovation brought winds of change to air travel.

Stewardesses fought back and became flight attendants.

It started when the1968, federal courts struck down the rules forbidding marriage and age requirements, for stewardesses. This action skyrocketed the momentum that zoomed into the 1970s with two major landmark changes for airline flight crews. Under pressure, rules against flight attendants being pregnant were withdrawn by most airlines. A major significant change in a landmark 1971 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that airlines could not discriminate against men after Celio Diaz Jr. who claimed his two applications for Pan Am were rejected on the basis of gender.

By contrast, at the same time, Southwest Airline stewardesses wore hot pants as their uniform, and National Airlines spent $9.5 million on a 1971 campaign that read “I’m Cheryl. Fly Me.”  The commercial aroused anger in some people, but National claimed that it saw a 23 percent bump in passenger traffic as a result.

Some stewardesses reacted to airlines sexiness sells and joined national feminist organizations to form a group called “Stewardesses for Women’s Rights.” When National Airlines forced flight attendants to wear “Fly Me” buttons, members of the group made and wore buttons that read “Go Fly Yourself.”

With all these changes the to remove the gender bias of the job, the term “Flight Attendant” replaced “Stewardess” while the same basic job same basic jobs remain: to tend the passengers’ needs and safety.

Bigger Planes reinvented air travel

 

Welcome abroad travel in the 1970s on board big 747’s spacious, classy interiors that changed air travel. Enjoy a visit with these views of actual 747 cabins in Traveling in a Boeing 747.

And give a fond farewell to the 747 from today’s air travel and discover the Five Ways Boeing’s 747 jumbo jet changed travel

 

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Judy Kundert

Judy Kundert, a recipient of the Marquis Who’s Who Excellence in Authorship award, loves storytelling, from folk and fairy tales to classics for elementary school children. She authors award-winning middle-grade novels designed to inspire and intrigue children. After she left her career as a United Airlines stewardess, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University, Chicago and a Master of Arts from DePaul University, Chicago. Most recently, she completed a master’s Certificate in Public Relations and Marketing from the University of Denver. For fun, she likes reading (usually three or four books at a time), watching movies from the oldies to the current films, traveling, biking, and hiking in vast Colorado outdoors with her husband. Learn more at www.judykundert.com.You can find me at the foot of the Colorado Rocky Mountains hiking, biking

2 Comments

  1. Maxie Taylor on May 22, 2018 at 8:08 pm

    I was flew during the late 60’s and early 70’s.

    • Judy Kundert on July 9, 2018 at 5:13 pm

      Hi Maxie,

      Which airline was your employer in the 60’s and 70’s? What were your most interesting experiences?

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