I traveled to Hawaii often in 70's . Early on, people got dressed up to fly - like going on a date or out to dinner at a nice restaurant. Men wore coats and ties, women wore dresses and high heels.
A stewardess friend, now Flight Attendants, said she knew the glamorous days of flying were coming to an end when a passenger boarded her 757 to Hawaii wearing slippers and curlers. Then there were the polyester leisure suits.
I flew several flights to and from HNL on a United 747 that had a piano bar in the center of the cabin and accessible to all flight classes. The five hour airborne parties to and from SFO were incredible. One flight had a Polka band, and people danced. (1972?)
The following is a nice article about the piano bar and different flight experience.
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/unroadwarrior/2010/07/21/the-747-piano-bar/
The 747 Piano Bar.
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I never experienced a piano bar, but I do remember getting dressed up...and smoking!
Great "trip" down memory lane. Thanks.
1) Airfares, in real dollars, are significantly cheaper today than in 1970
2) I'll take flat beds, live tv, video-on-demand, Internet, etc. over a piano bar
3) I don't want to wear a suit when flying (or most anywhere, including dates and nice dinners) and I genuinely don't care what other people wear
I flew Virgin Australia in business class. They had an on-board bar. No piano, but 4 or 5 seats and self-serve booze. I don't think anyone used it. And why would you? At my seat, I had their AVOD, my iPad, my computer, I could lie down, I could sit up, and the FA would bring food and drink to my seat. And all of this was while comfortably attired in the pjs they gave me. I will take that over standing at a piano bar smoking cigarettes in a suit every day.