On a recent rainy day, I was looking at old newspapers from the year I was born (1956) and saw an interesting advertisement for TWA (Trans World Airlines). They were promoting a airfare from New York to San Francisco, for $140.00 RT. My first thought was it was not that expensive, but later I determined that in 1956, most households had one breadwinner and the typical salary was $3,000.00 a year (before taxes). So the airfare alone was almost a months pay!

We are so lucky today to be able to fly from coast to coast for a little over $200.00 RT, (if we use Priceline, Hotwire, Jet Blue or SW Airlines.)

Anyone have memories of what travel was like in the good old days?

FYI --
Using a COL calculator, $140 in 1956 is equivalent to $943.46 today.

And yet folks gripe because they still think fares are too high..........IMHO, flying is a bargain.

It may have cost $140, but that was probably the price for every seat.

If TWA used today's yield management, they would sell them for $30 with a 21-day notice to $250 at the last minute!

(I paid $1,500 for NY to LA not that long ago, so I'm not sure fares have changed that much. You can just get a better LEISURE deal now!)

I agree - I can remember as a kid, growing up here in southern Calif, a Dairy Queen large (huge) cone was $.25. I bought a large one (medium sized) yesterday and paid $2.11. Travel and electronic technology are about the only things I can think of that are as cheap or cheaper in inflation adjusted dollars.

And of course it depends on where you fly from or into.
I'm paying $265.00 to fly from my home in Kalispell Mt. to Seattle which is about 450 miles!!!

It's funny, but if I recall correctly, Mark Twain did a whole treatise on inflation in "A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court" ...this has always been left out of the movie versions.

My company recently purchased for me a ticket round trip on US Airways from Philadelphia to San Francisco for $2466 (coach!!!!). Unbelievable. Leisure fares are cheap, but they kill you on last minute tickets.

In 1976 I flew from Fort Lauderdale to Fairbanks, Alaska for around $350.00 (before deregulation.) We'll never see that again.

Have a look at this thread from the airlines forum:

http://fodors.com/forums/pgMessages....es=41&start=08

The late Western Airlines initiated SFO-LAX service in the 60s for $14 one way, which was copied by UAL and others (anyone remember Bonanza Airlines?) A startup called Air California then bought a couple of clapped out Electras and started serving Orange County (then called Santa Ana airport, hence its current code, SNA) from SFO for $18 as I recall. The Eastern Shuttle started about the same time. The race was on.

mixd
Your company needs a new TravelManager.There are consolidators out there who work on last minute trips with only a few nights stay.You could also fly into Oakland for less than half that AND taken a car service into SFO!

Heartburn,

A cost-of-living calculator says that $350 in 1976 is the equivalent of about $1,127.50 today. I'm pretty sure I could find a Ft. Lauderdale-Fairbanks ticket for that.

Now if you're talking about a $350 ticket today, no, you're right about that.

Why fly coast to coast? How about the heart and soul of America?

I recall flying first class on Pan American as a child quite a few years ago. The men wore coats and ties, the women nice dresses. Dinner was served on china, starting with caviar and champagne, follwed by a freshly tossed salad, then filet of beef from a carving station. Today as I look at my chicken, beef or pasta selection in coach I always have to laugh, since I didn't think those meals were anything special at the time, just waiting for my ice cream.