A Blast from the Past
During their 70th anniversary, the company introduced the public to some of their old menu cards from the past.
They also showed off what constituted the in-flight meals in the generations before.
Needless to say, one can instantly tell that flying in the past was a different era of travel.
Lobster, Wine, and Souffles Were Standard Fare
One of the striking images from the Scandinavian Airlines release is of a chef preparing a meal for a passenger.
He stands in the aisle with his tall toque blanche and ascot, creating a plate where middle-aged men smile through their hunger.
The flight attendants are seen in almost every image serving wine from the bottle.
You can see roasted potatoes, lobster, and even souffles served to customers.
There was even a giant fruit tray passed around the cabin, even in the “economy” seating.
If you are a veteran of flying, you’ll also notice that there is a lot more legroom in these older airplanes than there is today.
You can also see the difference in attitude that the general public had about travel.
Almost everyone in the anniversary images is in their Sunday best, wearing suits and dresses.
Can You Imagine Scaling a Fish While Flying?
There’s a black-and-white image of a chef or flight attendant with Scandinavian Airlines preparing a snack for passengers in the aisle.
He has an entire station at his disposal.
There are a couple of loaves of bread, some sausages, and what appears to be a smoked fish.
The chef is using a sharp blade to scale the fish while the airplane is in mid-flight.
Can you imagine an era when large, sharp items were regularly used to provide passengers with a world-class flying experience?
Now there’s even controversy about the shape of the bottles that you can take on an airplane.
The emphasis in the past was on the experience instead of the profits.
Although some of the examples are still available to first-class passengers on some flights, it is clear to see that travel today has a different emphasis to it.
