The Golden Age of Travel was something else. Flight attendants and passengers dressed like the airplane was their runway. Champagne, cigars and caviar floated freely. Leg space wasn’t a luxury only a few could afford. And come bedtime, the cocktail party turned into a slumber party on certain airplanes. It was a time when there were bunk beds in the skies.
When Air New Zealand announced its plans to introduce bunk beds in 2020, it may have sounded like a novel idea. However, it had been borrowed from decades ago. In the 1950s, Pan Am airways operated flights on the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, which was an epitome of luxury. After passengers indulged in decadent meals of beef roast and cocktails, they retired in the couchette above their seats. Instead of storing baggage in the overhead compartment, passengers used it to drift off to sleep.
Other airplanes such as Martin M-130, Lockheed Constellations and Douglas DC-6s operated by airlines such as KLM and the now-defunct Trans World Airline had beds in both the upper and lower berths. They came with mattresses, Pullman-style curtains for privacy, windows, reading lights, and even breakfast in bed. A round-trip coach ticket from New York to London in a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser cost approximately $580 (Rs42,562) in those days.
Today, travel is nothing like it used to be. The seats are cramped to accommodate many more people and burgers and sandwiches have replaced beef roast stuffed in little foil boxes. And while Air New Zealand has plans underway to introduce bunk beds that economy passengers can buy a slot for at an additional price, it may never look the same:
