Only the rich and famous flew in the 1930s, but while it looked glamorous the planes were cold, loud and often dropped hundreds of feet.
Nowadays, tens of millions of Brits travel every year by plane for business or pleasure.
But 80 years ago, commercial plane travel was a whole different ball game.
In the 1930s, flying was only for the rich and famous – although there was a boom in aviation during the decade.
From 1930 to 1934 alone, the number of passengers flying with airlines in America shot up from 6,000 to 450,000, rising again to 1.2 million in 1938.
The planes were pretty basic though.
It was wise to stay strapped into your seat at all times because aircraft would often drop hundreds of feet suddenly and with no warning – which would have been uncomfortable if you were sat on the toilet.
Passengers would also have been very chilly, as there was very little heating on the planes.
The noise was deafening from the machines too, and cabin crew would often resort to shouting at passengers over megaphones so they could be heard.
While it was cold, loud and still very dangerous, flying in the 1930s was incredibly stylish for those who could afford it.
Travellers would be treated to three-course meals at tablecloths covered with linen and they would even be allowed to sleep on a flight – some sleeper planes had up to 20 beds.
While air travel was considerably quicker than travelling by land, it still too a very long time.
A trip from London to Singapore would take around eight days because of the refuelling stops required.
It wasn’t cheap either – that journey would cost £180, which works out at around £10,900 in today’s money.
Check out some vintage photos below:
