Over the 113 years since the first airplane passenger, Leon Delagrange, climbed aboard with French pilot Henri Farman, air travel has gone through drastic changes. Commercial aircraft have seen incredible technological developments. Many airlines have come and gone. And the procedures passengers go through, including the way they board jets, are almost nothing like they were back in the day.
But a few of the things airline customers have come to expect had their beginnings a century ago. The first flight attendant was aboard a zeppelin in 1912. The first onboard meal, a cold one, was served on a flight from London to Paris in 1919, according to Fortune magazine. Aeromarine Airways showed the first in-flight movie, a film called “Howdy Chicago,” in 1921 as its amphibious airplane flew passengers over Chicago, CNN said.
Passengers didn’t get their first frequent-flyer program until 1979, but they were allowed to smoke on domestic flights until 1990. (This is the world’s busiest air route.)
Check out the list of changes in air travel below.
Click here to see 50 ways air travel has changed over the last 100 years
1908: First airplane passenger
[in-text-ad]
1912: First flight attendant (on a zeppelin)
24/7 Wall St.
1914: First scheduled passenger service
1919: First on-board (cold) meal served
[in-text-ad-2]
1921: First in-flight film
1922: First airplane flight attendant
[in-text-ad]
1928: First hot in-flight meal served
24/7 Wall St.
1928: First female airline co-pilot (volunteer)
1930: First female flight attendant (“stewardess”)
[in-text-ad-2]
1933: First modern airliner built
1934: First female airline co-pilot (official)
[in-text-ad]
1935: First air traffic control tower
1939: First airport lounge
1939: First nonstop trans-Atlantic flight
[in-text-ad-2]
1940: First pressured cabin
1948: Coach fares introduced
[in-text-ad]
1949: First domestic “no frills” airline
24/7 Wall St.
1951: First commercial jet airliner
1953: First nonstop transcontinental flight
[in-text-ad-2]
1958: First covered airport jet bridge
1958: First Black flight attendant
[in-text-ad]
1960: First automated reservation system
1965: Overlapping nationwide radar system completed
1965: First Black commercial airline pilot
[in-text-ad-2]
1966: First trans-Atlantic “no frills” airline
1968: Mandatory flight attendant retirement age lifted
[in-text-ad]
1969: Wide-body jet introduced
1972: Passenger screening begins
1975: First in-flight video games
[in-text-ad-2]
1976: First female airline captain
1978: Airline industry deregulated
[in-text-ad]
1979: First frequent-flyer program
1988: First seat-back video screens
1990: Smoking banned on all domestic flights
[in-text-ad-2]
1994: First e-ticket issued
1995: First self-service check-in kiosk installed
[in-text-ad]
1996: First independent flight reservation service
2000: First in-flight wifi
2001: Transportation Security Administration (TSA) formed
[in-text-ad-2]
2001: Food service stops on most major airlines
2003: Reinforced cockpit doors installed on major U.S. airlines
[in-text-ad]
2005: Superjumbo jets introduced
2006: Limits on carry-on liquids introduced
2007: Smartphone boarding passes accepted for first time
[in-text-ad-2]
2008: Checked baggage charges introduced
2008: Global Entry begins at some airports
[in-text-ad]
2011: TSA PreCheck introduced
2018: Airlines begin charging for seat assignments
2021: U.S. requires passengers and crews to wear masks
Cash Back Credit Cards Have Never Been This Good
Credit card companies are at war, handing out free rewards and benefits to win the best customers. A good cash back card can be worth thousands of dollars a year in free money, not to mention other perks like travel, insurance, and access to fancy lounges. See our top picks for the best credit cards today. You won’t want to miss some of these offers.
Flywheel Publishing has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Flywheel Publishing and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
