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IN-FLIGHT MEAL SERVICE, 1979

DOMINI CLARK

For more than 100 years, photographers and photo librarians have preserved an extraordinary collection of 20th-century news photography for The Globe and Mail. Every Monday, The Globe features one of these images. This month, we’re remembering the golden age of air travel.

The 1970s is considered by many to be the peak era of in-flight dining. As deregulation saw competition heat up and economy class grow in popularity, airlines needed to distinguish their first-class amenities. As seen in this Pan Am image from 1979, meal service was sumptuous. Caviar was nearly as common as pretzels are today, whole fruits were cut to order and lobster was the preferred white meat. Japan Airlines had a Teahouse in the Sky lounge on its 747 “Garden Jet.” In what was a novel move at the time, the now-defunct French airline Union de Transports Aériens hired famed chef Raymond Oliver to improve its gourmet cuisine. Portions were considerable and options were plentiful, with some airlines offering around 20 different menus. By the 1980s, though, the frills started to fade away as the era of penny-pinching and low-cost airlines began.

Subscribers and registered users of globeandmail.com can dig deeper into our News Photo Archive at tgam.ca/newsphotoarchive.

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2021-06-14T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-06-14T07:00:00.0000000Z

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