# International Flying in the '30s



## jis (Jan 27, 2014)

I found this very interesting article posted on airliners.net, which I thought at least a few here might enjoy. Notice the Sleeper Service on _Imperial Airways_ from London to India and Australia! We have now come a full circle to have lie flat sleeper service again after so many years of its absence!

http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/this-reminds-me-of-those-animations-in-the-indiana-jone-1472823606/@nathanmasters

The airport that was used in Calcutta back then is still _Calcutta Airport_ today. It was then known as _Dum Dum Airport_. The airport used in Delhi was _Safderjung Airport_, which is not an airport anymore. The current airport, originally known as _Palam Airport_ came into being much later.

Notice that _VIA Rail Canada_ has borrowed the idea of traveling by day and staying in hotels at night as in the _Skeena _route, from the standard practice in commercial aviation in its early days.


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 27, 2014)

Great find jis! Thanks for Posting! :hi:


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## Ispolkom (Jan 27, 2014)

jis said:


> Notice that _VIA Rail Canada_ has borrowed the idea of traveling by day and staying in hotels at night as in the _Skeena _route, from the standard practice in commercial aviation in its early days.


There was also the rail-train combo by the predecessor of TWA, which crossed the United States mixing day flying with night trains:

"a 48-hour train/plane trip with the first leg being on the Pennsylvania Railroad overnight from New York City to Columbus, Ohio, where passengers boarded a plane at Port Columbus International Airport that included stops in Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Wichita, and finally Waynoka, Oklahoma. There, passengers caught the Santa Fe Railroad for an overnight trip to Clovis, New Mexico, where they would take a flight to Albuquerque, Winslow, Az., Los Angeles, or San Francisco."


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## caravanman (Jan 27, 2014)

I must admit that the idea of flying around the world in smaller stages quite appeals to me! Would love being able to get off the plane after a few hours and overnight in a hotel... I find the long hauls quite taxing these days, sitting in my budget 31" seat...

Certainly folk from my blue collar background would not have afforded to go far afield in those days... Hurrah for today's budget fares!

Ed


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## railiner (Jan 28, 2014)

jis said:


> I found this very interesting article posted on airliners.net, which I thought at least a few here might enjoy. Notice the Sleeper Service on _Imperial Airways_ from London to India and Australia! We have now come a full circle to have lie flat sleeper service again after so many years of its absence!
> 
> http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/this-reminds-me-of-those-animations-in-the-indiana-jone-1472823606/@nathanmasters
> 
> ...


Nice find...thanks!

As for VIA 'borrowing the idea.....', I think it more likely they 'borrowed' the idea from the practice of the Rocky Mountaineer....


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## George Harris (Jan 30, 2014)

caravanman said:


> I must admit that the idea of flying around the world in smaller stages quite appeals to me! Would love being able to get off the plane after a few hours and overnight in a hotel... I find the long hauls quite taxing these days, sitting in my budget 31" seat...
> 
> Certainly folk from my blue collar background would not have afforded to go far afield in those days... Hurrah for today's budget fares!
> 
> Ed


To give you a picture on that: In 1990 when i first went to Taipei the trip was about $2,000 from Memphis TN. Looking at a 1950 Railroad Official Guide, yes that had airline information in them in those days, you could on Northwest fly from Memphis to Taipei. It of course took quite a bit longer, but the fare was at that time about $2,000. However, at that time, a job paying $500 a moth was considered a good paying white collar job, at least in the Southeast. Far more than that by 1990.


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