Vintage photos from the Golden Age of airline travel

With glamorous air hostesses and in-flight shaving bars, flying was the epitome of sophistication during the 1950s and 60s.

Boeing 707-138 interior, 1965.

A quick jaunt overseas is nothing like it used to be. With glamorous air hostesses, flowing drinks, in-flight shaving bars and the novelty of plane food, flying was the epitome of sophistication during the 1950s and 60s. So much so, not even the nicotine-stained cabins could deter travellers.

And for Australia’s largest airline Qantas, the same thing goes.

Inside the Qantas archive

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Burgeoning from an outback airstrip in the 1920s into one of the world’s leading airlines, Qantas was started by entrepreneurs Hudson Fysh, Paul McGuinness and Fergus McMaster in Western Queensland as a mail service for farmers.

From maintaining vital air links during the Second World War to assisting in evacuation efforts in the wake of natural disasters, the carrier has undergone numerous iterations during its century-long history.

Since flight hostesses became one of the most visible marketing symbols for the airline, the Qantas fleet has housed some of Australia’s most iconic moments, including cricket legend David Boon’s drinking record for consuming 52 cans of beer on a flight to London ahead of the 1989 Ashes.

So, 100 years on, how does flying compare to how it was back then? Here, photos from deep within Qantas’ archive show just how much has changed since the airline synonymous with the crimson kangaroo first took to the sky.