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Only rich people used to be able to afford these things. It's fair to say that many of us take many aspects of 21st century life for granted. Our phones, our computers, our TVs... even a cup of tea! Yet for many people in decades and centuries gone by, the simple commodities we love today were once a luxury, which only the wealthiest members of society could afford. Flying became widely affordable beginning in 1978. Although commercial air travel had begun to gain momentum in the 1920's, it only really began to take off in the 1950's. Despite this, more than 80% of Americans had never been on a plane by 1958 due to the sky high prices. A round-trip ticket from Boston to Los Angeles cost the equivalent of $4,539 in 1941, compared to $480 in 2015. Cost aside, flights took significantly longer too. In 1941, for example, that same flight took longer than 15 hours and included 12 stops, compared to a direct flight of six hours in 2015. With all that in mind, it's safe to say that the early days of commercial air travel were very much a luxury for the rich. Source: MSN News - December 19, 2021 |
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