That cozy, old school cabin photo of a Delta Air Lines L1011 TriStar from the 1980s is getting people talking for one simple reason: it looks roomy. Wider looking aisles, big overhead bins, and that warm lighting that makes the whole cabin feel like a different era of flying.Delta's own history of the L1011 explains why it felt that way. The airline called it "high, wide and handsome," noting a cabin about 8 feet high and 19 feet wide, plus wider aisles and large entry doors designed to make boarding and deplaning easier.Delta's first revenue L1011 flight was on Dec. 15, 1973 from Atlanta to Philadelphia, and the airline ultimately flew 70 of the type, the largest L1011 fleet in the industry.Delta retired the L1011 in 2001, after decades of domestic and international flying, including transatlantic and transpacific routes. And over time, the industry shifted hard toward efficiency and packing more people into each flight, especially after U.S. airline deregulation in 1978 changed how airlines competed. Looking at this cabin, you can see why so many travelers say, "Yeah... they really don't make it like that anymore."
because the average american wasn't 250 pounds back then. so packing the pax in like anchovies was more tolerable, and bags didn't cost $75 extra, they were included, so the cabin wasn't overstuffed with carry on bags, so the bins didn't have to be as bulky. also, most jumbo jets have higher ceilings, that's how circles work.t. been on those old planes, back in the "good old days"
>>2062036Airlines hadn't started charging extra for checked baggage yet, flights often weren't completely full, so less overhead bin space was needed. A modern widebody can be ordered the same way (without middle overhead storage), but the demand for that space is so great now that no airline would.The warm lighting is probably because the film/photo was old and the photographer didn't have a filter for fluorescent lighting. They were bright white inside, at least while on the ground.The service was better then, unquestionably. Seat width and pitch was better in economy too. It took quite a while for the full effects of deregulation to manifest, the 80s were holdover regulated years where change was slow to happen because low cost carrier service was still limited compared to the majors.
