Flying in the 1920s–30s: Expensive, Loud & Uncomfortable!Flying in the 1920s–30s: Expensive, Loud & Uncomfortable!A round trip from NYC to LA costs $260 — half the price of a new car! A round trip from NYC to LA costs $260 — half the price of a new car!Planes weren’t pressurized yet. They flew low, often through wind and storms — making passengers cold and very air sickSome passengers even suffered permanent hearing loss. Attendees used megaphones to be heard!In 1930, the first stewardess was hired. Most early flight attendants were nurses, trained to help with air sickness and anxiety.Early airports were barely more than open fields. Eventually, they got paved runways and basic navigation tools.Many early commercial planes were leftover WWI aircraft. But by the late 1930s, luxurious airliners with lounges and beds began appearing.In 1939, the first pressurized airliner flew. Planes could now fly higher — giving smoother, quieter, and more pleasant flightsIn 1929, only 6,000 people flew yearly. By 1939, over 1.2 million passengers were flying — aviation was on the rise!