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Brian Lehrer: Foreign. Brian Lehrer on WNYC. After being through so much heavy stuff on the show today, we're going to end on a post-Thanksgiving weekend kind of lighter note. Now that your Thanksgiving travel is hopefully completed, we will end today with a call-in on the question how has air travel in the United States or any form of travel gotten better or worse over the course of your lifetime? 212-433-WNYC 212-433-9692. Again, how has air travel in the United States or any form of travel gotten better or worse over the course of your lifetime? 212-433-9692. On air travel in particular, we'll tell you what the news hook is in a second, but tell us how it's changed.

What do you miss? What do you think is better now, if anything? 212-433-WNYC 433-9692. You can also text with a story about this or an opinion about this and you can pick any decade to compare and contrast. Here's the news hook. Nearly 82 million people travel for Thanksgiving, with roughly 73 million traveling by car and 9 million traveling by air, according to the AAA. Ahead of the holidays, the US Department of Transportation released a video on travel etiquette. It begins with a montage of viral videos of travel faux pas on airplanes. Faux pas might be a nice way to put it for some of this. People yelling at each other, bad behavior, but then also bare feet, is that a faux pas?

That kind of stuff. Then, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, himself dressed in a suit, says this.

Sean Duffy: Things aren't what they used to be. Some would call it the golden age of travel. Let's bring civility and manners back. Ask yourself, are you helping a pregnant woman put her bag in the overhead bin? Are you dressing with respect? Are you keeping control of your children?

Brian Lehrer: Let's bring back some 1950s music in the background as well. Things aren't what they used to be. Some would call it the golden age of travel, meaning the past. Let's bring civility and manners back. Ask yourself, are you helping a pregnant woman put her bag in the overhead bin? Are you dressing with respect? That's my raising a lot of eyebrows. Are you keeping control of your children? It may be true that passengers are behaving differently, but air travel in particular is also different these days. He doesn't seem to be saying about the airlines that they should also go back to a golden age of travel.

Did you see the article in the Times on the golden age of air travel? The author writes, "Back in the '50s and '60s, passengers, well dressed, of course, and with perfect manners, could count on hot meals on China, plenty of leg room, the occasional piano bar, even wool blankets. Those days are gone," said that article. We're going to open up the phones for you who remember the good old days, if they were good old days of air travel. Tell us how it's changed. What do you miss? What, if anything, do you think is better now? 212-433-WNYC. 433-9692, and again, you can pick any decade to compare and contrast.

We can say that there are some things that are better now as well. Flying is generally cheaper than back in the 1950s and '60s. There is no more smoking section on the plane. Anybody have a memory of sitting, let's say, in the last row of the non-smoking section and the smokers were in the row behind you? Of course, it circulated through the whole cabin no matter what. Airline safety, they say, especially if you work in the industry, is believed to be better than in the past. Maybe it's just easier to see your family than ever before if you live flying distance away

What was better, what was worse about air travel? Something in particular, though, anything in particular about that dress code? We once had the legendary back in the day child-rearing expert, Dr. Benjamin Spock, who was identified with progressive politics, and people on the right would knock him for that. He came on the show, he said, "You know, I have conservative streaks, too." He said, "I think we should dress up to fly." That was Dr. Spock being old-fashioned. What do you think about dress codes for airplanes? What do you think about service codes for airlines? Compare today and yesterday. 212-433-WNYC.

Was there a golden age of travel, and did you fly in it? We'll take your calls and texts right after this.

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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Now, to your air travel story from back in the day, or even more recently. Sanjeevani in Cranford. You're on WNYC. Hi there.

Sanjeevani: Hi. The thing that I like-- oh, sorry.

Brian Lehrer: Go ahead. No, you go.

Sanjeevani: The thing that I think is best about today versus many years ago with air travel is that you're not allowed to smoke anymore on planes because this is always a huge problem. We would travel to India, and someone would be smoking, and my sister had asthma, and it was always really, really bothersome for her. I do remember the flights that you were saying with the piano bar, and there was two stories. We never got to see any of that because we were never first class, but I do remember the flights having that. Then I think also another big thing, a big change from today, is that there's tracking of flights online.

We used to just write on an aerogram to our relatives in India in the late '70s and the '80s, "We're going to arrive on this flight, and it's going to be this day and this time", and cross our fingers and board our plane in New York, and just hope someone was there to pick us up. Now obviously communication's better, so we can text people and tell them we're here, and "Hey, are you here? Where are you?" That was very different then. Those are my better things from today.

Brian Lehrer: Sanjeevani, thank you very much. Rob in Jersey City, you're on WNYC. Hi, Rob.

Rob: Hi. How are you doing, Brian? Long-time listener. I just wanted to call in. My dad was a pilot for Pan Am during the late '60s up until the mid-'90s, and I got to see firsthand the change. I travel quite a bit, I fly off, and I'm leaving on a very large trip in about 10 days. The difference for me, I think things are a little better now, actually. I think that it's a bit more equitable. I think a lot of the problems that we see with complaints about people getting air rage and stuff has been incited by the airlines themselves, squeezing every dollar out, taking away human-level leg space, having to pay for bags, people fighting for overhead bin space.

They've created this anxiety even before we get on the plane. I think a lot of it depending on who you're listening; it's pointed at, oh, look at how we've devolved as a society. I really don't think that's the case. I think you have to look at corporate America once again, squeezing every single penny out and making it an absolutely ungodly experience. With that said, if I'm privileged to use some points and fly in business class, it's way better. You have a flat seat. The service, depending on the airline, can be exceptional. If you fly someone like Singapore Airlines, it's just amazing.

I think that level of service is still there, and I think a lot of these Eisenhower wannabes that want to go back to the '50s are really looking through things, and in fact flying then, you could only fly-- even an economy ticket was probably 10 times more than what it costs right now, if you do the math on it. I think it's gotten more equitable. Although I do think a lot of the problems we're talking about are inflicted by the airlines themselves.

Brian Lehrer: Rob, thank you very much. One text says, "We average three plane crashes a year back in the so-called golden age. My cousin died in one." Another listener writes-- oh, this is from the New York Times. In the 1950s and '60s, US airlines experienced an average of a half dozen major crashes every year, resulting in total fatalities of all people on board. While this averages to roughly one major crash every other month, midair collisions alone occurred with alarming regularity in the 1950s. That New York Times article clarifying that text.

Here's somebody who longs for the good old days. Interesting how many of our callers are saying things are better today. A listener writes, "There was a golden age of travel in the 1980s. No pajamas. Stewardesses were impeccable and courteous," calling them stewardesses, "and real food on board." I think Dominic in the Bronx may have a different take. Dominic, you're on WNYC. Hi.

Donimic: Hi, Brian. I've called so many times, I think I should pay you. I plan to go to Hong Kong, and I plan to be as comfortable as possible. I cannot believe anybody in this administration wants to bring back civility. It stinks of just so many offenses. Sean Duffy can't be taken seriously. He's an idiot. I don't know if I'm going to wear pajamas, but I'm definitely not wearing a suit. That to me is just insane.

Brian Lehrer: Dominic, thank you very much. No shortage of strong opinion there about the Trump administration. Carl in Sheepshead Bay, you're on WNYC. Hi Carl.

Carl: Hi. Good morning. I'll make it fast. I'm a frequent flyer. I fly around four to five flights a week for the last 40 years. I don't like to criticize. I like to be on the positive side, but we all know, unfortunately, since 9/11, everything changed. Going from here to Atlanta is not a three-hour trip; it's a five to six-hour trip. Considering how early you have to come to the airport, and you have to go through the checkpoint, and the flight is never on time. Atlanta is a major hub; it should be on time, but it's not. If I want to go to Mississippi, which is only around 600 miles from there, maybe I'm wrong, but more or less, it will take you close to eight hours to get there.

I could fly to London or to Portugal quite-- I'll be in Portugal way before I'm in Mississippi. International flights leave more on time, and there's less complications. People [sound cut] just more acquainted to sitting down the people real fast.

Brian Lehrer: Carl, I'm going to have to leave it there because we're out of time for the show. Thank you for your call. Thanks to all of you for your calls and texts. One follow-up to a previous caller, remembering the old days, says, "What's an aerogram?" You're going to have to look it up. Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Thanks for listening today. Stay tuned for Allison.

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