Lunch in the clouds aboard Imperial Airways’ Silver Wing 1927 – early air travel at its most refined. Opening image: cocktails in the lounge of an Imperial Airways Empire flying boat passenger plane in the 1930s
1. Lunch is served
Founded in 1924, Imperial Airways was the direct predecessor of British Airways. Pictured is the cabin of an Argosy aircraft as used on the airline’s ‘Silver Wing’ flights between London (Croydon) and Paris from May 1927. The flights offered a luxury lunchtime service in the most comfortable aircraft the airline could then offer, with 18 cushioned seats with armrests and curtains.
Designing the future of flight, one chalk sketch at a time
2. All aboard
Imperial Airways began operating the Handley Page HP42 in 1931. Customers sat in two luxurious saloons that were bright and airy, and not dissimilar to railway Pullman cars in terms of comfort and finish. Indeed, the quality of the seating was designed to encourage passengers to elect to travel by air rather than by train.
Pullman comfort in the sky on the stately Handley Page HP42
Sleep comes easy aboard BOAC’s elegant Stratocruiser
4. Sweet dreams
BOAC’s Boeing 377 Stratocruisers entered service with the airline in December 1949. Typically. the aircraft could carry 60 passengers by day or 50 by night with eight night berths for sleeper passengers. The spacious main cabin was fitted with every passenger convenience and was complemented, via a key staircase, by a bar on the lower deck. BOAC famously used the Stratocruisers for its Monarch services on the key route between London and New York.
Jet-age elegance on BOAC’s pioneering Comet service
5. Taking it easy
In October 1958, BOAC launched the first pure jet transatlantic services using de Havilland Comet 4s. The aircraft featured 20 deluxe, fully reclining sleeper seats with leg rests. All seats had built-in ashtrays, glass holders, individual reading lights and a call button.
The world’s first fully flat business bed – a new era of comfort
6. A world first
‘Arrive ready to do business’ was BA’s message in May 1999 when it unveiled its Club World seat. Billed as ‘a lounge in the sky’, this revolutionary cabin had a new armchair-style seat that transformed into a six-foot, fully flat bed – a world first for any business class. Each seat had a laptop power point, telephone and a new larger video screen. The environment provided customers with greater privacy and substantially more space. The same degree of innovative thinking was also applied to Club World catering. The new meal service reflected restaurant trends with an emphasis on fresh simple foods. Pre-flight dining was then available at seven USA gateways.
Concorde chic, reimagined by Sir Terence Conran for the supersonic age
7. Project rocket
Concorde was always considered the height of fashion and in 1999, British Airways commissioned Factory Design, working with Sir Terence Conran, to devise a new seat for the jet. Constructed of milled stainless steel, all 100 seats were contoured to include a cradle mechanism, a new footrest, an adjustable headrest and easier access to the seat recline and in-flight entertainment. British Airways’ Speedmarque symbol was cleverly incorporated into the arm’s design.
Got a British Airways history question or topic you’d like Jim to cover? Email theclub@cedarcom.co.uk and we’ll try to answer it in a future column
