Was flying better 50 years ago?

Tempting as it is to view the past through rose-tinted eyewear, that's not the whole picture. Back in the late 1960s aircraft cabins were noisier due to louder engines. Smoking was permitted, and everyone became a passive smoker thanks to the fumes washing through the cabin via the air-conditioning system. If there was an entertainment system it might have been a movie not of your choice screened on one of several overhead CRT screens.

Air travel back in 1968 also cost far more in real terms than today. On the upside, seat pitch in economy class was generally five centimetres greater than today and seats were slightly wider on average. Aircraft flew with far fewer seats filled, which contributed to the feeling of spaciousness. One of the biggest differences is us. Back in the 1960s the average Australian adult male weighed 74 kilograms. Today that figure is 86 kilograms. Average adult weight for women was 64 kilograms, today it's 71. Most of that extra weight has caused our middles to balloon, and so it's no surprise we're feeling squashed.