At the dawn of a new era in air travel, TWA’s glamorous Jumbo Jets offered exquisite comfort and luxury
Large screens that could play different movies in each seating zone, meals on order, wide seats, and a glamorous lounge in the sky – this was the “a revolutionary new resort-life type of service” offered onboard a Trans World Airlines Boeing 747.
Trans World Airlines’ Boeing 747s
Spurred by the Jet Age and the increasing accessibility of air travel, airlines around the world raced to offer their passengers the best connectivity, comfort – and, in particular, luxury. Hence, in 1970, TWA was the second airline, after Pan American Airways, to introduce the revolutionary Boeing 747. In total, 25 747-100s were welcomed to the airline’s fleet, with the addition of three 747SPs in 1979 and seven 747-200Bs in 1984.
TWA’s first 747 was used on the coast-to-coast route between Los Angeles and New York, which commenced on February 25, 1970. This was the first transcontinental US service operated by the Jumbo Jet. On March 18 of that same year, TWA began its 747 transatlantic services between New York and London. By 1971, the airline was operating 14 Jumbo Jets on services from New York to hotspots in Europe, including Madrid, Rome, and Paris.
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Building castles in the air
TWA ensured that its Jumbo Jets gave passengers what they truly wanted. In fact, before it placed orders for its custom-built 747s, the airline sent out a survey to over 100,000 passengers to find out what they’d like to enjoy onboard the Jumbo Jet. Boasting its 747 fleet as “something no other airline can give you…”, TWA marketed its Jumbo Jets as:
“The most luxurious plane in the air”
TWA offered passengers a choice of two movies – the first airline to do so – and snack bars for both first class and economy class passengers. While some of these perks might seem plainly ordinary in today’s day and age, at a time when air travel was entering an exciting new era, TWA’s promise of “a new experience in flying” was undeniably a game changer.
More space for more luxuries
Thanks to its large capacity and spacious interior, TWA had room to equip the 747 with the highest level of creature comforts. The larger galley also meant there was more space to prepare grander meals and extended bar service offerings.
Instead of the typical “meals on wheels” service, passengers could order food when they wished. And rather than using the upper deck for additional seating, TWA decked it out with a bar and plush, colorful (as was the trend back then) upholstery, serving as a glamorous first class lounge which could be enjoyed by 16 passengers at a time.
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TWA’s 747 had seats that were a full 2 inches (5 cm) wider than the seats on its other aircraft. There were two first class zones, seating 24 and 38 passengers each, and a spacious nine-abreast configuration in economy class, with a total of 284 economy seats.
Source: Planetags
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