Recalling the fabulous bars and lounges of the Boeing 747
Step back in time to the 1970s, when high flying bars were the peak of inflight sophistication.
By Staff Writers, March 18 2024
Among the numerous jet airliners to grace the skies over the decades, there’s one which still holds a special place in the hearts of many travellers. It’s the Boeing 747 – the aircraft largely credited with opening Australia to the world.
Simply put, the jumbo jet revolutionised global travel as we knew it, not only ferrying more passengers but putting the cost of flying in reach of the average person thanks to its greater fuel efficiency. And that’s not the only legacy of the ‘Queen of the Skies’.
It also ushered in a new (though short-lived) era of luxury, with several carriers crowning the upper decks with lounges designed for cocktails and conversation. (Boeing even designed a bar in the belly of the 747 too, though the idea never took off.)
In a way, these were precursors to the high-flying bars now found on Emirates and Qatar Airways.
A custom-made replica of the Qantas 747 Captain Cook Lounge.
Here’s a glimpse of what it was like flying the Boeing 747 in the 1970s, at the beginning of its reign.
Pan American (Pan Am): the first Boeing 747
The world’s first Boeing 747 set the trend for what was to come, with Pan Am turning the jumbo’s entire upper deck into a ‘restaurant in the sky’ for its first class passengers.
The restaurant sported a full menu, including roast beef carved tableside.
Travellers could share the experience with up to three companions, or use those several hours in the sky to make new acquaintances and discuss the issues of the day.
Surveys at the time indicated that around 30% of Pan Am’s passengers chose to fly with the airline for this feature alone.
Qantas: the Boeing 747 Captain Cook Lounge
After partaking in the Qantas First Lounge, travellers could keep the on-holiday vibe going in the Captain Cook Lounge on the Boeing 747’s upper deck.
Qantas' Captain Cook Lounge.
Guests could simply grab a newspaper or magazine and make themselves comfortable, or ditch the reading material in favour of fine wines and a little conversation.
It certainly would have made the journey fly by.
While Qantas again provides a small inflight lounge on today’s Airbus A380s, it’s a far cry from the upper deck of the 70s.
A replica of the Captain Cook Lounge can be found at the Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach.
American Airlines’ Luxury Liners: the piano bar
American’s Boeing 747s came with a fully-fledged piano bar on the lower deck. Not merely a recording of somebody playing an instrument on the ground, but a live piano bar in the air.
However, presented by the difficulties involved with tuning pianos and how easily a little turbulence or a bumpy landing could make a traditional piano change key in an instant, AA opted for electric Wurlitzer organs.
Appreciated by passengers and cabin crew alike, the organs provided live inflight entertainment that was always in tune.
Air France, Continental, United: cocktail lounge bar
Taking an approach more akin to what we’d see today, Air France, Continental Airlines (now merged with United Airlines) and United itself provided guests with spacious seating and cocktail bartender service.
On Air France, guests mingled at the bar or while being served snacks in the surrounding seats, while on Continental, the bar was the focus of the room and most seats came in pairs, easily accommodating couples and travelling companions.
Air France and Continental's inflight lounges.
United’s own cocktail lounge sported a large communal bench and both bright yellow and cool blue chairs in a colour scheme that was a little more on the ‘modern’ side.
Air India, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines
The choice was as varied in Asia with Japan Airlines opting for something simple yet social:
Air India went for for something eye-catching, with uniforms to match:
And as for Singapore Airlines, it featured a lounge and dining area where the seats could also be converted into ‘sleeperettes’ once airborne:
But whichever airline you chose to travel with, your ticket would buy more than just a seat between one city and another: it bought a truly memorable journey.
All these later, a handful of airlines still boast a proper inflight sanctuary, foremost among them Emirates’ A380, where breakfast martinis and snacks remain a favourite of well-heeled travellers.
Emirates' inflight bar debuted in 2008, when it tooik the reins of its first A380.
Qatar Airways’ superjumbo also features a classy little number. Its mosaic tile-backed bar is stocked with top shelf tipples including whisky, vodka and gin, as well Champagne, should you find your glass empty.
Stretch your legs with a visit to the Qatar Airways A380 bar.
Passengers jetting off on Virgin Atlantic’s older A350s also have an inflight retreat of their own, in the form of The Loft, while its newer birds are home to a revised (and indeed significantly smaller) version dubbed The Booth.
The Loft and its smaller sibling, The Booth.
Sadly Virgin Australia no longer has a bar of its own, following the departure of its Boeing 777s.
18 Mar 2024
Total posts 2
Do I remember the days!! Back in the 70's I was a Qantas Regular Traveller (QT), a precursor to the Chairman's Lounge where I had access to the Captains Club. No one seems to know anything about this very exclusive by invitation only perk. It was very low key but better than Platinum One and everything else and by the way, I've been a Qantas Platinum for Decades.
I travelled many times in the Captain Cook lounge on the B747-200 and it was something extremely special. Qantas needs to reinvent itself back to the 70's. The food, the livery, the service was oh so much better. But then I have to wake from my dream and remember the airline is now run by bean counters who haven't a clue about satisfying customers.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Jan 2018
Total posts 773
Sounds truly wonderful, Michael. I wonder what the cost of the airfare was back then, and what that would be in today's dollars if indexed by the CPI? Asking purely out of curiosity in case other readers know.
Great selection of photos from ET's archives, who'd have guessed Squire Flynn was that old? What-ever David's drinking, I'll have the same !!! :-)
29 Jan 2012
Total posts 184
Hi Boeing Tragic. As an exercise I thought I would look at todays pricing for you. Looking at a 1971 QF/NZ timetable, Sydney to London return via Asia was AU$2050. Using an inflation calculator, that translates to AU$27000 in today currency. Going via the USA was slightly more expensive in the day by $50.
Hope this was helpful.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Jan 2018
Total posts 773
WoW! Pre-Covid I'd fly to MEL-LAX-LHR and return in Business Class (Virgin AUS and Virgin Atlantic) for beer money just either side of $10,000 (+ GST). The airlines will love reading your analysis - airfares in real terms have come down in price, materially so. Best we keep this between just you and I, otherwise some price spark in Marketing might make something of it.
18 Mar 2024
Total posts 2
Hi Boeing Tragic,
In answer to your question, how much were the fares, my brain cells are very dim. I can't remember! However, I do know that to-days fares are much lower than they were from an affordability point of view. I think a one way first class fare SYD-AKL in 1975 was around $400. Back then that's nearly 3 times the average weekly wage and that was only one way over a very short distance!
Let's be honest. Back in the 70's, flying was for the elite unless the boss paid for it or you were prepared to ruff it in economy. I was lucky, I had my own business which paid for it, tax deductible. Not everyone has that luxury.
I do recall that in 1976 I had an economy Y fare all round the world ticket that cost a bit over $1,000. It was very flexible, as long as I kept moving forward. SYD-SIN-BOM-BAH-FRA-LON-BOS-DFW-SFO-HNL-NAN-SYD says it all. Despite being a QRT, I didn't get upgraded but I was given special treatment particularly by the Flight Services Director on each flight, First Class check in, extra baggage and Captains Club access.
So how does that compare to to-day. Somethings were better, others not so. I remember when Business Class was introduced in 1970. Qantas was the first to do so. I was on one of the very first 742's that flew SYD-BOM. It was perfect. Just the right balance between economy and first.
As for to-day, regretfully, Alan Joyce has destroyed the reputation of Qantas. No longer is it seen as a trusted brand. That's what happens when you put bean counters in charge. No longer in business class do you get that very simple hot towel to freshen you up or pre flight drinks domestically. The quality of meals are often inedible, even on international business class, particularly to Asia. The list goes on and on. A terrible shame made the worse because the company just won't listen to its genuine frequent flyers.
But what amazes me is, the cabin crew still try to make the flight awesome, at least at the pointy end. How they have maintained their morale is a subject for a future management study.
Thanks for your enquiry,
Cheers
Michael
16 Feb 2017
Total posts 3
Agreed [email protected] I travel AKL/SYD and AKL/ADL frequently in business - the food is rubbish, I've had better meals on the domestic section SYD/ADL, no pre meal drinks, ageing aircraft - I've had the arm rest fall off and had a seat secured by cable ties! All for a premium fare. I realised that premium economy on NZ is much better value if I'm just going to Sydney, same seat, better food and half the fare. Like you I can't believe that the crew remain loyal, friendly and absolutely professional after being treated so badly.
Mark
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1559
Bygone times. Forever.
29 Jan 2016
Total posts 5
In my youth in the U.S., I used to write letters to all the airlines requesting postcards of their airplanes and brochures about their aircraft and inflight services. In the 1970s, most major airlines printed beautiful full color brochures promoting their new widebodies and by the time I’d graduated high school I had quite a good sized collection of airline paraphernalia. I’d spend many an hour looking over those brochures and daydreaming about flying aboard each and every one of the featured aircraft.
Perhaps my favorite brochure was published by Qantas. To promote its new 747, Qantas had produced a magnificent brochure packed with beautiful color pictures of the First Class cabin, the meal service and in particular the upstairs lounge called “The Captain’s Club”. This lounge was beautifully appointed in a nautical theme with ocean charts, ropes and even a wooden ship’s steering wheel mounted up front, just opposite the stand-up bar. Passengers were depicted enjoying drinks and camaraderie as only Australians can. It looked like a marvelous way to travel through the skies! I wanted to fly on that Qantas 747 more than any other aircraft, but since I’d have to go all the way to Australia to do so, I’d written off any chance of doing so anytime soon. As for enjoying the luxury of First Class and a seat in the upstairs Captain’s Club, well, one could always dream...
Fast forward to the first summer following my first year in college. I'd recently inherited $3000 (Quite a tidy sum in 1976) and was fortunate enough to find myself in Vancouver on the one day of the week that QF 004 operated YVR-SFO-HNL-NAN-SYD. Normally one could never fly Qantas to Honolulu from San Francisco because it was a US domestic market. This flight, however, originated in Canada and so a ticket to Honolulu constituted an international route. I quickly put two and two together and realized that with my newfound wealth, I now had a chance to turn the dreams of my recent childhood into reality for the very affordable price of just $241.00 for a one way First Class ticket to Honolulu. I headed straightaway to the Qantas ticket counter and soon was in possession of a ticket and an attractive boarding pass entitling me to First Class passage to Honolulu, Hawaii. Boarding would commence at 4:30pm.
QF 004 departed Vancouver for San Francisco at 5:00pm. If Qantas operated a First Class lounge at Vancouver, I was either unaware of it or too busy checking out the aircraft operating that evening’s flight. Up to this point I’d logged a total of three flights aboard 747s from Continental and United, with each of those flights in Economy. This was my first ever long flight in First Class, so you can imagine my excitement.
In any event, the flights were great fun with one surprising exception - After the meal on the SFO-HNL leg, I took a stroll to the upper deck Captain’s Club lounge. I was the only one up there, and was disappointed that such a wonderful lounge could go unappreciated throughout the long trans-Pacific sector over to Honolulu. I stayed up there for about an hour - all by myself - before finally heading back downstairs to the comfort of the First Class cabin for the remainder of the flight.
In all, a great experience aboard an aircraft that I consider to have had the finest and most stylish First Class lounge ever to grace the skies.
29 Jan 2012
Total posts 184
Dear seat 2A.
Appreciated you sharing your youthful experiences and dreams. Like you, I was fascinated with the 747 in the 1970's as a school boy and dreamed of one day being able to travel in their First Class cabins and the Captains lounge upstairs.
The 1970's were an amazing time to travel and it is unfortunate that companies have no longer any interest in returning this passion to the passengers, and are just interested in the bottom line of profits over passengers.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Jan 2018
Total posts 773
Can vaguely remember flying to Papeete (PPT) with Qantas on a 747 in 1991 (think it a re-fueling stop to LAX?). Courtesy of my then employers name, wife and I were upgraded to the top deck, business class. Don't remember a bar up there on that particular plane. My first 'lasting impression' of air travel. Lasted longer than that marriage.
29 Jan 2016
Total posts 5
My favorite 747 lounge experience came aboard a United 747 flying between Honolulu and Los Angeles. I remember this as an excellent flight, with a delicious six course meal served from the trolley. The colorful Polynesian themed upstairs lounge saw plenty of action, too. After the meal, I spent most of the flight up there, swilling Mai Tais and eating what appeared to be an unlimited supply of Macadamia nuts while enjoying the camaraderie of my fellow passengers. My only complaint with this flight was that it was too short. Had inflight refueling been available, I could have easily continued on to Istanbul or beyond...
29 Jan 2016
Total posts 5
Here's a photo of that United 747 lounge
29 Jan 2016
Total posts 5
Hmm... seems it didn't come through. Well, it's off my Fotki picture hosting site located here -
https://images34.fotki.com/v1690/photos/2/211932/10417101/UNITED747LOUNGE7-vi.jpg
29 Jan 2016
Total posts 5
Hmm... seems that picture won't post. Shame, too, because United had a great lounge. It should be easy enough to do a google image search though. Good luck!
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Recalling the fabulous bars and lounges of the Boeing 747