Scholars Mind

The 'Golden Age' That Wasn't

Some people (and American politicians) long for the so-called “Golden Age of Travel”: an era of opulent ocean liners, spacious flying boats, and wealthy travelers dressed to impress. They contrast this glowing picture with the cramped seats on modern airplanes and images of barefooted passengers clipping their nails at 30,000 feet. Whether or not such a golden era ever existed—historians have their doubts (alternate link)—discuss with your team: what, if anything, should be done to improve the travel experience today? Be sure to consider the psychology behind tourist misbehavior: is there something about traveling that encourages people to act in ways they wouldn’t at home?

Key concepts

Rosy Retrospection
The habit of remembering a period as better than it was, because the discomfort fades faster than the highlights. Photographs make it worse: nobody photographed the six-hour delay, so the album shows only the dining saloon.

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Every work — at a glance

  • Has Air Travel Ever Been Good? — The Atlantic (article)

    The Atlantic's answer from its own archive: open cockpits, unpressurised cabins, segregated airports, and fares far above today's.

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What to know

  1. 01
    Yes — being away really does change how people behave. Surrounded by strangers you will never meet again, with your usual audience gone, whatever counts as normal in the moment takes over, and "holiday mode" is a permissive standard. It is the same effect studied in crowds and online, not a disease peculiar to airports.

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Across subjects

Every age mourns a golden one. Romans pined for the lost Republic, Victorians for a vanishing countryside, the Renaissance for a perfect antiquity. Historians

Theme connection

"Are We There Yet?"

Scold the passenger, or redesign the flight? One side says manners collapsed and the barefoot nail-clipper proves it. The other says people always behaved like this and what is new is the phone filming it. Meanwhile the cramped cabin that frays everyone's temper is a design choice, and reversible.

Practice — a sample

SOCThe U.S. Department of Transportation says better manners would restore travel's golden age. Which fact MOST undermines that hope?

  • A Cabins flew low and rough
  • B Fares took months' wages
  • C Airlines had fares fixed
  • D Crossings took several days
  • E Sick bags came standard

Sign in to answer and see why each option is right or wrong.

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