Glamour in the Skies

Glamour in the Skies is the first book to celebrate the stewardesses of British Airways and their predecessors from 1936 to 1980, widely agreed to be the golden age of air travel – a time which personified optimism, excitement and a feeling of boundless opportunity for both passengers and airline crew.

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Ex-hostess Libbie Escolme-Schmidt has lovingly compiled many hundreds of memories to present the ultimate history of the British Airways air hostess. Collating a multitude of stories from the forties and fifties through to what is often agreed to be the end of the golden age in 1980, this is an important record of the contribution made by women to airline history. During this period flying evolved from a potentially dangerous adventure to a remarkably safe and comfortable means of international travel, and through it all the air hostesses were there. Their experiences range from administering oxygen to passengers flying over the Andes to serving French champagne on Concorde, and the anecdotes are full of humour as they cover training, first flights, sexual discrimination and harassment, disasters, passengers, glamorous stopovers and other temptations. This illustrated book presents the changing times in air travel through the eyes of the stewardess and offers the perfect tribute to the girls who walked the skies.