“Now Hawaii is Only Hours Away!”: The Airlines Alter Tourism

Abstract

This article examines how commercial aviation influenced the nature of tourism between 1945 and 1970. Long-term trends such as rising real income, education levels, and leisure time, combined with postwar, airline-initiated developments, such as coach class service and credit plans, to transform pleasure travel for millions of Americans. The most significant changes include the emergence of a large middle class tourist market, and a growing preference for planes over ships and trains for long distance trips.