That sardine-can experience got me daydreaming about the golden age of flying—the 1950s to the 1970s—when airlines went all out to create a genuinely luxurious experience. Think of real meals ...

The creekside block where Emerson Avenue meets Minnehaha Parkway in south Minneapolis was peaceful on a recent afternoon — the only sounds coming from dog walkers and planes passing overhead.

However, just what exactly did the airfares of the 1950s look like for the average traveler? Before the establishment of today's British Airways, two different airlines played a major role in the ...