Background:

These airline advertisements appeared in The New Yorker magazine in the 1940s and 1950s.   Sponsors of the ads include both commercial airlines as well as airline manufacturers (Lockheed and Martin).

The ads are notable for two reasons.   First, the theme of the earlier ones was oriented to the war effort and to patriotism, not surprising since World War II was still underway.  By the late 1940s the focus of the ads was on promoting leisure travel.

With airlines charging fees for almost every service today, in the later ads airlines were promoting "customer service" as a reason to fly with them.  Sadly, some of the highlights of customer service in these ads are a distant memory for today's traveler:

     "Your favorite dishes ... served with our compliments"
     "The fine art of hospitality reaches new heights ... from your sincere
          welcome on board until your friendly farewell"
     "When such a meal is placed before you by a smiling stewardess,
          it's memorable experience"

Friendly skies, where have you gone?