trains

Airlines once had “stewardess-nurses.” So did trains.

The first ‘stewardesses’ on airplanes also had to be registered nurses.

In 1930, Boeing Air Transport Office – which later became United Airlines – was only hiring male pilots. But Ellen Church, a registered nurse with a pilot’s license, wanted to fly.

So she convinced the airline to test out having nurses on board to help passengers feel more confident about flying.

The job description had plenty of requirements. And lots of restrictions.

In addition to being a registered nurse, those early ‘stewardesses’ could weigh no more than 115 pounds, and they could not be taller than 5 feet, 4 inches. They had to be single and they had to be under 25 years of age.

As for the job description, these early stewardess nurses had to care for and reassure sick and frightened passengers.

The stewardess-nurses had to take tickets, load and unload luggage and help fuel the plane. They also had to pass out lunches, clean the aircraft, and tighten the bolts that held the seats to the floor.

Trains had ‘stewardess nurses’ too

Stewardess nurses weren’t limited to planes.

According to a story from the School of Nursing at the University of Virginia, not long after airlines began hiring nurses, train lines did too.

Union Pacific hired seven nurses in 1935 to staff the Challenger, a deluxe coach train, and by 1938 at least 94 nurses working on four railroads.

Travel Tidbits: deals on museums, NY hotels and trains

Happy Friday – Here are some travel tidbits about free museum admissions, deals on hotels in NYC, changes for Eurail ticketing and the closing of an iconic Boston restaurant.

This week, any Bank of America, U.S. Trust and Merrill Lynch credit or debit cardholders can gain free admission to more than 200 museums around the country as part of the Museums on US! program. List of participating museums is here.

Deals on hotels in New York City

Looking for a hotel in New York City? Hotel Week NYC 2019 runs from January 4 -14. Prices are at a fixed rate of $100 or $200 per night – a great discount off the standard room rates that can run $500 a nigt at this time of year.

Eurail is starting off the New Year with news about a “new and improved” Eurail program that includes access to Great Britian, Macedonia and Lithuania, expandiing the overal country count from 28 to 31. Travel on the Eurostar is now also included in some ticket packages.

And Durgin Park, a landmark restaurant that’s been at Boston’s Faneuil Hall since 1827, is closing on January 12, WBZ reports.

HMSHost has a co-branded branch of Durgin Park in Terminal E at Boston Logan International Airport .

While the airport Durgin Park remains open for now, a representative from HMSHost says they will be converting that location in the second half of 2020 to a quick-serve Mediterranean-style restaurant called Saloniki Greek.




Train Tuesday: I skipped the plane and rode the Eurostar train

StuckatTheAirport.com is usually about airports and airplanes.

But a new joint campaign between the London and Paris tourism bureaus and the folks at Eurostar is aimed at reminding travelers that is much easier, much faster and sometimes pretty darn cheap to get between London and Paris on the train.

 

I tried it out this past weekend, starting my journey at the posh St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London, which sits on top of the St. Pancras Railway Station.

That’s conveniently the starting point for boarding the Eurostar to the Gare du Nord train station in central Paris.

If, like me, you’re staying in a certain category of room at the hotel, a hotel employee will escort you directly from the lobby, through the fast track ticket and passport checkpoints and directly to your seat on the train.

The journey from London to Paris on the Eurostar train is then pretty darn quick and easy and takes just 2 hours and 15 minutes, including passage through the Chunnel.  If I had chosen to go to Brussels instead the journey would have taken less than two hours.

On board, Wi-Fi is free, each seat has power and there’s a fold-down table. A cafe car sells snacks and there’s a meal included for those traveling in business premier.

Like airline tickets, fares can vary widely depending on time of year and even time of day, but during low season I’m told it’s possible to get return London-Paris ticket for under $80.

As a bonus: in Paris, even the standard tickets are good after your journey to gain 2-for-1 admission to many museums.

Traveling from city center to city center saves all that time and hasssle going to and from the airports so it does indeed make visiting bost cities a “why not?” option.

My time in Paris is short,  but the Navigator tips offered by the concierge here at the Renaissance Paris Vendome are super helpful in helping me make the most of my time, so I’ll be back later with photos from my touring.

For now – here’s me, my bread and baker/instructor Didier Lavry of Le Pett Mitron and at the end of my Meeting the French bread making class this morning.

#LondonParisNow

(My visit to London and Paris is hosted by Visit London and the Paris Tourist Office, but reports are strictly my opinion.

Happy Birthday Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport

1969 Flight Attendants

Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is turning 45, and to celebrate the airport is throwing a big party on Saturday, June 7 complete with exhibits, games, face painting, moonwalks, music, a barbecue cook-off and a raffle with a grand prize for two airline tickets on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

Find more details about the time and location of the event here, but in the meantime, here are some vintage IAH photos, including a snap from 1981 of Mickey Mouse helping to celebrate the opening of the airport’s inter-terminal train, which was built by the Walt Disney Company.

1969 - June IAH Opening Day

1979 Disney Mickey terminal train

1970 Term B