I am gonna refer to the movie Argo here which was based in Iranian revolution in 1979. In the final moments of the movie during the tickets are bought only during the last moment (I understand the last moment ticket purchase was dramatized for the movie). But was it possible to book a ticket for flight from Iran from United States so quick without the internet?
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We had telephones, a travel agency would have a direct line to an airline booking office. Airline booking offices would have a literal direct line to the airline’s mainframe. They were called ‘terminals’, and predate the internet. The internet, as we know it, came from ARPANET but there were remote terminals connected to mainframes that were in different areas before that time.
We had telephones, a travel agency would have a direct line to an airline booking office. Airline booking offices would have a literal direct line to the airline’s mainframe. They were called ‘terminals’, and predate the internet. The internet, as we know it, came from ARPANET but there were remote terminals connected to mainframes that were in different areas before that time.
I generally dislike answering with videos, [but this one is just spot-on for explaining your question.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-m_Jjse-cs)
It’s 22 minutes, but well worth it.
Wendover makes great, in-depth videos.
I generally dislike answering with videos, [but this one is just spot-on for explaining your question.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-m_Jjse-cs)
It’s 22 minutes, but well worth it.
Wendover makes great, in-depth videos.
I generally dislike answering with videos, [but this one is just spot-on for explaining your question.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-m_Jjse-cs)
It’s 22 minutes, but well worth it.
Wendover makes great, in-depth videos.
My dad used to travel constantly for work. He always had the United timetable book, which listed all the scheduled flights out of an airport, what times, where they went, etc. Then you’d call the 800 number and ask for a ticket on flight x.
My dad used to travel constantly for work. He always had the United timetable book, which listed all the scheduled flights out of an airport, what times, where they went, etc. Then you’d call the 800 number and ask for a ticket on flight x.
My dad used to travel constantly for work. He always had the United timetable book, which listed all the scheduled flights out of an airport, what times, where they went, etc. Then you’d call the 800 number and ask for a ticket on flight x.
Most bookings were done by phone but it wasn’t uncommon for people to walk up to an airline register and buy a ticket for a flight leaving shortly after right then and there. Airlines were some of the first businesses using computers to manage their databases and daily operations, even if clients didn’t book tickets from computers.
The real difference between then and now is not really the digital automated systems used for booking, but the security standards, which back then, were much more lax. You could very well walk into a Terminal an hour or two before a flight and buy a ticket and just head on to the plane. Nowadays not only is there too much passenger traffic to be able to catch a flight so casually but flying and security measures were dramatically changed after 9/11
Most bookings were done by phone but it wasn’t uncommon for people to walk up to an airline register and buy a ticket for a flight leaving shortly after right then and there. Airlines were some of the first businesses using computers to manage their databases and daily operations, even if clients didn’t book tickets from computers.
The real difference between then and now is not really the digital automated systems used for booking, but the security standards, which back then, were much more lax. You could very well walk into a Terminal an hour or two before a flight and buy a ticket and just head on to the plane. Nowadays not only is there too much passenger traffic to be able to catch a flight so casually but flying and security measures were dramatically changed after 9/11
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