In Papua New Guinea, almost overnight, air travel transformed a stone-age country into a 20th-century state. It brought remote hill tribesmen into the age of the computer, the flush lavatory, the English language and the tourist credit card. Now the sons of headhunters travel by air as a matter of course, both as passengers and crew. They share the same advantages, irritations and doubts as the rest of us.
In Papua New Guinea, almost overnight, air travel transformed a stone-age country into a 20th-century state. It brought remote hill tribesmen into the age of the computer, the flush lavatory, the English language and the tourist credit card. Now the sons of headhunters travel by air as a matter of course, both as passengers and crew. They share the same advantages, irritations and doubts as the rest of us.
A candid behind-the-scenes picture of a modern airline during a remarkable year. In 1978 like most airlines in the USA, United Airlines tempted customers with cut-price fares with names like 'Supersaver', 'Chickenfeed' and 'Peanuts' - and seduced air travellers into the skies as never before. While passengers experienced unprecedented delays, frustrations and overall chaos, the airlines counted up the cash - and executives are optimistic for the future.