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Flights were very different back then. I had a hospital room mate once that told a lot of stories about how in the 50s (maybe 40s? He was serving in Korea at so

Flights were very different back then. I had a hospital room mate once that told a lot of stories about how in the 50s (maybe 40s? He was serving in Korea at some point, probably 40s now that I think about it) he and his friends would just sneak in amongst the boarding crowd on flights from NY all the way to Japan. They’d hang out in Japan, then do the same thing to get back to NY. The crew didn’t really check tickets of small kids. They’d literally just mix with the crowd and waltz in. As for where they sat on flights, it was mostly in the some kind of luggage area. Apparently the flight staff had a routine where they all had a meeting in the front of the plane at the beginning of the flight, and that was when they’d sneak to the back. It was one of those stories that was too crazy to be bullshit.

pierrebai 6y ago
In those years, NY to Japan would not be a direct flight, but would have multiple stops. Then there are the issues of meals and the language barrier in Japan. I think he was pulling your leg.
- runawaybottle 6y ago
  It’s totally possible, I just never heard bullshit that imaginative I guess. You never know though.
  - cottsak 6y ago
    That's the beauty of a good story. Someone can share something outrageous and the audience can enjoy the tale while the reality is "protected" by that looming doubt of whether it really happened or not. :p
  - jrochkind1 6y ago
    This American Life had a segment that was someone telling a story about when they were a teenager and snuck onto a domestic flight. "Act Three" here: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/477/getting-away-with-it https://www.thisamericanlife.org/477/getting-away-with-it So, I dunno, I can believe it, although I don't know exactly how connections worked then or if it could have been the same plane stopping in LA and continuing to Japan or what. But in general, yeah, "security" wasn't actually a thing on planes then. There was no security checkpoint at all to get to a gate before the 70s; you didn't need a ticket or to show ID to go through the security checkpoint that did exist before 2001. It's easy to forget or not realize how much thing have changed. Or, it's just one of those rumors that people like to adopt and claim as a story that happened to htem, when really they heard it from someone else that claimed it happened to them, etc. That also happens.
  - rmason 6y ago
    I know that it is a little hard to believe but back in the sixties before hijackers changed the rules flying was a whole lot more relaxed. No security, just walk out on the tarmack, climb the steps and you're on the plane. It was like a ship, friends could accompany you and then leave when they asked for all guests without a ticket to depart. I was just a kid but I do seem to remember them checking tickets. But I suppose you could wander aboard and find a good hiding place, unlikely but not impossible.
    - girvo 6y ago
      Flying domestic from Whangarei to Auckland isn’t much different today :) they check tickets and your bags get scanned of course, but it’s an extremely pleasant experience. The flight is fun too, prop planes!
- rootsudo 6y ago
  NY > Alaska > Japan would've been the route, totally possible due to implicit trust and if you were from the origin/disembarkation point, the seat was considered sold, you wouldn't per se walk on in Alaska. Planes back then regularly had to land to refuel. And if you ever get involved with old learning how to fly/ppl and dealing with old old CFI's/ex military, they love to tell you of their old glory days, and if you question they'll drill down exactly how it was. So I'd say it was probably, and further proof, just look at frank abangale. So easy a teen did it.
- dheera 6y ago
  Languages are only barriers if you think of them as one. I've travelled in many places where I don't speak the language and managed just fine with a little creativity.
reaperducer 6y ago
There's an old last in Chicago who's been arrested multiple times for sneaking into flights at O'Hare. She's been caught probably a half dozen times, and who knows how many times she hasn't been caught. It's in the newspapers every now and then. She keeps getting arrested, but she's a honey badger. I love old people like that.
- krasin 6y ago
  Thank you for the story! I got curious and I think I found the lady. Meet Marilyn Hartman who successfully boarded 20+ flights without a ticket: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Hartman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Hartman
- withinboredom 6y ago
  I found out the hard way that the gate doesn’t actually check the airplane you’re supposed to be getting on is the one you scanned on. It’s up to the attendant to verify it scans and the flight is the right one. I dropped my passport and distracted the attendant. I got in the wrong plane and didn’t notice until someone else said I was sitting in their seat and the flight attendant had to check the manifest. The pilot gave me one hell of an ass chewing for delaying his flight and not paying attention. I had to be escorted off the plane and escorted to the appropriate plane (which now had me on the manifest, so they got delayed waiting for me too). It was pretty crazy...
scandox 6y ago
Even in the 1980s: https://www.irishpost.com/news/the-story-of-the-dublin-boys-who-ran-away-to-new-york-195027 https://www.irishpost.com/news/the-story-of-the-dublin-boys-...

pierrebai 6y ago

In those years, NY to Japan would not be a direct flight, but would have multiple stops. Then there are the issues of meals and the language barrier in Japan. I think he was pulling your leg.

runawaybottle 6y ago
It’s totally possible, I just never heard bullshit that imaginative I guess. You never know though.
- cottsak 6y ago
  That's the beauty of a good story. Someone can share something outrageous and the audience can enjoy the tale while the reality is "protected" by that looming doubt of whether it really happened or not. :p
- jrochkind1 6y ago
  This American Life had a segment that was someone telling a story about when they were a teenager and snuck onto a domestic flight. "Act Three" here: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/477/getting-away-with-it https://www.thisamericanlife.org/477/getting-away-with-it So, I dunno, I can believe it, although I don't know exactly how connections worked then or if it could have been the same plane stopping in LA and continuing to Japan or what. But in general, yeah, "security" wasn't actually a thing on planes then. There was no security checkpoint at all to get to a gate before the 70s; you didn't need a ticket or to show ID to go through the security checkpoint that did exist before 2001. It's easy to forget or not realize how much thing have changed. Or, it's just one of those rumors that people like to adopt and claim as a story that happened to htem, when really they heard it from someone else that claimed it happened to them, etc. That also happens.
- rmason 6y ago
  I know that it is a little hard to believe but back in the sixties before hijackers changed the rules flying was a whole lot more relaxed. No security, just walk out on the tarmack, climb the steps and you're on the plane. It was like a ship, friends could accompany you and then leave when they asked for all guests without a ticket to depart. I was just a kid but I do seem to remember them checking tickets. But I suppose you could wander aboard and find a good hiding place, unlikely but not impossible.
  - girvo 6y ago
    Flying domestic from Whangarei to Auckland isn’t much different today :) they check tickets and your bags get scanned of course, but it’s an extremely pleasant experience. The flight is fun too, prop planes!
rootsudo 6y ago
NY > Alaska > Japan would've been the route, totally possible due to implicit trust and if you were from the origin/disembarkation point, the seat was considered sold, you wouldn't per se walk on in Alaska. Planes back then regularly had to land to refuel. And if you ever get involved with old learning how to fly/ppl and dealing with old old CFI's/ex military, they love to tell you of their old glory days, and if you question they'll drill down exactly how it was. So I'd say it was probably, and further proof, just look at frank abangale. So easy a teen did it.
dheera 6y ago
Languages are only barriers if you think of them as one. I've travelled in many places where I don't speak the language and managed just fine with a little creativity.

reaperducer 6y ago

There's an old last in Chicago who's been arrested multiple times for sneaking into flights at O'Hare. She's been caught probably a half dozen times, and who knows how many times she hasn't been caught. It's in the newspapers every now and then. She keeps getting arrested, but she's a honey badger. I love old people like that.

krasin 6y ago
Thank you for the story! I got curious and I think I found the lady. Meet Marilyn Hartman who successfully boarded 20+ flights without a ticket: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Hartman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Hartman
withinboredom 6y ago
I found out the hard way that the gate doesn’t actually check the airplane you’re supposed to be getting on is the one you scanned on. It’s up to the attendant to verify it scans and the flight is the right one. I dropped my passport and distracted the attendant. I got in the wrong plane and didn’t notice until someone else said I was sitting in their seat and the flight attendant had to check the manifest. The pilot gave me one hell of an ass chewing for delaying his flight and not paying attention. I had to be escorted off the plane and escorted to the appropriate plane (which now had me on the manifest, so they got delayed waiting for me too). It was pretty crazy...

scandox 6y ago

Even in the 1980s: https://www.irishpost.com/news/the-story-of-the-dublin-boys-who-ran-away-to-new-york-195027 https://www.irishpost.com/news/the-story-of-the-dublin-boys-...