# Piano Bars on Airplanes?



## Pappy (Nov 21, 2014)

Back in the 70's, American Airlines tried these bars on their 747s. They were on some of their non-stop flights. Guess they didn't prove to be to popular as they didn't last very long. 
Maybe oldman can tell us more about these.


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## JustBonee (Nov 21, 2014)

Nothing that I ever saw in any of my travels ...


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## Meanderer (Nov 21, 2014)

...this was in the 70's!

http://www.messynessychic.com/2014/...piano-bars-cocktail-lounges-pubs-restaurants/


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## Pappy (Nov 21, 2014)

I would imagine that they took up too much space to be popular with the airlines. Think of all the seats they could cram in there.


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## Ameriscot (Nov 21, 2014)

Emirates has a bar on the top floor in first and business class of their A380 double deckers. No piano.


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## Twixie (Nov 21, 2014)

Yes..piano playing would go really nicely with a screaming child and someone kicking the back out of your seat for the entire flight..


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## Falcon (Nov 21, 2014)

Really a dumb idea.  The selling point ?


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## Twixie (Nov 21, 2014)

Falcon said:


> Really a dumb idea.  The selling point ?



You get to stand round a piano..looking like you're enjoying yourselves..

Didn't anyone have kids in those days??


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## Meanderer (Nov 23, 2014)

Elton John At The Piano Bar Aboard His Private Plane, 1976


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## oldman (Nov 24, 2014)

It wasn't that they weren't popular, but like others have said, it took away from seating. Seats is everything now. Not long ago, I saw an article in a magazine that pilots receive that Southwest was again squeezing their passengers, so they could add another 4-8 seats to their Boeing 737-700 and 737-800. This is the reason why they can charge for premium seating. If you are like me at 6'4", you need leg room and you will gladly pay for it, especially if you are flying across country or internationally. 

The FAA also had issues with people being out of their seats during turbulence. Once people are allowed to get up and walk around with a drink in their hand they think that they are at a party and it's hard sometimes to get them to sit back down. Man, do I have some stories about that issue. But, anyway, the FAA and the airlines did get tired of the lawsuits from the injuries of passengers being permitted to stand. 

If I am not mistaken, I think there are a few party jets flying about, but I can't remember which ones do it since, Playboy and Hooters went under. (No pun intended.)


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## jujube (Nov 24, 2014)

The one and only time I was in the lounge of a 747, I was asleep.  It was February of 1971 and I was coming home to the US from Turkey with my infant daughter to visit my parents.  It was the next-to-last leg of a 36-hour grueling trip which included a taxi ride, a ferry ride, another taxi ride, changing planes in Frankfurt, changing planes in London, changing planes in New York, and changing planes in Chicago.  We got on the 747 in London and apparently I looked like an extra from The Living Dead.  

As there were only seven passengers on the whole plane -- yep, seven (flights were frequently running almost empty back then but the government made the airlines keep up their schedules) -- we were all put in first class.  As I remember, there were more flight crew members than passengers.  After we took off, the flight crew took one look at me, removed my baby daughter from my care and took me upstairs.  They made me a nice bed on one of the lounges and put me to bed.  I had a three-hour nap and came downstairs to find out that everyone from the pilots to the passengers had been fighting over who got to care for and play with the baby (she WAS pretty cute).  I was given an Polaroid photo of her sitting in the pilot's seat, wearing his hat (actually, it was a picture of a hat with two baby legs sticking out....she was only four months old).  She, of course, had wings pinned on her onesie and had a toy airplane.   When we left the plane and got into the customs and immigration area, I was met by two airline employees who took me through a side door to bypass it all (which was good because she was erupting from both ends and we weren't fit to be around....)

My one brush with being treated like a celebrity and all due to ten pounds of smiling baby and the kindness of strangers.  

It's good that I didn't get used to it, because the trip back a month later was the customary Nine Circles of Hades.


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## Ameriscot (Nov 25, 2014)

jujube said:


> The one and only time I was in the lounge of a 747, I was asleep.  It was February of 1971 and I was coming home to the US from Turkey with my infant daughter to visit my parents.  It was the next-to-last leg of a 36-hour grueling trip which included a taxi ride, a ferry ride, another taxi ride, changing planes in Frankfurt, changing planes in London, changing planes in New York, and changing planes in Chicago.  We got on the 747 in London and apparently I looked like an extra from The Living Dead.
> 
> As there were only seven passengers on the whole plane -- yep, seven (flights were frequently running almost empty back then but the government made the airlines keep up their schedules) -- we were all put in first class.  As I remember, there were more flight crew members than passengers.  After we took off, the flight crew took one look at me, removed my baby daughter from my care and took me upstairs.  They made me a nice bed on one of the lounges and put me to bed.  I had a three-hour nap and came downstairs to find out that everyone from the pilots to the passengers had been fighting over who got to care for and play with the baby (she WAS pretty cute).  I was given an Polaroid photo of her sitting in the pilot's seat, wearing his hat (actually, it was a picture of a hat with two baby legs sticking out....she was only four months old).  She, of course, had wings pinned on her onesie and had a toy airplane.   When we left the plane and got into the customs and immigration area, I was met by two airline employees who took me through a side door to bypass it all (which was good because she was erupting from both ends and we weren't fit to be around....)
> 
> ...



What a nice trip!  I also find it hard to fly in cattle class after we've had several flights in business class.  Haven't been in first yet.


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## oldman (Nov 25, 2014)

If you want a real treat fly on United's Dreamliner for an International flight.


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## Ameriscot (Nov 25, 2014)

oldman said:


> If you want a real treat fly on United's Dreamliner for an International flight.



My favourite airline is Emirates - in business class -  you get lie flat seat with an extra mattress if you want.  Fabulous food.  First class gets you your own cabin with sliding door, and you can book the shower/spa.


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## Ameriscot (Nov 25, 2014)

Emirates first class

http://www.emirates.com/uk/english/flying/cabin_features/first_class/first_class.aspx


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