A collection of photos has shown how passengers used to pass the time on flights in the 50s and 60s - and it was mainly by looking dapper, drinking martinis and smoking.

Geoffrey Thomas, contributor from the website which published the images, said the photos are "part of my collection that has been amassed over 40 years from now-defunct airline PR departments". They probably went out of business when smoking on planes became illegal.

Check out the collection below:

When smoking was the norm. Picture: Airline Ratings Historical Collection

Before the days of touchscreen TVs, women used to stroke their pearl necklaces while men checked the stocks. Picture: Airline Ratings Historical Collection

Another popular pastime was forcing glum children to build towers of playing cards Picture: Airline Ratings Historical Collection

In those days, children were more debonair than they are today. And airline food, by the looks of it, was  marvellous. Picture: Airline Ratings Historical Collection

Meanwhile, the adults would congregate in the plane's bar and shoot the breeze. And smoke. Picture: Airline Ratings Historical Collection

Pilots were much more laid back about the whole flying the plane lark back then. The passengers however seem much more tense, note that chap's grip on his Martini glass. Picture: Airline Ratings Historical Collection

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Phew. That was just a pilot impersonator. The real pilot is double-checking flight path coordinates with a nine year old. Picture: Airline Ratings Historical Collection

Where are those indistinguishable main-cum-deserts that we're so used to today? Picture: Airline Ratings Historical Collection

The seats with the most legroom were reserved for the ladies with the biggest lapels. Fair. Picture: Airline Ratings Historical Collection

In the absence of being able to watch three mediocre rom-coms in a row on a screen no bigger than a side plate, people used to gamble. Picture: Airline Ratings Historical Collection

Or just whip up a casual game of draughts. Picture: Airline Ratings Historical Collection

Or chess. What a time to be alive. Picture: Airline Ratings Historical Collection

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