It's sort of funny how things change. Before de-reg, flying was expensive (my flight was covered under my dad's family relocation budget - my parents were already overseas) and certain luxuries could be provided.
However, during the 70s, both NYC and London were depressed, sad and grey destinations. 44 years later, flying is a no-fun public transit experience, while NYC & London are glittering, high finance affairs.
Yes, never flew often, but remember flying in the 70s as a child was always an experience... Free “flight pins”, and metal airplanes from the stewardesses, and a tour of the cockpit, smoked almonds... edible food. (only flew domestic as a child).
Now, domestic flying is a dread.. International can still be nice... but anything that remotely passes as service, is long long gone.
I was 4 and flew as an unaccompanied minor from New York to L.A. on a Lockheed Constellation in 1950. Like you, the stewardesses took care of me. Of course I remember little of the flight, except eating some chocolate cake, getting sick, and getting to sit in the pilot’s lap in the cockpit. My parents said I didn’t want to get off of the plane. Found pictures of me and the plane when I cleaned out my mom’s apartment last year.