United Airlines Once Banned Kids and Women from Flying for 17 Years

CHICAGO– For 17 years, United Airlines (UA) operated men-only flights known as “The Executive,” serving routes such as New York (JFK/LGA/EWR) to Chicago (ORD/MDW) and Los Angeles (LAX) to San Francisco (SFO).

Launched in 1953, the service excluded women and children as passengers, offering what United marketed as a “club in the sky—For Men Only.” It ended on January 14, 1970, following growing complaints, cultural pushback, and falling demand.

Photo: By InSapphoWeTrust from Los Angeles, California, USA – United Airlines – N7001U, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24265943

United Once Banned Kids and Women

The Executive flights were pitched as a premium space for male business travelers. Passengers received first-class service with steak dinners, cocktails, cigars, slippers, and fresh financial updates delivered by teletype.

A “last-minute message” system enabled gate agents to convey urgent business notes to passengers before departure.

Initially operated by DC-6B “Mainliners,” the flights later shifted to Sud-Aviation Caravelle VI-R jets, configured in an all-first-class 64-seat 2-2 layout. United operated these flights as Flight 642/643 between New York and Chicago, and as Flight 665/666 on the Los Angeles–San Francisco corridor.

Timing, Pricing, and Passenger Experience

Flights were scheduled for weekday evenings, around 5 p.m., catering to business commuters heading home after work. Though a nominal “two-drink limit” was advertised, reports suggest it was rarely enforced. Cigars and even smoking pipes were permitted onboard.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, fares averaged about $67—roughly $3 more than standard first class.

At its peak, United logged load factors between 80–90% on about 10,500 total segments. By the late 1960s, however, loads dropped to around 40%, signaling the decline of the concept, View from the Wing reported.

Photo: JFK Spotting

Growing Pushback and Protests

While women were barred from purchasing tickets, female flight attendants still staffed the service. United justified the restriction as offering men a “luxury” away from women and children, though critics challenged that framing.

Complaints grew over time. In 1958, Edythe Rudolph Rein, an executive with National Telefilm Associates, filed a formal complaint with the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) after being denied a ticket.

Journalist Dorothy Kilgallen once arrived ticket-in-hand for a Newark departure, and after a short delay, was reportedly allowed to board.

By 1969, cultural attitudes had shifted. The National Organization for Women staged protests at United’s Chicago headquarters and filed regulatory complaints. Under pressure from regulators and amid waning demand, United ended the service in January 1970.

Competitors and Anecdotes

United was not the only airline to experiment with men-only flights. Mohawk Airlines introduced its “Gaslight Service,” initially men-only, featuring cigars and free beer.

One oft-retold but likely apocryphal story claims United sent vouchers to the wives of Executive passengers, inviting them to fly. When surveyed later, the most common response reportedly was: “What flight?”

Photo: jpellgen | Flickr

Bottom Line

The Executive service was a product of its time, reflecting mid-century social and business culture.

By 1970, the idea of restricting passengers by gender was no longer acceptable, both socially and legally.

United officially retired the concept on January 14, marking the close of one of the most unusual chapters in U.S. airline history.

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