Air Canada planes once had a dance floor on flights from Toronto to Europe

These days, flying can feel a bit impersonal. Typically, you board a plane, settle into your seat, and find yourself surrounded by a sea of quiet passengers, who are all plugged into their devices or browsing the latest in-flight entertainment.

You might even spend several hours sitting next to someone without exchanging a single word, but so long ago, flying was a very different experience — one where passengers would frequently strike up conversations with each other, and even dance above the clouds.

In the 1970s, airlines raced to outdo each other with extravagances that seem almost unthinkable on a flight today. Once the Boeing 747 entered service in 1970, airlines had access to a…