HOUSTON – It was the 1960’s – the golden age of flying. The days of steak dinners and dress codes at 30,000 feet up above.

Like one big party, life on board use to feature five-star foods, endless booze, smoking, and well, anything else you wanted above three ounces.

But gone are the days of comfort outside of first class.

Today, flying high looks much different. Because it is.

What was once deemed ‘high society’ – pun intended – is now for everyone. Literally – it’s called economy.

While we’ve lost quite a bit of leg room, we’re getting something in return – money.

The seats have shrunk, but so have the price tags.

A 1966 Air Transport publication showed ticket prices for coach seats from New York to Los Angeles was $290.

Seems about right, except with inflation, today, that price would be $2,200.

Ouch.

At just under half a million flights last year, Bush Intercontinental Airport is definitely the breadwinner when it comes to our airports, more than double the traffic at Hobby Airport.

But while we may think we’ve got the goods with not one, but two airports, a recent report shows we don’t even make the top twenty worldwide.

The Airports Council International says Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world, with 104 million passengers last year alone.

But what you really care about – is who’s the cheapest.

A 2016 study found out of 101 airports, Long Beach ($202), DFW ($203) and LaGuardia ($215) had the lowest average prices.

Hobby ($254) came in eleventh, and Bush ($286) ranked 26th.

Not too bad. At least, we’re not Honolulu. ($641)