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Flying economy class can be a humbling experience, thanks to the way passengers are herded into small, uncomfortable spaces. Its "cattle car" nickname certainly makes sense, but how did the term "coach" come to be? It all dates back to the 15th century in the town of Kocs (pronounced rather like "coach"), Hungary. That's where a large four-wheeled carriage called a "coach wagon" was first popularized. By the 17th century, stagecoaches were used to deliver mail as well as for transportation. These operations were mechanized during the Industrial Revolution, but the old-fashioned "coach" name stuck. In the mid-1800s, only first-class railroad cars were called "coaches."
Over time, however, all the cars became coaches. As the exclusivity of the term "coach" declined, it became associated with the cheap seats. Early planes were too small and tickets cost too much to have anything other than one, first-class cabin. The glamorous Pan Am Clippers of the 1930s held only 40 passengers, who shared a series of elegant lounges on board. But after World War II, flying became more of a plebeian affair. Airplanes got bigger and faster, and airlines began cramming more people into the planes. Coach class was born,
and millions have been flying without legroom ever since.
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