Suits that Soar: Airline Playing Cards

Suits that Soar: Airline Playing Cards

Playing cards are believed to have originated in China as early as the ninth century CE. In Europe, by the late fifteenth century, and following the spread of the engraving technique of printing, decks of fifty-two cards with four suits began to proliferate. By the late nineteenth century, decks began to be standardized with reversible designs. Playing cards, along with other games, became a common pastime among passengers on trains and steamships, and, because of their size and weight, were ideally suited for use on airliners. By the late 1930s, airlines began to recognize that they also presented an excellent opportunity for branding and advertising as an inflight giveaway item. Carriers had printers create uniquely designed decks with the airline’s symbol, logotype, and the latest service promotions, often for destinations served or the carrier’s newest airliner. Suits that Soar presents a broad selection of airline playing card decks from the 1930s to the present.

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