Hobbies And Interests
Purpose
Unlike stamps, air etiquette is not a form of payment for mail but rather a form of direction for transporters. They indicate the "etiquette" in which the mail must be transported. The addition of air etiquette to a piece of mail signals to transporters that the parcel must be shipped "Via Air Mail"- a phrase commonly included on air etiquette.
History
Mail was first transported by air as early as 1870. Not long after, air etiquette was instituted to distinguish mail intended for air transport from mail intended for ground transport. Mail was transported on standard mail planes which were usually small government-owned biplanes. Commercial aircrafts were also used, which is where air etiquette received much of its design, to indicate the air carrier that would be transporting the mail.
Design
When first designed, air etiquette was plain and contained only information required to alert the postal authority such as to air transportation and the airline that would be transporting the parcel. Air etiquette soon became a canvas to represent nations, events and companies. Colors became common while the etiquette itself took on different shapes and sizes.
Etiquette Today
Although still in use, air etiquette today is still considered a form of Cinderella collecting. Cinderella collecting is a title given to collector items that are associated with stamp collecting but are not stamps. Just as Cinderella was a stepchild, air etiquette is considered a stepchild of stamps. Cinderella collectibles are usually harder to find and secure than traditional stamps.