Jets vastly increases productivity. Early iterations of the industry also enhanced fun and image once the technology improved.
The first commercial passenger jet, the Comet, tended to disintegrate mid-flight. Large windows and a poor understanding of metal stress created a literally fatal design flaw.
After three crashes the public refused to board the jet. Eventually, the British Comet was redesigned.
Canadian company Avro invented the term for their plane, the Avro Canada C102 Jetliner. While the name flew, the plane didn’t. But at least it didn’t kill anybody.
The Soviets released their own jet, the Tupolev Tu-104. They claim it was reliable safe but, owing to secrecy in the Soviet Union, nobody really knows. If nothing else, the interior was a beautiful mix of mahogany, copper, and lace.
The French Caravelle was the first safe, reliable, and popular jet in the west. Following a familiar pattern for the French, just as the company began to gain traction they abandoned it to build the Concorde.
Eventually, the Boeing 707, Douglas DC-9, and Convair 880 from the US won the bulk of the market for passenger jets.