Pan Am gets new life with airport lounges planned — and a luxury, history-rich trip
Next June, a Boeing 757 will take off from New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), donning the unmistakable logo of Pan American World Airways — "blue meatball" and all.
No, it's not a just-for-looks retro livery paying homage to the historic American carrier, which is most closely associated with the Golden Age of Aviation.
The flight will, technically, be operated by Pan Am itself.
How's that possible, you might ask? And in other words ... Is Pan Am back?
Well, it sort of is.
Thirty-three years after the airline last ferried passengers around the world (with legendary service that is still fondly remembered), the brand — among the best-known in aviation history — is getting a second lease on life, in a way.
As part of this second act, you could enjoy a preflight beverage at a Pan Am airport lounge in the not-too-distant future.
Bringing back Pan Am ... sort of
In February, a group of investors purchased the Pan Am brand, and they have big plans to bring the name back to the forefront of aviation.
To be clear, you won't see an actual Pan Am airline rise from the historic carrier's ashes.
"We have no desire to start regularly scheduled services," said Craig Carter, who can now legitimately call himself the CEO of Pan American World Airways — a title once held by the airline's founder, aviation pioneer Juan Trippe.
No, Carter said, it wouldn't be feasible to replicate the level of service that Trippe's Pan Am was known for — from its far-flying, surprisingly luxurious Boeing 314 Clipper flying boats to the legacy his successors carried through much of the 20th century.
"In light of deregulation, you really can't bring Pan Am back to that particular type of era and honor it well with those iconic routes in an era we're in," Carter said to TPG in his first major interview since taking over the brand.
But come next summer, Pan Am's livery — and, in many ways, its legacy — will be on full display.
2025 luxury trip planned
Now a full-scale travel company, the new Pan Am (officially Pan Am Global Holdings, LLC) is collaborating with two luxury travel agencies on a 12-day voyage in 2025. The voyage will honor the airline's heritage and also retrace its historic route map.
The Pan Am-decorated Boeing 757 aircraft will depart from JFK on June 27, 2025, and fly to Europe.
Operated by tour company Bartelings, the journey promises to be anything but a regular transatlantic trip.
For starters, the entire jet features business-class-style lie-flat seats on a Boeing 757 leased from Icelandair; in the past, TPG got a look at the comfort of a similar jet used by another major tour company.
The itinerary is closely designed to follow the routes of Pan Am's 1920s network of international Clipper flying boats (amphibious aircraft that could take off and land on water and were known for their surprisingly comfortable accommodations).
Passengers will retrace the flying patterns of Pan Am's southern transatlantic route between New York City and Marseilles, France, and its northern route between London and New York. Other notable stops include Bermuda, Lisbon and Foynes, Ireland.
The company tells TPG to expect plenty of nods to the historic airline, too, noting that the whole experience "has been painstakingly designed to honor the unmatched legacy of Pan Am in the most respectful way."
"It'll have the Pan Am livery," Carter said. "As much as we possibly can with the interior ... the pilots will be wearing Pan Am uniforms, [as well as] flight attendants."
You'll find plenty of luxury along the way, too. The experience begins and ends with an opening and closing gala at the Waldorf Astoria New York, which is now approaching the end of a pricey and yearslong facelift.
The trip also includes high-end hotel stays, from the Rosewood Bermuda to the Four Seasons Ritz in Lisbon, The Savoy in London and Dromoland Castle Hotel in Ireland.
Plus, guests will be treated to an exclusive, aviation-inspired dinner experience at the Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum in Ireland, where the only Boeing 314 Clipper long-range flying boat replica in the world is on display.
However, not unlike a high-class ticket on Pan Am back in the day, this trip won't come cheap.
Tickets start at $59,950 per person for a party of two, or $65,500 for a single ticket. The company says it's already sold nearly half of the seats on board the 50-pod jet.
Lounges, other Pan AM experiences planned
Hoping for an immersive Pan Am experience that won't break the bank? You can now buy Pan Am gear on the company's website.
But if you're looking for something a bit more immersive, the brand is planning to open a Boeing 747-themed restaurant near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) this winter called the "Pan Am Experience" — it's sure to be appreciated by AvGeeks and travelers of a certain age alike.
"We really want Pan Am to be front and center," Carter said. "Everything you can think of to try to put the brand back into people's mind."
And, get this: The company confirms it's in talks to open Pan Am airport lounges at three "high-profile airports" in the U.S.
Details are sparse, but the early vision calls for a pay-to-access space where you could grab some food and drinks and have space to relax before a flight, Carter said.
"It's not like a Delta [Sky Club] lounge," he explained. "They'll have food, drinks, things like that once you come in, but it'll be pretty much open to the public to go in there; it'll have all the Pan Am nostalgia, seating ... the look and feel."
No, we're not back to the Golden Age of Aviation. And it won't be the same Pan Am, no doubt.
But for aviation enthusiasts who remember the brand fondly, there are a few more reminders of its legacy on the horizon.
"For us, we believe that the iconic blue meatball is something people still relish in seeing," Carter said. "It still has a certain amount of cache to it, even today, and even amongst the younger generation."
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