Pan Am is synonymous with glamorous travel. Although the airline stopped flying in 1991, the name still emanates nostalgia and symbolizes an era before the words “overtourism” or “selfie stick” existed. Now you’ll have one last chance to experience the Golden Age of Travel, when passengers dressed up to board and “stewardesses” were the equivalent of super models that turned heads everywhere they went.
The airline’s blue globe logo, known as “The Blue Meatball,” and its luxurious service made it synonymous with elegance and sophistication. The iconic airline’s cultural resonance is deep, it has been featured in numerous movies and television shows over the years, including “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968), “Catch Me If You Can” (2002), which showcases the airline during the 1960s Golden Age of Travel, and the Bond franchise’s, “Live and Let Die” (1973). On television, Pan Am was the focus of the period drama series “Pan Am” (2011-2012), which starred Christina Ricci and Margot Robbie.
The airline also made appearances in shows like “I Love Lucy” and “The Beverly Hillbillies”. Pan Am’s legacy continues to be celebrated, and now if you have very deep pockets, you could enjoy that experience one more time as it makes a brief – and expensive – victory lap. Pan Am Brands, which owns the former airline’s licensing rights, will fly a special Pan Am-branded private jet on a 12-day trip from New York City in June 2025.
The “Tracing the Transatlantic” is a commemorative journey by private jet organized by the Pan Am Museum Foundation, which retraces the original transatlantic routes pioneered by Pan American Airways. The itinerary has stops in Bermuda, Lisbon, Marseille, London and Foynes, Ireland, all places that have significance to Pan Am and were on the airline’s old routes. The price tag? An eye-popping $59,950 a person.
Dig deep in your pockets and bring out your finery to catch the mood of elegance and sophistication that defined an era..
