This week, for the first time in 34 years, a Pan Am aircraft touched down in the UK – its tail adorned with the airline’s instantly recognisable ‘blue globe’ logo, glistening in the Stansted sunshine.
The Boeing 757, with only business-class seats, had crossed the Atlantic carrying more than just passengers – it brought with it a wave of jet-set nostalgia.
Pan Am – officially Pan American World Airways – was once the epitome of glamour in the skies. Founded in 1927, it revolutionised international air travel and came to symbolise American sophistication and ambition.
With white-gloved service, lobster dinners, onboard lounges and elegant cabin crew in crisp blue uniforms, flying Pan Am wasn’t just about getting from A to B, it was an experience. The airline was a status symbol for celebrities, diplomats and the global elite.
It pioneered long-haul international travel, operated the first regular transatlantic and transpacific services, and introduced the world to the Boeing 747. At its peak, Pan Am flew to more than 80 countries and became the very image of the Golden Age of aviation.
The sight of stylish flight attendants strolling arm-in-arm with dashing pilots caused a stir in terminals around the world. But by 1991, Pan Am had collapsed – undone by financial troubles, deregulation and the Lockerbie bombing in 1988.
Now, Pan Am is back – at least in spirit. American tour operator Criterion Travel, in partnership with private jet specialist Bartelings, has launched a 12-day ultra-luxury itinerary for the super-rich, reviving the Pan Am name for an immersive nostalgia trip like no other.
The ‘Tracing the Transatlantic’ journey follows the early routes of the original Pan Am flying boats, from New York to Bermuda, Lisbon, Marseille, London and Foynes in Ireland – each stop a luxurious tribute to a bygone era.
Pan Am – officially Pan American World Airways – was once the epitome of glamour in the skies
Cabin crew on the reborn Pan Am flights don original uniforms (complete with pillbox hats)
The ‘Tracing the Transatlantic’ experience follows the early routes of the original Pan Am flying boats
Guests – just 35 of them – travel aboard a plush 757 named Yankee Clipper II, a nod to one of Pan Am’s most famous flying boats.
On board, vintage boarding music from the 1970’s plays, cabin crew don original uniforms (complete with pillbox hats), there’s an open bar and the service is straight out of the airline’s glory days.
Even the menus tip their hat to the past: caviar was served between Bermuda and Lisbon – though sadly, the famous chateaubriand carved at your seat is no longer an option (carving knives no longer welcome on aircraft).
In Foynes, passengers get to visit the Flying Boat Museum, home to the world’s only B-314 flying boat replica – once a mainstay of Pan Am’s 1940s fleet. At other stops, talks have been given by past crew members reliving their younger days in the sky.
Flight attendant Anna Maria Aevarsdottir, who normally flies for Icelandair, joined the project for the chance to step back in time.
‘When we put on the uniform in the morning, we feel like we’re part of something much bigger,’ she said. ‘The Pan Am women were icons of their time, very elegant, capable and adventurous. We feel really proud to be carrying on their legacy across the Atlantic.’
She and her colleagues prepared by watching Pan Am documentaries, listening to aviation podcasts, and even binge-watching the Pan Am TV drama starring Margot Robbie.
Among the passengers were three former Pan Am flight attendants – one even brought her original uniform and wore it to dinner.
‘The Pan Am women were icons of their time, very elegant, capable and adventurous,’ says flight attendant Anna Maria Aevarsdottir
Phil and Quito Bailey described their Pan Am trip as ‘the most magnificent experience’
Guests travel aboard a plush 757 named Yankee Clipper II, a nod to one of Pan Am’s most famous flying boats
Two other travellers, sisters, were retracing their own family history: their father began his Pan Am flying career on the flying boats and retired piloting the 747.
Texas couple Phil and his wife Quito Bailey are seasoned travellers but have relished this unusual odyssey. ‘The most magnificent experience we’ve ever had travelling,’ said Phil. ‘We are running out of adjectives to describe it.’
While not all aboard had a personal connection to the airline, Craig Carter, CEO of the revived Pan American World Airlines brand and host of the journey, summed it up:
‘If they weren’t Pan Am fans when they boarded, they’re Pan Am true blue now.’
The fare for the nostalgic all-inclusive trip? A sky-high $60,000 (£43,500) per passenger.
And that’s just the beginning. A 21-day Transpacific journey is planned for later this year, priced at an eye-watering $95,000 (£75,000), with a round-the-world tour coming in 2027 to mark Pan Am’s 100th anniversary.
For those not quite ready to splurge on that kind of airfare, more accessible tributes to the airline’s legacy are in the works.
A new Pan Am-themed hotel is set to open in California next year. The Pan Am Experience is an immersive dining event in LA where you can enjoy Pan Am service without leaving the ground, and talks are underway about future commercial flights.
The iconic ‘blue globe’ is back in action – reviving the memory of when flying truly was half the fun.
