The Pan Am brand is getting new life — and airport lounges

Next June, a Boeing 757 will take off from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), sporting the unmistakable logo of Pan American World Airways — “blue meatball” and all.

No, it’s not just a retro-looking livery that pays homage to the American carrier, most associated with the Golden Age of Aviation.

The plane, technically, will be operated by Pan Am itself.

How is that possible, you may ask? And in other words… Is it Pan Am back?

Well, of course.

Thirty-three years after the airline last carried passengers around the world (with a legendary service that is still well remembered), the brand – among the most famous names in aviation history – is getting a second lease on life, in a way.

As part of this second act, you can enjoy a pre-flight drink in the Pan Am airport lounge in the not too distant future.

Bringing back Pan Am … sort of

In February, a group of investors bought 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 Pan Am airlines rising from the ashes of the carrier.

“We have no desire to start regular scheduled services,” said Craig Carter, who can now officially call himself CEO of Pan American World Airways – a title once held by the airline’s founder, aviation pioneer Juan Trippe.

No, Carter said, it would be impossible to replicate the level of service that Trippe’s Pan Am is known for – from its long-flying, incredibly luxurious Boeing 314 Clipper to the history its fans experienced through much of the 20th century. .

“Because of the deregulation, you can’t really bring Pan Am back to that kind of era and honor it properly in those ways that are popular in our time,” Carter told TPG in his first major interview since taking office. a symbol.

But come next summer, Pan Am’s livery — and, in many ways, its legacy — the will fully displayed.

2025 luxury cruise planned

Now a full-fledged travel company, the new Pan Am (officially Pan Am Global Holdings, LLC) is partnering with two luxury cruise lines for a 12-day cruise in 2025. map.

A Pan Am Boeing 757 will depart JFK on June 27, 2025, for a flight to Europe.

Operated by the travel company Bartelings, this trip promises to be no ordinary transatlantic voyage.

First, every flight features business lie-flat seats on a Boeing 757 leased from Icelandair; in the past, TPG has acquired the luxury of the same aircraft operated by another major travel company.

The trip is designed closely to follow the routes of Pan Am’s 1920s network of international Clipper flying boats (seaplanes that can take off and land on water and are known for their incredibly comfortable accommodations).

Passengers will also follow the flight 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 that it expects plenty of nods to the historic airline, too, noting that the entire experience has been “carefully designed to honor Pan Am’s unparalleled heritage in a respectful way.”

“It will have a Pan Am livery,” Carter said. “As far as we can internally … the pilots will be wearing Pan Am uniforms, [as well as] flight crew.”

You’ll find plenty of comfort along the way, too. The experience begins and ends with the opening and closing gala at the Waldorf Astoria New York, now nearing the end of an expensive and years-long run.

The tour also includes luxury accommodations, from Rosewood Bermuda to the Four Seasons Ritz in Lisbon, the Savoy in London and the Dromoland Castle Hotel in Ireland.

Also, guests will be treated to a special, aviation-inspired dinner at the Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum in Ireland, where the world’s only replica of the Boeing 314 Clipper long-range flying boat is on display.

However, unlike a premium 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 has already sold about half of the seats aboard the 50-pod aircraft.

Lounges, other Pan AM activities are 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 little more special, the brand plans to open a Boeing 747-themed restaurant near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) this winter called the “Pan Am Experience” — 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 get the brand back in people’s minds.”

Also, get this: The company confirms it is in talks to open Pan Am lounges at three “high-end airports” in the US.

Details are sparse, but the early vision calls for a pay-to-access area where you can get food and drinks and have a pre-flight lounge, Carter said.

“It’s not like Delta [Sky Club] a place to rest,” he explained. “They will have food, drinks, things like that once you come in, but it will be very open to the public to come in there; it will have all the Pan Am nostalgia, the seats … the look and feel.”

No, we are 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 well, there are a few other reminders of its near-miss legacy.

“For us, we believe the blue meatball is something people still enjoy seeing,” Carter said. “It still has a certain amount of cachet in it, even today, even among the younger generation.”

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