The airline continued to suffer financially and, on December 4, 1991, Pan Am flew its final flight after almost 65 years of operations.Īll good things come to an end, even for the world’s most experienced airline. Between 1983-84, it lost a further $273 million. In 1982, the airline’s workforce had to be trimmed by 22%, and Pan Am reportedly lost more than $480 million that year alone. Pan Am marketed business class in the 1980s. Pan Am’s new uniform in the 1980s, designed by Cuban-born Adolfo Sardina. From the luxurious trademark style of its cabins and staff uniforms, Pan Am now reflected a more modern and practical vibe. It was in this decade that Pan Am’s look and image changed. In the 1980s, the airline marketed its business class (called the Clipper Class), and economy class. Now faced with an increased number of rivals, Pan Am had to reduce costs in order to be more competitive. The new law removed federal control over fares, routes, and market entry of new airlines. In 1978, US President Jimmy Carter signed the Airline Deregulation Act. They even have a historian/trainer who worked as a purser for Pan Am from 1970 to 1991 to ensure authenticity. While the mock-up cabin will not take to the skies, the interiors have been painstakingly built to replicate the Pan Am 747 Jet Clipper. In this custom-built environment, people can relive the grandeur of Pan Am dining. Touted as “the plane with all the room in the world”, it was the 747’s sheer size and capacity that allowed Pan Am to make fares more accessible.Īs many people fondly remember this era, in 2014 the Pan Am Experience was born, a fine-dining experience in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Pan Am stewardesses in the 1960s have inspired TV shows, movies, and represented a majestic era of travel. Job stipulations included remaining single, unmarried, and maintaining a certain weight. While some acknowledged the “good life” that came with the job such as being based in Hong Kong, living in a high-rise flat with a personal cook, and bar-hopping in different hotels, others have described what happened behind the chic facade. “The whole wide, wonderful world is your ‘place of business’, and your days are filled with the romance of far-away, exotic lands…you enjoy the prestige of a profession that is widely – and deservedly – acclaimed as glamorous,” a 1967 Pan Am ad said.Ī number of former Pan Am flight attendants have given accounts of what work life was really like in the mid-20th century. In stark contrast to 2022, where being a flight attendant is sometimes extremely challenging, being a Pan Am stewardess (as the job was called back then) in the 60s was a glamorous job, envied by many. In the history of commercial flights, this is the era that equated flying with a luxurious, comfortable, and glamorous experience. Pan Am in the 1960sīy the 1960s, Pan Am had well and truly paved the way in the golden age of travel. Meals were flash frozen and stored at different locations. It was constantly used for transatlantic flights to Europe.įor many years, Maxim’s chefs prepared all of Pan Am’s Atlantic catering. Powered by Pratt and Whitney JT3C Turbojet engines, the Boeing 707 drastically reduced flying time. Image source: The Pan Am Historical Foundation Pan Am purchased 20 of the Boeing 707 Jet Clipper. In October 1955, the airline ordered 20 of Boeing’s first jetliner, the Boeing 707. The National Air and Space Museum recorded an observation made by someone about the Boeing 314’s sleeping quarters: “One can shed his clothing without doing backbends and wrestler’s bridges.” The 1950s – the Jet Ageīy the 1950s, Pan Am, then known widely as Pan American World Airways, had established itself not just as a luxurious airline, but also the most modern and fastest way to fly commercially, reaching farther destinations with the latest aircraft models. One of the highlights of the Pan Am Clippers were the sleeping quarters as they were more spacious than previous Clippers. Sleeping quarters on Pan Am’s Boeing 314 image credit: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution The seats in the Clippers could be converted into sleeping bunks for overnight ‘accommodation’, it had a lounge and dining area, and the galleys were crewed by chefs from four-star hotels. A San Francisco to Honolulu flight in 1940, just one of the Pan Am Clippers routes, had a flight duration of 19 hours. A Pan Am brochure in the 1940s image credit: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian InstitutionĪs the Clippers were used for lengthy transoceanic flights, they offered luxury and comfort.
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