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By Johnny Jet April 25, 2017 Original Story A few years ago, I read about how an aviation geek (I’m one too) named Anthony Toth had created a mock of a Pan Am 747 in his garage in Redondo Beach, California, and was inviting his friends over for dinner to see it. Toth said he became obsessed with Pan Am at the age of five when his parents took him on his first 747 flight to see his grandparents. He slowly started collecting Pan Am memorabilia, and in his forties he bought the lower deck of a retired 747-100 aircraft from an airplane graveyard in the Mojave Desert. He then pimped it out to recreate the golden age of flying. […]

By Robert Klara April 26, 2017 Original Story For the past three years, adventurous gourmands, wealthy eccentrics and Hollywood A-listers have clamored for seats in what just might be L.A.’s most exclusive restaurant. Bestia? The Edmon? Providence? Nah—those power scenes are merely for the rich and famous. The truly adventurous have been competing for a reservation at the Pan Am Experience. From the outside, it certainly doesn’t look very exclusive. The restaurant is located in a beige brick warehouse behind razor wire in the industrial wastelands of the city’s Pacoima neighborhood. Yet once a week, a fortunate few assemble there to travel back in time. The complex at 13240 Weidner St. is home to Air Hollywood (more on that in a minute), and […]

By Ian Zelaya April 27, 2017 Original Story 1. ‘VOGUE’S DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS GIVES PLANNING TIPS AHEAD OF MET GALA: Eaddy Kiernan, Vogue‘s director of special events, is the event-planning mastermind of the annual Met Gala, which takes place on Monday. Kiernan recently gave tips on hosting a Met Gala-worthy event. Vogue: “So what exactly does Kiernan recommend? ‘Dim the lighting, but not so much that people can’t see each other. I like lots of candlelight, and think fresh flowers are really important. Even making sure that you have flowers in your powder room can make a big difference.’  Kiernan, for her own part, favors a good garden rose. But she doesn’t necessarily believe that a professional arrangement is […]

What we really want to see is “The United Experience” By Rain Noe April 28, 2017 Original Story While the experience of driving is better today than it was fifty years ago, flying commercial has become worse. That has given rise to a rather bizarre, nostalgia-driven restaurant in Los Angeles: The Pan Am Experience, where people pay $300 a head to sit in a reconstructed 1970s-era 747 and have a 4.5-hour, six-course meal with caviar and booze. The experience is meant to evoke the days when flying was a luxury and chances were slim that you’d get your teeth knocked out on the tarmac in Chicago. The stewardesses carve your food up for you in the aisles while you studiously […]

By Mark Frauenfelder May 2, 2017 Original Story At $300 a person, the Pan Am Experience in Los Angeles costs more than many round trip plane flights. But the food is better and they won’t knock your teeth out or kill your rabbit. Your Pan Am Experience begins at our exclusive First & Clipper class check-in desk. where our Pan Am customer service agent provides each passenger with a 70’s style boarding pass, ticket jacket and first class carry-on tags. You’ll be invited into the Clipper Club where you’ll have an opportunity to peruse the vintage Pan Am memorabilia including authentic uniforms, airline seats, handbags, artwork, and more. You can mingle with other enthusiasts at the Clipper Club lounge, share stories, […]

By Steve Przybilla May 3, 2017 Original Story Die legendäre Fluggesellschaft Pan Am lebt. Zumindest in einer nachgebauten Boeing 747 in Los Angeles. Talaat Captan, Gründer von „Pan Am Experience“, erklärt, warum seine Kunden mehrere hundert Dollar für ein bisschen Nostalgie ausgeben. Los Angeles – Die legendäre Fluggesellschaft Pan Am lebt. Zumindest in einer nachgebauten Boeing 747 in Los Angeles. Talaat Captan, Gründer von „Pan Am Experience“, erklärt, warum seine Kunden mehrere hundert Dollar für ein bisschen Nostalgie ausgeben. Mister Captan, um ein paar Stunden in einer nachgebauten Flugzeug-Kabine zu sitzen, geben Ihre Gäste bis zu 345 Dollar aus. ­Warum? Weil sie im Jahr 1970 sind, sobald sie unser Studio betreten. Die Uniformen, der Ticketschalter, die Sitze, die Bar – […]

by JeniLynn Knopp May 3, 2017 Original Story Many people view “plane food” as a form of cruel and unusual punishment, but a company in Los Angeles has made it the centerpiece of a new $300 experience. Called the Pan Am Experience, “passengers” are checked-into a 70’s retro-fitted “flight” where they feast on a five-course meal that is served up by flight attendants. In this unique restaurant experience created by Air Hollywood takes place in Los Angeles on a believable retro airplane film set, like those used in many Hollywood productions. Diners are given boarding passes, ticket jackets and first class carry-on tags all in the style of the airline’s golden age and then escorted into a lounge called the Clipper Club. […]

May 15, 2017 Original Story When it comes to night out, The Pan Am Experience has is right at the top of my wish list right now. It is what is sounds like, the recreation of a premium dining experience on a  reconstructed 1970s-era 747. When we say premium, we mean it too. This is a for and a half hour, six-course meal, complete with caviar and drinks. The food is delivered to your seat, the meat is carved in front of you by air hostesses in vintage Pan Am gear and between courses, you are free to browse the assortment of vintage magazines on offer or puff on the fake cigarettes that will fill the air with smoke. Or […]

By Mason Hsieh May 24, 2017 Original Story I’ve always been told Pan Am was in my blood. My grandfather was a Pan Am station master. My dad grew up flying Pan Am and planned on becoming a pilot. But I was born two years after they went out of business and was raised on my dad’s wistful tales of the company’s heyday: a time of dining carts, spiral staircases, and true luxury in flight. I distinctly recall rolling my eyes, writing it off as a bunch of tall tales told through a nostalgia-warped lens. It wasn’t until I bought him tickets to Air Hollywood’s immersive “Pan Am Experience” and boarded their meticulously set decorated aircraft that I began to […]

By Xiao Bian June 7, 2017 Original Story 汎美航空(Pan American Airways, Pan Am)曾經是美國的航空業巨頭，盛極一時，卻在90年代初期傾頹，徒留給後人唏噓與許多紙醉金迷的回憶。Pan Am的頭等艙體驗也曾經是財富與地位的象徵。 雖然Pan Am 已經不在，但現在大家現在還是可以好好感受搭乘汎美航空頭等艙的體驗。在北洛杉磯，San Fernando谷地，就有一個標榜”完美復刻Pan Am 飛行體驗”的主題博物館與餐廳。雖然一人的體驗票價就要近$300，但每次一推出體驗時段，就火速賣光。買不到票的顧客還會不斷敲碗，要求加開時段。 在接收到這樣的情報後，小編當然要身(打) 先(混) 士(摸) 卒(魚)的前往體驗一番。畢竟能有這經驗可不是每天都有的機遇啊! 而且應該不會因為超賣座位把小編給拖出去吧。 在小編二人組抵達現場時，一開始還真有點以為走錯地方。不過看到外面有個穿機長制服的服務人員、紅地毯還有個LAX的掛牌，心想那應該就是這了吧? 而且，接頭的人當初就說：”由於是個攝影棚，所以外觀看起來就像是個倉庫，所以不要覺得是自己走錯棚喔嘿嘿” 好吧，既然都這樣說了，那就鼓起勇氣進去看看吧!  (小編進門後，發生什麼事?這全套體驗究竟是否物有所值…) 一進門，就看到許多復古行李箱四處擺放，也有許多”復古皮椅”供旅客休息。現場幾乎都是看起來有點年紀與地位的白人。果然是很有高大上的fu呢~ 進門後還要先check-in，”check-in”後櫃檯人員就會發給你一張登機證、票夾與上機行李的標籤，全部70年代風格，而且登機證上還有著自己的名字。 這些 “飛行體驗”該有的小細節一點也不馬虎。 Check-in後就可以到吧檯點個飲料喝上一杯，享受一下當貴賓的虛榮感。 在這休息室裡面，你可以好好端詳所有關於Pan Am的紀念品，包括制服、飛機座椅、手袋等等，好好追懷那個年代(小編是沒經過70年代啦，不過那年代的風格看起來挺酷的。) 當然，你也可以跟其它貴賓好好聊聊，據說，有許多貴賓都是非常喜愛飛航的航空迷，也有許多人都曾是Pan Am的員工，藉此機會來緬懷那一段美好的時光。 另外，這裡的酒用的都不錯，相信喜愛小酌兩杯的人也不會對酒的品質感到失望。 登機室最熱鬧的一刻就是空姐進場的時候啦! 穿著當年Pan Am 制服的空姐們，活潑親切的向大家揮手、送飛吻，讓現場來賓都忍不住拿起手機狂拍照! 終於，到了登機時刻，賓客陸續登上”Clipper Juan T. Trippe”，這也是完整復刻了首台Pan Am的波音747客機的名字，別具紀念意義。 穿著最原始Pan Am制服的空服員就站在入口處歡迎賓客。機上分為三個艙等，分別是Clipper Class(商務艙)、Main Deck First Class(頭等艙)、Upper Deck Lounge(二樓貴賓艙)。三個艙等在四個小時中的體驗大同小異，不過在座位上有些許差異、而二樓的貴賓艙則在前菜方面多了魚子醬可供享用。 進到艙內就好好端詳、品味屬於頭等艙的一切吧。小編有生以來可還沒搭過頭等艙呢。不論是商務艙、頭等艙跟貴賓艙，裡面的內裝都很講究並講求復刻原本的細節，原來70年代的美國富人過的就是這樣的生活。機內的服務人員各個男帥女美。據說，裡面的服務人員有許多是演員，也有許多是真正的空服員來兼差，因此個個笑容可掬，服務100分。看來是不太需要擔心被拖下飛機惹。 終於到了大家期待的第一個高潮：出發前的救生衣演示。由空服員在大家面前真人演出。 再配上”機長”的搞笑旁白，搞得大家笑聲連連。(題外話，機長全程刻意模仿不知道哪國來的口音，讓小編想起了芭樂特Borat…) (下頁有更多精采內容!) 安全演示完後，便開始陸續上菜。五道菜的套餐包含了餐前麵包、開胃冷盤、主餐、水果起司盤與最後的甜點。 看著空姐推著大蝦到座位旁，小編對於眼前的景象非常滿意! 不但擺盤漂亮，蝦肉也頗為彈牙。 機上的主餐供有三種選擇，Chateaubriand 牛排、烤雞肉、素食義大利麵，可依照個人口味挑選，就連素食者的需求也照顧到囉! 看看眼前令人食指大動的景像，再想想以前的搭機經驗，我們吃的那些一盒盒用鋁箔紙蓋起來的究竟是什麼東西啊(哭 飯後來點水果、起司再配上甜甜的Port Wine，可見當年美國富人的生活是如此的享受~ 只能說這個五道菜的全餐跟普通飛機餐怎麼能比…小編以後更不想吃一般的飛機餐了… 在用餐過程中，不斷穿插著時裝秀，展示Pan Am 各時期的空服員制服演進、Pan Am小知識問答、機組員、甚至是乘客之間的互動，都讓整個用餐過程充滿歡樂。 另外，整個用餐過程中仍可以自由走動與拍照，有什麼問題就找空姐、機長們搭訕吧! 他們都會非常熱心的回答你的問題，還可以聽他們分享工作的趣事喔! (用餐結束，整個體驗還沒結束喔~下頁還有更多精采內容!) 用餐結束，也到了”旅程”的尾聲。這時，賓客可自由選擇是否參加Air Hollywood攝影棚的導覽行程。旅遊導遊就是Air Hollywood的創辦人兼營運長 Talaat Captan。Captan從以前就從事影視業，經常飛行於世界各地，他也對航空業抱持著很大的熱情。在一個契機下，他結識了也同樣愛好航空，並且經營航空主題餐廳的Anthony Toth，兩人一拍即合，將Toth的航空餐廳規模更加擴大，也成了今天的Pan Am 體驗。 除了用餐體驗外，Air Hollywood 也與許多非營利組織合作，如自閉症兒協會、克服飛航恐懼症組織等。Captan希望藉此能發揮Air Hollywood的影響力，取之於社會、用之於社會。(聽到Captan的願景小編都感動到要流淚惹…) 行程中，可以參觀到Captan的辦公室，貼滿了整面牆的登機證與飛行相關文件 還可以看到許多與機場相關的布景，如安檢台、行李運送帶及實際的機艙。 Captan說，因為成本考量，因此許多電影、甚至航空公司的場景都是在Air Hollywood搭景拍攝完成。而Air Hollywood也有能力滿足劇組的拍攝需求(聽到這裡再次讚嘆美國的影視業的實力強大+ 原來小編看到的很多都是假的!!!!!!!!) 雖然小編沒經歷過70年代，但那年代的許多流行也為美國未來的文化及形象奠下基礎。不論你有沒有經歷過那年代，如果預算許可+對航空有興趣，都可以來好好體驗Air Hollywood的Pan Am套裝行程，相信喜愛航空的你一定會留下深刻的印象! Pan Am Experience Air Hollywood：13240 Weidner Street Los Angeles, CA 91331 電話：+818.890.0444 官網：http://panamexperience.com/ 購票：http://panamexperience.com/tickets/ (8-12月僅剩少數場次，欲購從速) 影棚外備有停車場 供酒水 全程體驗約4-5小時。