Air travel has become a way of life, but who doesn’t long for the golden age of travel when flying was glamorous and what you wore was just as important as what you packed?
No airline has left such a lasting impression of such an era than Pan Am. For those who remember flying this airline, it brings memories of a time when families would greet and see you off at the gate, flight attendants were known as stewardesses, carry-on luggage was not yet invented, and shockingly – smoking was permitted on flights!
The Pan Am Experience takes you back to that golden age and it all begins, of course, at the ticket desk where you are checked in and given your Pan Am boarding pass. There you can get a cocktail and admire the collection of authentic Pan Am memorabilia on display while waiting to board. Worth noting is the furniture creatively made from vintage plane parts.
Once you board, you find yourself inside a reconstruction of the plane’s interior, complete with upper level lounge, first class and main cabin seating created with authentic Pan Am furnishings and color schemes. It’s so authentic that even the reading material dates back to the ’70s.
After ‘takeoff’, the experience includes a multi-course meal served by the cabin crew, an ‘inflight’ fashion show of the various uniform designs worn by the the crew through the years and a Pan Am trivia contest. By this time you’ll have no trouble believing you’re heading to an exotic destination or at least hoping the flight never ends.
The Pan Am Experience was created by Anthony Toth and Talaat Captan, who have tapped into a common appreciation and nostalgia of that era, as proven by the sell-out crowds that have come for the experience.
L.A.’s best kept secret is out, so get to the airport early or you’ll miss your flight. The experience costs about $300.