In 1945, Pan American Airways helped usher in a modern era of commercial jet travel by being the first airline to introduce an economy class. And while it made air travel more affordable, the Pan Am name is still synonymous with luxury thanks to the gourmet meals, fashionable flight attendants, and spacious seating featured in its original airplanes. Sadly, the cultural icon shuttered in 1991.
Now, Pan Am is set to take to the skies once more. An exclusive 12-day trip harking back to the early, more glamorous days of air travel, will retrace the original Pan Am southern and northern transatlantic routes. The trip was forged by Pan American World Airways, which launched in February 2024, along with the Pan Am Museum Foundation, and is officially licensed by Pan Am Brands.
“Since 1927, Pan Am has left an indelible mark on the world. From humble beginnings as the first commercial carrier for the U.S. Air Mail, Pan Am’s founder Juan T. Trippe went on to create a vast aviation empire across the globe, literally bringing the world closer together one flight at a time,” Craig Carter, CEO of Pan American World Airways and host of the commemorative flight, said in a press release.
Pan American World Airways acquired the iconic Pan Am brand earlier this year, and this journey is part of a larger effort to relaunch and reintroduce the Pan Am name into the travel space. Carter stated that the company sees “unlimited opportunities to further leverage the Pan Am brand,” including with exclusive airport lounges and branded merchandise featuring the iconic Pan Am logo, among other initiatives.
The journey will start with 50 passengers on a chartered Boeing 757 aircraft configured with all-business-class seating in New York City on June 27, 2025. From there, the flight will stop in Bermuda; Lisbon, Portugal; Marseilles, France; London, England; and Foynes, Ireland, before returning to New York on July 8.
The program will be operated by Bartelings, a company that specializes in organizing worldwide tours by private aircraft, and Criterion Travel, a tour operator with a focus on educational travel.
At a time when “we are becoming more accustomed to travel being a commodity, usually a way to get from point A to point B at the most economical price,” Criterion stated on its website about the forthcoming Pan Am journey, the trip is meant to serve as a reminder of the “Golden Age” of travel—”a time when the travel itself was a glamorous experience, and when the journey was as important and special as the destination.”
According to Criterion, passengers can expect upscale catering, an open bar, the ability to stream in-flight content on their personal devices, and a handpicked crew that will stay with them for the duration of the trip while in the air.
On the ground, guests will stay in some of the most luxurious hotels in the world, including the Rosewood in Bermuda, the Four Seasons Ritz in Lisbon, the Savoy in London, and Dromoland Castle in Ireland (the accommodation in France has not yet been announced). The trip also includes some special events, such as an evening of fado music in Portugal and an exclusive dinner at the Flying Boat and Maritime Museum in Ireland, which houses the only Boeing 314 Clipper replica in the world. (The Clipper aircraft could land on water and Pan Am primarily used it in the 1930s.) There will also be gala evenings at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City before and after the trip.
The price for the 2025 Pan Am Airways commemorative journey is $59,950 per person based on double occupancy, or $65,500 for single occupancy, and includes flights, accommodations, most meals and beverages, and a branded swag bag. Tickets are bookable on the Criterion Travel website.
As for whether there will be additional Pan Am journeys, Carter stated that the 2025 voyage is “the first of many exclusive themed flights back into the luxury travel space.”
He said, “Relaunching Pan Am requires a careful balance of honoring its storied past while innovating for the future,” adding that the objective is to recognize the nostalgia the brand evokes while also updating the product with modern amenities “so that it resonates with both our longtime fans and new customers.”
Although the new Pan American World Airways hasn’t revealed many specifics about additional departures yet, the company has said that it plans to develop an exclusive around-the-world private jet journey in 2027 that will celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the founding of Pan Am.
