We’ve heard of rock bands and pop artists going on tour but now one of the world’s most iconic airlines is doing a worldwide lap of honour. After ceasing to exist except as a brand name in 1991, Pan Am, or Pan American World Airways, has once more taken to the skies for a luxury multi-stop trip bringing back all the nostalgia associated with the golden age of air travel.
Launched in 1927, Pan Am became the de facto flag carrier for the United States across a 64-year tour of service that saw it pioneer commercial aviation, with innovations varying from first class service, to jumbo jet operation, and scheduled round-the-world flights. It once served 86 countries across six continents.
It suffered from the fallout of the 1970s oil crisis and failed to deal with competition after the deregulation of the aviation industry. Despite numerous financial restructuring attempts, mergers and takeovers, by the early 90s, Pan Am was done for. One of the nails in its coffin was the reputational damage caused by security failures which culminated in the deaths of 270 people in the Lockerbie bombing, which has recently been the subject of various film and TV treatments. Amid the Gulf War and lawsuits from Lockerbie victims’ families, the carrier filed for bankruptcy three years later.
But the Pan Am brand never went away, kept alive by Pan Am Brand, a company that possesses licensing rights to the former carrier and continues to sell Pan Am merchandise. Now, in collaboration with the Pan Am Museum foundation, Bartelings, a company specialising in private jet tours around the world, and tour agency Criterion Travel, have reincarnated the famous name for one more round-the-world trip.
The 12-day “Tracing the Transatlantic” journey takes place aboard a repurposed and Pan Am-branded Icelandair Boeing 757-200. It cost around €52,000 ($65,000 for solo travellers and $59,950 per person for pairs) offering exclusivity, leg-room and reclining at will in 50 business class seats only. Having taken off from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Tuesday 17 June, 2025, it passed through Bermuda, before stopping to refuel in Lisbon, Portugal where passengers were treated to a stay at the Ritz Hotel.
Iconic PAN AM Airline returns to Lisbon Airport 😍 Who misses the iconic airline?
— aircraftmaintenancengineer (@airmainengineer) June 20, 2025
📸 by youtube/lisbon airport spotting
Not an ad pic.twitter.com/GPXZoC621G
The glamour doesn’t stop there. It will go on to Marseille in France, as well as the UK and Eire. In London, guests will enjoy hospitality at the Savoy and while in the Republic of Ireland the accommodation will be at the veritable 16th-century, ancestral Dromoland Castle.
“Every detail, from the flight deck, to the cabin, has been designed with care–honoring the golden age of travel while reimagining it for today’s world,” Pan Am Brands said on Facebook.
