Pan Am is back—but not in the same way you may remember it.
A new private jet travel experience is retracing the iconic routes of Pan Am, once the largest and most famous airline in the United States. Operated on board a chartered Boeing 757 complete with the famous Pan Am livery, the brand has been brought back to life by Beyond Capricorn and Bartelings, two companies that specialize in bespoke luxury tours, with an official license from Pan American World Airways.
The inaugural trip took off this June, following Pan Am’s original transatlantic circle route to Europe. This route was originally flown by the famous Pan Am Clippers, long-range flying boats used in the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, an airline ticket would cost between $200 and $400 one way, depending on the destination (equivalent to between $4,000 and $8,000 today).
While Pan Am is associated with the golden age of commercial air travel, its latest act as “Pan Am Journeys by Private Air” offers an even more exclusive product. The 757 aircraft named Yankee Clipper II features 50 fully-flat business class seats, each with a $60,000 price tag.
That price includes a scenic 12-night tour from New York-JFK with stops in Bermuda, Lisbon, Marseille, London, and Shannon in Ireland, where travelers stayed in luxury hotels like St. Regis in New York, the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz in Lisbon, The Savoy in London, and Adare Manor in Ireland.
At each destination, passengers are treated to top-tier meals and drinks, insightful tours, and aviation-themed experiences. But above all, it’s the nostalgia of the Pan Am brand that passengers are paying for. Many of the travelers aboard the maiden journey consisted of former flight attendants, Pan Am sales agents, or children of former pilots.
I joined the last segment of the whirlwind journey in London, where we flew to Ireland before returning to the US. As a professional aviation geek, I was overwhelmed by the history and deep appreciation my fellow passengers shared as they reminisced on their days working for or flying with Pan Am. The epic tour was just the start for Pan Am’s latest venture, with more private flight journeys planned throughout 2026 and 2027.
The chartered 757 aircraft named Yankee Clipper II features 50 fully-flat business class seats.
Courtesy Pan Am
A plane that’s famous at each stop
Alerted by enthusiastic aviation message boards and flight trackers, dozens of plane spotters, airline employees, and families awaited with cameras in tow at every takeoff and landing. Even the crew’s arrival to the terminal turned heads as they swaggered through, donning vintage Pan Am uniforms.