NOSTALGIA: Pan Am training videos – they were simpler times.

Pan Am was a bit of an airline icon back in the day. In fact, the airline only existed for 64 years between 1927 and 1991. It never really managed itself very well through the deregulation process of the airline industry in the 1980s and was hindered by everything from too many 747’s in the 1970s during a travel downturn due to the oil crises, through to regulators’ denial of the airline acquiring a domestic network, the Lockerbie bombing, and bad management.

Achievements

Having said all of that it is important to remember the achievements of the airline: it is responsible for Boeing building the 747 – Queen of the Skys; building the Pan Am building in New York; owning InterContinental hotels and recruiting multilingual, graduate, cabin staff often with nursing qualifications who traded under the slogan of ‘World’s Most Experienced Airline’

Pan Am Museum goes to YouTube

This museum located in Garden City, New York has set up a YouTube Channel that:

‘brings Pan Am’s 64-year history to life with a collection of Pan Am films, documentaries, commercials, and corporate training videos.’

Pan Am Museum iYouTube Channel

Training Videos

A bunch of their training videos popped up in my YouTube feed over the last week or so. I have binged quite a few of them. Most are simple examples of bad v good interactions with customers and staff.

Here are a few for your delectation:

Or perhaps my favourite ‘Miss Upper Deck’.

Or you can sharpen up your service techniques below:

Follow the Pan Am Museum

If you want more than whats there, and more than just the videos, then call in at the website, hear the podcast, or follow them on social media:

• Facebook: @PAAmuseum
• Instagram: @pan.am.museum
• Twitter: @PanAmMuseum
• TikTok: @PanAmMuseum

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

Between you and me, next time I’m in New York, I am heading to Garden City to visit the physical museum (it’s located within the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Long Island). Open Tuesday to Sunday between 10 am and 5 pm.