Have you always wanted to jet around the world in a Boeing 747 jumbo jet but don't want to waste hours at check-in, security and to top of it off, lose all your bags? Now you don't have to! Entrepreneur Oscar Diös solved the problem by taking a old jumbo jet, stripping it out and placing it on a strip of land next to the entrance of Arlanda airport in Stockholm, Sweden. Turning the former airplane into a chic and hip hostel that not only will automatically serve as a landmark but also as a time capsule for anyone who is interested in aviation history. Welcome aboard the Jumbo Stay.

– I was getting ready to expand my hostel business in 2006 when I heard about an old wreck of an aircraft for sale at Arlanda. Since I had for a long time wanted to establish my business at Arlanda I didn’t hesitate for a second when this opportunity struck, Oscar Diös explains.

Read the full post

A somewhat kitschy promotion video from Pan American airways, made in the early 1970s that takes us around the world and back again in less than 25 minutes. The video was most likely produced to showcase how easy it was to travel around the world with Pan Am, take in the sights and then be back again in the afternoon to enjoy tea at the Ritz. If you recognize some of the music cues that are played in the background, they are sourced from several KPM records. The same kind of library music that can be found on many of my music compilations here. Footage provided by the lovely people at The Travel Film Archive.

Boeing 747, also known as the jumbo jet was first introduced in 1970. With Pan American airlines as one of its major investors they had the possibility to influence the design and development of the aircraft. It was deemed that the world needed a jet plane of massive size that could transport hundreds of passengers fast, efficient and with style. Juan Trippe who was the CEO of Pan Am at the time predicted that the 747 would be "... a great weapon for peace, competing with intercontinental missiles for mankind's destiny." (Source).

Here is a taste of various photos found at the great airliners.net website, depicting how it was like to travel with a Pan Am jumbo jet in the early 1970s. For anyone who hasn't been able to experience it first hand, I recommend getting the Space Age Lounge Volume 3 compilation and then read the article about former Pan Am stewardess Valerie Waterman. What are your memories of jet traveling in the 1970s?

Read the full post

I am the mood to travel to some place warm and exciting so I thought, why not experience some vintage airline commercials from the the past for some inspiration? Here are a bunch of TWA, Pan Am and Braniff commercials produced in the late 1960s and the 1970s — the golden age of air travel — that are sure to bring a smile to your lips. Which is your favorite airline to travel with today? Continue reading to see all the clips.

Read the full post

In the depths of Europe a hidden gem just became exposed. Anyone familiar with the golden age of aviation is most likely also very familiar with the airline Pan Am, who set the standard of modern aviation and swank traveling since the 1930s and onwards. The airline had hubs around the world and the airplane crew obviously needed places to stay when they were not high in the sky so Pan Am obtained apartments which pilots and stewardesses could utilize while they were jet setting around the world awaiting their next flight. One of those places is located in Berlin, Germany in a apartment house close to the Zoologischen Garten.

Read the full post