Elaborate Dinner Theater Recreates Air Travel From The 1970s

For any aviation fan that wishes that they could’ve been jetsetters back in the glamorous age of travel, there is now a dinner theatre experience that recreates the airline travel of the 1970s.

For any aviation fan that wishes that they could’ve been jetsetters back in the glamorous age of travel, there is now a dinner theatre experience that recreates the airline travel of the 1970s. Talaat Captan and Anthony Toth created the Pan Am Experience, which is based in Los Angeles at Air Hollywood – a movie set that recreates airports as well as aircraft standing sets and props.

Photo: Daniel Sliwa / Air Hollywood

The dinner experience is four-hours long and takes place aboard a Pan Am 747 every second Saturday evening, beginning at 6 pm. The area holds 56 passengers and passengers can choose to sit in First Class Upper Deck, First Class Main Deck and Clipper Business Class, depending on which price range they want to go for. Since it’s a re-enactment and dinner experience, the plane doesn’t actually leave the ground.

When arriving, guests get to enter a studio area that looks like an airport terminal, complete with a Pan Am desk from back in the day where they can check-in. Guests can then relax and enjoy complimentary drinks in the lounge. Once they’re ready to go “on board” the plane, they are greeted by the captains and female air stewards – after which a brief safety demo proceeds the dinner and entertainment services.

Photo: Daniel Sliwa / Air Hollywood

In honor of a time when smoking was openly allowed, passengers also get prop cigarettes that release an odorless smoke. Meanwhile, guests get to drink 1970s cocktails like Harvey Wallbangers and read vintage magazines, as well as checking out some of the memorabilia that include old baggage tags or airplane seats.

Photo: Daniel Sliwa / Air Hollywood

Dinner comes served on authentic china, linen, and glassware. There’s no need to worry about pre-packaged airplane meals from today. Instead, guests can enjoy the novel experience of a stewardess carving the meat and serving it with potatoes and vegetables. After this, comes the dessert cart, plus a wine and cheese course. Not just that, but there’s also a duty-free cart where guests can purchase perfume and cologne from the 1970s.

Photo: Daniel Sliwa / Air Hollywood

Entertainment includes trivia games, as well as a fashion show put on by the stewardesses in order to model all the original Pam Am uniforms from the late 1950s up until 1991. When the experience is over, guests are allowed to tour Air Hollywood’s other film sets as well as examine props used in movies, television shows, and commercials.

Photo: Daniel Sliwa / Air Hollywood

If you are interested, tickets for the experience come sold in pairs and the prices range from $475 to $875. You can further check out the Pan Am Experience here.

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