Vintage Airline Seat Map: Pan Am Boeing 747 v.2

In anticipation of the new Pan Am series beginning this Sunday, I bring you another Boeing 747 from Pan Am for this installment of Vintage Airline Seat Maps, a slight variation of the South American version I posted earlier this year. Seating a total of 412 passengers in three classes of service, this 747 was flying the skies in 1987. First Class seated 21 passengers in the pointy section and although not lie-flat, I’m certain the service made up for it. Here you’d definitely find me in 1J if I were solo, otherwise in row three with a companion.

In Business Class (“Clipper Class” in Pan Am terminology, which is by the way why the ‘C’ booking code came about at United for business class), the exceptionally spacious 2 x 2 x 2 layout had to be fantastic. Here I’d steer away from rows 10-13 with the proximity of the lavatories being annoying and instead prefer a seat in rows 14 to 16. The upper deck appears a bit more spacious than the other configuration and I’d probably be keen to sit in row seven or eight.

Economy class had the typical 3 x 4 x 3 layout, but with a generous amount of two-seaters in rows 39 through 45 and then in the common tail ender rows of 54 through 56. If I couldn’t snag an exit row aisle, I’d probably pick a ‘G’ aisle seat in the hope no one was in the ‘F’ seat as is most common on the 747s with a lighter load. Having the seat next to you open in economy on a long haul makes for a much more comfortable and enjoyable trip. Also interesting to note are the 10 lavatories for economy class… I don’t think you’d find that in economy on today’s 747s.

Where would you sit?