Classroom clipper, Vol. XVI, No. 2, December 1959

              DECEMBER 1959
Published by Pan American World Airways
VOL. XVI, No. 2
SOLO OR GROUP FOR ROUND-THE-WORLD AIR TRAVEL? THIS LADY LANGUAGE TEACHER PREFERS TO GO ALONE
by Mary G. Hundley
So many Americans are travelling so far these days, carrying their language, their money and their friendliness to the remotest corners of the earth, that much is being written and said about how to go and how to manage a tour. Travel agencies, tour brochures and guide books abound. Cynics sneer at Americans who show slides after a sojourn of several days or write a book after a visit of two weeks, while those who stayed abroad a year say nothing. Undoubtedly, Americans are tremendously interested in travel, in this age when aviation and prosperity have brought distant places within our reach.
Most of us go forth in groups, with friends or in a conducted tour, with reservations and a schedule, planned to cover the maximum of important sights in the minimum of time and the most economically. For the inexperienced, the sturdy and the majority, the travel agency is indispensable. There are many, however, who prefer to travel alone, to go as they please, and to make their arrangements themselves. In view of my circumstances, contacts and experiences, I was led to the solo mode of travel for my world tour of 1959.
A teacher of languages, especially French,
I had travelled extensively and promoted international goodwill for many years. A volunteer hostess at the Washington International Center, I had offered hospitality to foreign students and teachers, often inviting them to my home. My recent experiences as an airport receptionist had given me contact with so many brilliant young people from foreign countries, who come here to study our techniques, that I was eager to see Asia and as much of the Middle East and Africa as a round trip tourist ticket could provide.
When I went to college, we learned very little about the people of those very countries which are now important in current events: the Christian nations, Western Europe and The Ancient World were the general scope of my liberal arts education. Moreover, as a widow with no family, I had learned that travel with a congenial companion is ideal, but travel alone is often inevitable and quite satisfactory.
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In 1958 I had taken a tour for training tour leaders, to the Caribbean and South America, conducted by the National Education Association and Pan American World Airways. My experience on this tour led me to Pan American once again, to plan my trip according to tfteir northern world route with stops at more than
twenty cities, but with no reservations. As I had been to Europe several times, I spent only a week in my beloved Paris at my favorite hotel. Then I went on to Barcelona, Nice and Rome, where I stayed at the same pensions as once before. With the exception of Rome and Paris, all the other (Continued on page T-2)
JET CLIPPERS EXPAND WORLD ROUTE COVERAGE BY ADDITIONAL DAILY SERVICE TO SAN JUAN
Here is the score, as this is written, on world-wide air routes flown by the Pan Am Jet Clippers:
U. S. to — Europe
South America Hawaii
Polar Route to Europe Round-the-W orld Caribbean
Daily Jet Clipper service to the Caribbean, set for inauguration December 10, with daily flights between New York and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and between Miami and San Juan, provides comprehensive Jet Age air transportation service to one of the most heavily travelled overseas routes in the world, and one enjoying the biggest travel bargain in overseas air fares.
Pan Am’s Jets began service to Europe October 26, 1958, and the other routes listed above have been added during the past year.
In the first year of jet operations Pan American World Airways has provided service with the big Boeing jets to 21 cities overseas, flying to South America, across the Pacific, from the West Coast to London, and around the world.
Pan American, since it inaugurated the hrst American-hag jet service .on October 26, 1958, has flown over 210,000 jet passengers, Willis G. Lipscomb, Vice President of Traffic and Sales, said. Of this total, 189,000 were transatlantic passengers.
The popularity of the jets, combined with the public preference for the Economy fare, and frequent jet schedules to all of Pan Am’s major traffic centers, will result in a 20 per cent increase in travel over the
Company’s worldwide routes next year, Mr. Lipscomb predicted.
The airline’s jet network now links New York and Boston with nine cities in Europe; New York with Caracas, Asuncion and Buenos Aires; Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland with Honolulu, Tokyo and London; and its round-the-world jet route serves New York, London, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Beirut, Karachi, Calcutta, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Honolulu, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Pan American soon will increase jet schedules to South America. On December 10 jet flights will be inaugurated from New York and Miami to San Juan, Ciudad Trujillo, Nassau, and Montego Bay.
On December 15 Pan Am’s jet service between Seattle/Portland and Honolulu will be increased from two to three per week and its four weekly flights to Tokyo will extend to Hong Kong, with one going on to Manila.
A month later daily jet flights will be instituted between the West Coast and Tokyo and Hong Kong and one additional flight will be added on the Seattle-Honolulu route.
In the winter, Pan Am’s round-the-world jet service will be increased from the present two per week to six. Jet service to Puerto Rico will be doubled, giving twice-daily frequency.
By next summer the airline expects to place jets on its routes to South Africa.
Pan American’s jet fleet, by the end of 1959, will consist of 20 Boeing aircraft-14 long-range 321 Intercontinentals, the (Continued on page T-4)