Photos: The 1960's were barely done when Pan Am again set a standard the rest of the world was forced to follow. Pan American's Boeing B-747 Jumbo Jets brought down the cost of long distance air travel once again. Soon other "wide-body" aircraft followed, as did plenty of cut-throat competition. The expansion in capacity, increasing sophistication among travelers, a burgeoning industry evolving to cater to the demands of millions of new potential customers - all these factors made for a brave new world. So did ever more volatile fuel and commodity prices, labor struggles, and increasingly violent politicization of people in far-away places. Pan Am's world in the last full decade of operation was a far cry from what it had been. The company's powerful history and decades of experience weren't enough. The final revenue flight arrived back in Miami on December 4, 1991.
Pan Am ad campaign touting roomy seating on B-747s
