Amazing, the flawed knowledge and bad memories.

Platinum on Pan Am was 30,000 base per year. As a plat you could call up for a one class free upgrade 72 hours before flight time, the upgrade was not at booking time (unless of course it was within the 72 hours).

It should be noted that in their last 12-18 months of existance (Pan Am 1 that is), the lowest three classes were eliminated from the Plat upgrade program.

Sorry to say it but only uninformed fools cashed in miles in the time before they tanked. there were several reasons for my statement:

1) No airline of Pan Am's size/impotance had ever been able to collapse like this. 18 months before the fall, UA bought the LHR routes for about $400 million AND put up a $300 million guarantee to protect Pan Am tickets.

2) It was assumed by everyone that UA, DL or NW would absorb Pan Am routes AND the program. This was stated by all suitors.

Also, the Pan Am rules on earning or losing (as stated above) were pretty much the same as everyone else at the time. Non-expiring miles or activity every three years to keep the account alive are mostly inventions of the 1990's.

The chopper service was to from the Pan Am building until summer 1977 when the big crash happened. After some time it was re-instated from the East River heliport, next to the Queensboro bridge. They did try helis to/fr BAttery Park on and off, but never lasted too long.
Pan Am stopped charging for their program in 1985 or so, at the time there were other airlines in the world that also charged. It was not just before they tanked as asserted above