“Very V.I.P.”: Pan American's Clipper Clubs, the regulatory state, and exclusive spaces in commercial aviation, 1949–1974

This study explores the history of the creation of, and disputes that surrounded, Pan Am's exclusive “Clipper Clubs”, which were designed to attract and retain high-value clients, as well as to consolidate networks of key policy makers and business leaders in the commercial aviation sector. Established in the 1940s, they were dismantled in the 1970s under pressure from actors who contended that they offered privileges to members chosen through an opaque selection process.